Jan Frodeno put on a front-running masterclass to roll back the years and win the PTO US Open and $100,000 in Milwaukee.
The three-time Ironman world champion, who turns 42 in a fortnight, broke away at the start of the 18km run to take victory in 3:14:12 over the 100km course.
Behind him there was drama aplenty, with fast-running American Jason West duelling with Olympic champion Kristian Blummenfelt, who had been stricken with quad cramp in the early part of the run.
West wasn’t to be denied and with a blistering run leg of 56:23, more than 5min faster than the Norwegian, he took the runner-up spot as Blummenfelt's search for an elusive PTO Tour win continues.
With one of the pre-race picks Magnus Ditlev dropping out late on the run, France’s Mathis Margirier took an impressive fourth place.
Home favourite Sam Long, who became a dad for the first time less than 48 hours earlier, finished fifth. David McNamee far outperformed his PTO ranking of 36th to finish the best of the British in seventh as Tom Bishop frustratingly had to withdraw with a mechanical early on the bike leg.
Frodeno has said this would be his last year of championship competition and, after coming up short in the PTO European Open in Ibiza, he has now set himself up perfectly for a final tilt at the Ironman World Championship in Nice with a maiden PTO Tour victory.
What happened in the swim?
With neither PTO European Open champion Max Neumann, last year’s Canadian Open champion Gustav Iden, nor now banned US Open winner Collin Chartier present, a new PTO Open was destined to be crowned in Milwaukee, where the US age-group national championships were also taking place.
It was a two-lap non-wetsuit 2km swim with around a 150m dash between laps called an 'Aussie Exit'. and it was an Aussie, Aaron Royle, who took the early initiative.
The 33-year-old, who has had three top 10 performances in three PTO Open races since stepping up from short course competition, led from the front with compatriot Josh Amberger, and USA’s Marc Dubrick and Ben Kanute in close contention.
By the time they reached T1 there was a clear break between the first eight — including both Blummenfelt and Frodeno — and the rest of the field.
Bishop was 57sec down out of the water in 12th, with Ditlev 82sec behind in 22nd, Long at 2:36 and Canadian Lionel Sanders second to last more than 4mins adrift.
What happened on the bike?
Blummenfelt immediately showed his intention by pushing to the front on the seven-lap 80km bike course, but there was disaster for Bishop who had only pedalled a few kilometres before having to withdraw with a mechanical issue.
France’s Challenge Championship winner Margirier was the early mover and bridged up to follow the Norwegian, with Frodeno — who’d only realised at the mount line that he’d forgotten to remove his swim skin — in third place.
There were plenty of anxious glances back to Ditlev as the new Challenge Roth course record holder advanced through the field to pass Frodeno before they’d reached halfway on the bike leg.
Fred Funk had also put himself into contention and was handily placed in fifth, with Denmark’s Thor Bendix Madsen and Long among the fastest of the chasers in 11th and 12th and less than 3min down.
Into the second-half of the bike leg and the four at the front couldn’t be separated although Frodeno was working hard to stay in contention. By the final 15km, Ditlev had started to crank up the pace even more but wasn’t able to shake Margirier or Blummenfelt, and although the German slipped to 20sec back he was able to claw his way back heading into T2.
Dismounting the bike, Blummenfelt immediately cramped in his left leg and in a recurrence of what happened in last year's PTO Canadian Open in Edmonton was stricken on the spot.
Funk reached transition 90sec down, but picked up a penalty at the dismount line, with the rest of the field more than 3min back, including West — who'd had mechanical issues of his own on the bike — in 20th at 5:21 and looking way out of contention.
What happened on the run?
Seizing on Blummenfelt’s early distress, Ditlev, Margirier and Frodeno took out the five-lap run along Lake Michigan.
Frodeno opened the early gap, but just as Blummenfelt drew up to the shoulder of Ditlev, the PTO ranked No 1 athlete was once more brought to a standstill with cramp — and this time it looked to have curtailed his chances of victory.
Frodeno was in cruise control as he extended the lead over Margirier to more than a minute, with Ditlev another minute in arrears, but behind them Long and West were on the charge and making a dash for the podium.
The final kilometres produced even more drama. Ditlev's chances ended as he was reduced to a walk, West powered past Blummenfelt into third only for the Olympic champion to respond to stay nipping at his heels, both men eventually reeling in a fading Margirier.
Out front Frodeno was all smiles as he took the tape, 28sec clear of a charging West, with Blummenfelt rounding out the podium.
PTO US Open final result
- Jan Frodeno
- Jason West
- Kristian Blummenfelt
- Mathis Margirier
- Sam Long
- Daniel Baekkegard
- David McNamee
- Bradley Weiss
- Gregory Barnabt
- Sam Appleton
Top image credit: PTO
