How to watch the PTO US Open
The second race of the 2023 PTO Tour makes its debut in Milwaukee on 4-5 August. With some of the world's very best set to race, here's how you can watch at home...
The PTO’s second Tour event of the year is set to take place for the first time in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, over the weekend of 4-5 August.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Tour so far, who will be racing in the US and how you can catch all the action live…
The PTO Tour 2023
The Tour’s first stop was Ibiza in May, for the first-ever PTO European Open (won by Anne Haug and Max Neumann).
Milwaukee is the new host for this year’s PTO US Open (last year’s US Open was held in Irving, Texas, and was won by (the now-banned pro) Colin Chartier and Ashleigh Gentle), and is the Tour’s second stop of three.
The final stop is the PTO Asian Open in Singapore on 19-20 August. Fans were hoping to see more dates added but the PTO announced that it would just be the three events for 2023.
(Last year the Tour also stopped in Canada where Gustav Iden won the men’s race and Gentle reigned supreme in the women’s.)
Like the European Open, the US Open will be open to the top 30 men and women who qualify from the PTO World Rankings, while the PTO Asian Open will be open to the top 20 men and women in the rankings.
This means that less athletes will be able to compete at these races than in 2022, while the total prize fund available for each race has also been reduced from $1m to $600,000.
What distances do athletes race in the PTO Tour?
All PTO Open races will feature a 2km swim, 80km bike and 18km run.
Who’s racing the PTO US Open in Milwaukee?
The women’s start list has been announced, and features six of the current top 10 PTO ranked athletes.
Led by PTO World #1 Ashleigh Gentle (AUS), the field also includes #5 Paula Findlay (CAN), #6 Taylor Knibb, #7 Chelsea Sodaro (USA), #8 Laura Philipp, and #10 Holly Lawrence (GBR).
PTO US Open women’s start list
Ashleigh Gentle (AUS)
Paula Findlay (CAN)
Taylor Knibb (USA)
Chelsea Sodaro (USA)
Laura Philipp (GER)
Holly Lawrence (GBR)
Tamara Jewett (CAN)
Kat Matthews (GBR)
Skye Moench (USA)
India Lee (GBR)
Jocelyn McCauley (USA)
Marjolaine Pierré (FRA)
Sarah True (USA)
Maja Stage Nielsen (DEN)
Jackie Hering (USA)
Ellie Salthouse (AUS)
Danielle Lewis (USA)
Rebecca Clarke (NZL)
Jeanni Metzler (SA)
Anne Reischmann (GER)
Lucy Byram (GBR)
Rach McBride (CAN)
Haley Chura (USA)
Ruth Astle (GBR)
For the men, PTO World #1 Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR), #3 Magnus Ditlev (DEN) and #4 Sam Laidlow (FRA) will be leading the line-up.
In total, the men’s field for the second PTO Tour race of the season includes 13 of the top 20 men from PTO World Rankings as well as two-time Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee, wildcards Jan Frodeno – ensuring a repeat of the PTO European Open clash which saw all three Olympic gold medallists since 2008 race together (Frodeno, Brownlee and Blummenfelt) – Marten Van Riel (racing his first PTO Tour event), US athlete Marc Dubrick, and longtime 70.3 pro Timothy O’Donnell.
PTO US Open men’s start list
Kristian Blummenfelt (NOR)
Magnus Ditlev (DEN)
Sam Laidlow (FRA)
Sam Long (USA)
Ben Kanute (USA)
Daniel Baekkegard (DEN)
Aaron Royle (AUS)
Frederic Funk (GER)
Clement Mignon (FRA)
Lionel Sanders (CAN)
Florian Angert (GER)
Jason West (USA)
Kristian Hogenhaug (DEN)
Alistair Brownlee (GBR)
Bradley Weiss (SA)
Miki Moerck Taagholt (DEN)
Mathis Margirier (FRA)
Jackson Laundry (CAN)
Thomas Bishop (GBR)
Trevor Foley (USA)
Braden Currie (NZL)
Chris Leiferman (USA)
David McNamee (GBR)
Thor Bendix Madsen (DEN)
Jan Frodeno (GER)
Marten Van Riel (BEL)
Mark Dubrick (USA)
Timothy O’Donnell (USA)
The PTO US Open 2023 course
The pro course follows a 100km format, broken down as a 2km swim, 80km bike and 18km run.
Both the women’s and men’s races will take place on a specially designed course, which is adjacent to the Milwaukee Art Museum, Henry Maier Festival Park and Discovery World along the shore of Lake Michigan.
The 2km swim
The 2023 PTO US Open swim course features two, 1km laps. Athletes start on the pontoon, diving in to begin the first lap and swimming up the course before a 180°, clockwise turn at the single turnaround point.
They then head back to shore before a long Australian exit sees them run back up to the pontoon to dive back into the water for the second lap.
At the end of lap two, the athletes will run from the water up into the transition area to ready themselves for the 80km bike course.
The 80km bike
Details to come.
The 18km run
The PTO US Open 2023 run course includes five laps totalling 18km. Athletes will take off on an anti-clockwise loop along the waterfront down Oak Leaf Trail, before hanging a right through Veterans Park and skirting East Lagoon Drive before turning back towards transition along North Lincoln Memorial Drive.
On the fifth and final lap, the athletes will turn off the lapped course and head for the finish line and glory.
How can I watch the PTO US Open 2023?
Watch the PTO Tour 2023 live from the comfort of your home via the official broadcast channels.
Those following along in Europe can watch on Eurosport, Discovery+, and GCN+, while the rest of the world can watch via the PTO+ app or on the PTO YouTube channel.
When does PTO US Open 2023 start?
The race coverage will start at the following times*:
Friday 4 August
4pm – Men’s PTO US Open
Saturday 5 August
4pm – Women’s PTO US Open
*All times are local, which is 6hrs behind the UK.
PTO Tour 2023 overview
6 May: PTO European Open, Ibiza
4-5 August: PTO US Open, Milwaukee
19-20 August: PTO Asian Open, Singapore
What happened in the 2022 PTO Tour?
Top image credit:James Mitchell/PTO
Liz Barrett
220 Deputy Editor 
