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Post by andrewearlwood on Mar 19, 2024 4:35:44 GMT 8
The PTO have just announced … that 12 of the contracted female athletes can’t even be bothered to turn up to race in Singapore.
In addition to the already announced non starts of the likes of Kat Matthews and Daniela Ryf, other big no shows include Anne Haug and Laura Philip. Given that they are both obliged to do 6 races as part of their contract, that will mean both will have to race the final six T100 races or be in breach of their contract. How this will work out with their main goal of competing at Nice Ironman WC, remains to be seen, especially with the T100 race at Ibiza scheduled for the week after Nice. I assume that both are planning on doing that race as they both have validating ironman races scheduled for April (hence why they are missing Singapore). Same as Ryf and Matthews.
anyhoo, such a week field hardly does the PTO any favours, does it? Frankly Ironman 70.3 Oceanside looks to be a far more stacked field.
I wonder whether the men’s field - I assume to be announced tomorrow- will be as weak as the women’s? Also, given that WTS Abu Dabi was cancelled and there is no WTS racing now scheduled until May, will some Olympic male athletes take the opportunity to pick up a wildcard for Singapore? Haydn Wilde and Kristian Blumenthal were both exploring the option of flying to Miami overnight from the UAE if a wildcard was available following the cancellation of the WTS race according to their social media. … So: Singapore WTS is four weeks before Yokohama and could represent a good hit out for guys who now must feel a little underdone in terms of actual racing miles in 2024 (although Hayden did do an Oceania cup race in Napier a couple of weeks ago).
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Post by flanman on Mar 19, 2024 8:56:56 GMT 8
Gets back to the original comments re all triathlon streams of races to (sort of) work together to build the sport rather than aggressive competition. Sure, competition between them is fine but not to the detriment of the sport, themselves AND the athletes.
"Who's got the biggest d*ck" syndrome.
FM
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Post by andrewearlwood on Mar 19, 2024 9:28:59 GMT 8
So the men’s field has also been posted on the PTO site. No ‘bombshell’ additions or no shows. Just a couple of contracted athletes who have opted to sit this one out.
I also just finished listening to the Triathlon Hour podcast reviewing the T100 Miami race with Jack and Talbot. Two interesting tidbits: Taylor Knibb was actually 99% locked in to getting a direct flight from Abu Dabai to Miami and racing in lieu of Anne Haug, once the WTS series race was cancelled. Trek was going to bring a TT bike to the course for her and - unlike the men’s race where Horseau already took Javier’s slot, there WAS still a spot on the start line available. However, Taylor wanted the PTO to pay for a business class ticket so she could try to sleep on a flat bed (the flight departed the UAE at 3am and got into Miami at 11am local time), but the PTO said no. Apparently they were fearful that this ‘would set a precedent’ for other athletes to put their hand out for extra travel allowances. Taylor wasnt prepared to fork out the cash (and I priced a one way business class ticket online for about $A6.5K) not knowing whether such a long shot would end up with a win or a DNF on the day. In my view this was pretty short sighted by the PTO - who could have hosed down expectations of other atheletes that ‘a precedent has been set’, by limiting their contribution to the difference between say ‘premium economy’ and the full cost of a business class airfare and putting out a statement that talked about ‘exceptional circumstances’ (ie. the last minute force majure in the UAE, the fact that Taylor was prepared to fly around the global at the very last minute, she was a contracted athlete etc etc) to make it clear that other atheletes could not use this as some sort of ‘precedent’ bargaining chip for future events. Anyhoo: a missed opportunity.
The other tidbit relates to Sam Laidlow at the swimming pool. His father insisted that he jump in the lane with Rudy Von Berg, causing Rudy to immediately get out and leave the swim centre. After sam had done his swim, he got out and as he walked passed Daniel Baekkegard, Daniel went to fist bump Sam and said something like ‘hey mate, are we cool?’ And Sam slapped his hand away and say ‘no. We are not f*cking cool’ and kept walking. This all goes back to the ‘private’ email [which ended up in like 100+ people’s email box] from Rudy’s father accusing Sam of doping last year. For some reason - that has never been explained to me - Sam also thinks that Daniel is part of the ‘Sam is doping’ chatter: something that Daniel has always denied. Anyhoo, it seems like there is a fuel between Sam and several other PTO contracted athletes and no doubt the PTO will attempt to manipulate and exploit this for media hype purposes during the season. This could get really salty.
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Post by prince on Mar 20, 2024 16:57:25 GMT 8
Yep. And the feud is fantastic in my opinion. As for Taylor knibb, I disagree that the pto should have ponied up for tickets. I think Taylor would be on one of the highest contracts so I think they maybe feel they have done enough.
Besides it wouldn’t have made the race any more exciting. I am still angry at the shambles of the race ie the audio dropout and the women cycling in the darkness. I asked Holly on her utube post if the pto apologised to the athletes of the unsafe conditions and she replied with an expected diplomatic answer. She didn’t say they apologised but said all Athletes expect glitches…blah blah.
I checked the pto website expecting to see some
Sort of media release and apology to the fan, but nothing. I think that’s really poor.
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Post by Peter on Mar 21, 2024 4:02:57 GMT 8
The women not showing up would be a simple reaction for me. D dump women from the pto.
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Post by andrewearlwood on Mar 21, 2024 10:52:35 GMT 8
The women not showing up would be a simple reaction for me. D dump women from the pto. Why? They are doing no more than the PTO allowed when they set up the contract system this year. The fact is that half the PTO contracted athletes are still prioritising the Ironman World Championships and half of those have chosen to do a validating-qualifying ironman in April, instead of making the long haul from their European or North American base to Singapore. Other than Laura Philip (and perhaps Anne who was a late DNS in Miami) this decision makes perfect sense (those two German women will now need to do 6 straight PTO races to avoid being in breach of contract. Including Ibiza - a week after Nice [and I totally blame the PTO for putting on Ibiza in late September, instead of four weeks earlier]). The men’s race in Las Vegas will suffer the same fate as well because it is scheduled for one week before Kona. Half the men’s contracted athletes are unlikely to turn up either. The PTO has brought all of this on themselves. They would have been much better off simply running 5 to 6 good races this year that didn’t clash with either Ironman or the Olympics - and didn’t involve having to contract out to substandard organisations like Clash. Then next year, expand the series, if that was still thought to be a good idea. Honestly, they should have skipped Miami (which wasn’t even in Miami, but some sh!thole in the swamps), started the season in Singapore, with Ibiza shifting from September to May (like last year). So, the series should have been: April - Singapore May - Ibiza June - San Francisco July - London August - MAYBE Townsville [on the Saturday the 24th - before the Long Course WC] (Sept-October: hiatus to allow for the WTS grand finale, super league and also the ironman world champs to be held), then finish off with: MAYBE Las Vegas - early November Late November Grand Finale - Dubai (f*ck off Oman all together. I mean, seriously?f*cking Oman!!!) |
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Post by andrewearlwood on Mar 22, 2024 8:08:12 GMT 8
How is Laura Philipp still taking money from the PTO? www.tri247.com/triathlon-news/elite/challenge-roth-laura-philipp-major-german-star-pro-fields-take-shapeShe’s missed Miami, isn’t racing Singapore next month and this race is just 3 weeks before T-100 London. As it is she’ll have to front up at Ibiza - a week after Nice IM WC - and the rest of the remaining PTO Tour races, just to not be on contract. The prospects of her actually racing even one of the races that she is scheduled to compete in at anything like peak condition would be next to SFA. Sam Renouf must feel like Laura is taking the piss. |
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Post by prince on Mar 22, 2024 9:26:16 GMT 8
How is Laura Philipp still taking money from the PTO? www.tri247.com/triathlon-news/elite/challenge-roth-laura-philipp-major-german-star-pro-fields-take-shapeShe’s missed Miami, isn’t racing Singapore next month and this race is just 3 weeks before T-100 London. As it is she’ll have to front up at Ibiza - a week after Nice IM WC - and the rest of the remaining PTO Tour races, just to not be on contract. The prospects of her actually racing even one of the races that she is scheduled to compete in at anything like peak condition would be next to SFA. Sam Renouf must feel like Laura is taking the piss. that's the downside of contracted athletes. Money for Jam for some of them and there isn't anything in the rules about not 'giving your all'. She could turn up and pull out half way due to an 'injury'. I reckon the PTO also pay for accommodation, so she can also have a nice holiday in Ibiza. IF she also finishes again in the top 20, she can do it all again next year. I don't think she will be the only one either. |
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Post by Peter on Mar 23, 2024 18:54:59 GMT 8
The pro women are taking advantage of the PtO.
Like a pretty woman with an ugly older man.
Is seen with them but does nothing other than take money.
I can’t see the PTO lasting many more years.
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Post by Katz on Mar 25, 2024 16:55:13 GMT 8
I wondered why the pro list at Roth was looking a bit ordinary......
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