After announcing Singapore and Milwaukee as new race venues, it took a while for the PTO to also announce the PTO European Open. That race will take place May 6 in Ibiza and will be on the 100km format familiar to PTO, in which athletes swim 2 kilometers, bike 80 kilometers and run 18 kilometers. At the same time the PTO drops the prize money athletes can earn by a huge amount: per race (US Open, Asian Open, European Open) from 1 million dollars to 600.000 dollar.
Commenting on the news, PTO CEO Sam Renouf said: “We’re excited to confirm that Ibiza will host the inaugural PTO European Open and kick off the 2023 PTO Tour. It continues the expansion of the PTO Tour and our journey to different continents, courses and climates and will be a fantastic way to start the season.”
World Triathlon President and IOC Member, Marisol Casado, said: “After the great experience of last year in Samorin, we are delighted to partner again with the PTO to work together on an event that will be a great spectacle for all the athletes and spectators as well as for Ibiza and the island. The partnership with the PTO is just natural for us, and it is great to see many of the world’s very best long-distance triathletes in action in this type of combined event, offering the athletes multiple opportunities to race. We are all ready to offer all the athletes the best experience possible and to make Ibiza an unforgettable event for all.”
The prize pool per PTO Open race drops to $600,000. That used to be a million dollars per race.
