This is a preview piece for the 2023 PTO Tour US Open – click here to read our report on how Jan Frodeno cemented his status as one of the greatest triathletes to ever do it with a huge win in Milwaukee.
For the first time ever, the PTO Tour US Open will take place in Milwaukee, with the best in the world heading stateside to compete over the 100km distance and compete for the $100k prize purse on the line.
Having won the men’s PTO Tour European Open in Ibiza at the start of the season, Aussie Max Neumann is the most notable absence in America, but second and third-place finishers Kristian Blummenfelt and Magnus Ditlev make the trip as they both chase their first PTO Tour win.
We have all the information you need on the men’s race in Milwaukee, including start times, the ability to watch live and a full rundown of the favourites and dark horses for the win.
Start time and how to watch live
The men will race on Friday August 4, with the action getting under way at 1615 local time. That is 1715 on the East Coast (1415 PST), 2215 in the UK and 2315 CET.
In Europe the race will be broadcast live on Eurosport, with global coverage also available via the new PTO+ app and a range of global broadcast partners and streaming services. Full details of those HERE on the PTO website.
If you are OUTSIDE EUROPE, you can WATCH LIVE by clicking the video right below here.
Which PRO Men are racing at the PTO US Open?
The man with the plan – quite possibly an insane plan – is Kristian Blummenfelt and he will be the favourite for the title in Milwaukee. So far in his illustrious career, a win on the PTO Tour has eluded him, but this month the Norwegian is seeking to right that wrong with opportunities both here and in Singapore.
Second place behind Neumann in Ibiza stung ‘Big Blu’ and as he goes from strength-to-strength on the WTCS circuit, Blummenfelt seems to be on another level heading into Milwaukee. He will need to be though if he harbours any ambitions of taking down this world-class field without a hitch.
The King of Roth, Magnus Ditlev of Denmark, will also be seeking first win on the PTO Tour and will see himself as the man to beat Blummenfelt, especially after emphatically dispatching the rest of the field in record-breaking fashion when he took his second consecutive win at Challenge Roth in June.
The other huge name in the starting line-up is the great Jan Frodeno, who turns 42 later this month. The German superstar returned to winning ways in Andorra recently following an injury-ruined 2022, and will feel he has something to prove here. We now know of course that retirement is close for Frodeno after he confirmed that Milwaukee will be his ‘second last dance’.
The American contingent, primarily the talented trio of Ben Kanute, Sam Long and Jason West, can all feature on the podium, with West in particular being an enigma who cannot be underestimated. Long will definitely take part after the birth of his first child (a son, Leo), while Kanute can be a real threat.
Britain’s Tom Bishop, Germany’s Frederick Funk and Frenchman Mathis Margirier can be expected to try and break through from the periphery, with Canadian duo Lionel Sanders and Jackson Laundry similarly capable of taking the race to the rest of the field on Friday.
Kiwi Braden Currie and American Tim O’Donnell, who will have half an eye on the IRONMAN World Championship in Nice, also have what it takes to stand up and make themselves heard.
Prize Money: What’s on the line?
Nobody will go home empty-handed from Milwaukee, with the $600,000 prize purse paying up to 30 athletes deep.
The race winner will collect a bumper $100,000 cheque, with a top-10 finish being rewarded with a minimum of $5,500, and 20th still earning $2,500. The full prize breakdown is as follows:
- 1. $100,000
- 2. $50,000
- 3. $35,000
- 4. $15,000
- 5. $10,000
- 6. $8,000
- 7. $7,000
- 8. $6,500
- 9. $6,000
- 10. $5,500
- 11. $5,000
- 12. $4,500
- 13. $4,000
- 14, $3,500
- 15, $3,000
- 16. $3,000
- 17. $3,000
- 18. $3,000
- 19. $3,000
- 20. $2,500
- 21. $2,500
- 22. $2,500
- 23. $2,500
- 24. $2,500
- 25. $2,500
- 26. $2,000
- 27. $2,000
- 28. $2,000
- 29. $2,000
- 30. $2,000
As we consistently highlight, thanks to the formation of the Professional Triathletes Organisation, financial rewards from performance are not solely from on-the-day performances.
The PTO World Rankings in 2022 saw a total of $2million awarded, based up on the final standings in those points tables. The rewards there can be substantial, with a move up or down the rankings system potentially earning you more than any individual event.
In 2023, the distribution of the end of year bonus has not yet been announced, but it has been confirmed that the money will be shared amongst the top-50, instead of the top-100 as it was in 2022.
