Here

Hopefully Frodeno and Brownlee will get wildcards and we will see all Olympics gold medallists since 2008

Brownlee should have been listed: he was ranked (#37) way higher than several on that list when the 'cut' was made (ranking list as at 27 March).
https://stats.protriathletes.org/rankings/men?set=78
I assume they are keeping back his name to increase the impact of the wild card announcements.
"a lot of big men missing it" maybe. Who is missing from MPRO:
Iden
Sanders
Long
Iden has to get his short course game back on track and has Yokohama on 14 May.
https://wtcs.triathlon.org/...ries_yokohama/576164

Side note: Can't imagine Blummenfelt will go well in Japan 7 days after a hard Ibiza 100km, but he's reigning Olympic Champion - having fun - and Paris is a way off.
Sanders and Long recognise (youtube self-asserted) they'd get a good thrashing, plus an element of 'Monro Doctrine' reluctance to travel.
Chartier (no race so far in 2023 - is he injured? or just deliberately starting his season late)
Skipper (racing Texas and then WT Long Distance World Champs on 7 May, Ibiza)
Hanson (racing Texas)
Wurf (racing Texas and then Ineos duties (assumed)) At least the antipodeans have Royle, Neumann and Smith flying the flags.
Shame there's not a single MPRO Spaniard: Dapena was ranked high enough (#32) to get a roll-down slot (in the published list).

Dammit i was hoping for brownlee vs jan vs kristian! Maybe even iden! And now you are telling me only jan and kristian!

Wierd with skipper, but i guess he knows the distance is too short to make up for the bad swim?

A lot of great athletes on the men's side, but I'm way more excited to watch the women's race.

His training has gone sideways in the lead up. Sick then injured. https://spotify.link/8jPDuc8lWyb

No chance of Gomez being included?

True womens have the big 4 plus mat + gentle.

Would need jan ali, iden and blume to match


Q: can Frodeno drop blummenfelt in the water?

great call - seems like this format would suit him really well. would just love to see a fit javi back in the game.

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I can't even remember the last time he raced, nothing on his Insta indicates he's injured, I know someone on here said he's been suffering from long covid, I do miss seeing him race!

How can Gentle not be in 'the big 4' she's prety much the undisputed, undefeated champ?

Weird? No - what would he gain by racing 100km: chance of top 15 slim in a great SOF. And as an IM 'giant' he will be right up there for the World Triathlon LD World Champs win and (my estimate) better PTO Ranking points for an equivalent performance.
I'm not saying Brownlee won't be on the list. Wild cards are announced tomorrow: as said "I assume they are keeping back his name to increase the impact of the wild card announcements."
From CJWurf insta he is heading for IM Lanza in May (no mention of Texas).

https://files.constantcontact.com/...b8b-d6f69d45eccd.pdf
Gomez could get a wild card (as a nod to the host nation) but when an athlete has reached and stayed for several years on the top step, they have to be 'full on' ready. One assumes Frodeno is but no evidence: same with Gomez.

I think it was 70.3 Pucon last year. He won the race although it really wasn't a stacked field. He has been MIA ever since. Based on his IG he did some testing with Plews in NZ but he has been pretty quite after that. Just like A. Brownlee, they are both incredible athletes, but I get the feeling that their best days are now behind them.

Agree, and I'd also say that at this distance, an in form Knibb would need to be included for any "big #" discussion. Maybe hasn't won as many races but when she starts, she usually wins.

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Knibb is the big miss for me too for prety much a full house of top women at this distance.

https://stats.protriathletes.org/rankings/women
Well given @lassekk's 'big 4' are the Kona WC podium plus the St George WC IM winner, at 100k Gentle has to be favourite, in the absence of Knibb. The latter is racing in Yokohama 8 days after the Ibiza race and targeting the Paris test event, with the aim of AQing for the fiercely competitive USA team: that's her focus. But certainly with Gentle in the 'big 6'.
It'd be great to see Knibb with LCB and Gentle out of the swim and then disappear up the road on the bike, setting up a chase for Gentle and likely Sodaro. Guess we'll have to wait till Lahti.
Unsure whether Matthews will prefer helping test Race Ranger the following day. The PTO race will be only 13 days since Texas and 4/9ths the distance.
EPB and Philipp, on good days, will be in the mix. Stalking them all: a 1:13:00 weapon which the top 10 will be intent to keep 'out of harms way'.

He recently revealed in an interview he has been injured (stress reaction in the femur). He was in very good shape before St. George and covid symptoms prevented him from getting back to fitness for the rest of the year. He will now focus on Nice, and I'd be surprised if he races in Ibiza as he is probably not as fit as he would like.
Also Dapena was meant to race WC in Ibiza but a foot injury has left him without running.

PD: Very good interview btw https://www.relevo.com/...230325191246-nt.html

Thanks for sharing, yeah before St. George I "saw" him a few times on Zwift and he was doing some serious indoor training rides ~3h on about 300 W. He was probably building his bike to close the gap to the best riders.

Think the wildcards are due to be announced today.
https://stats.protriathletes.org/...en/2023/participants?
MPRO (maybe 5), SOF=91:
Frodeno (confirmed after Blummenfelt called in a favour - https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq-UsrVuU3z/ )
Brownlee
Nieschlag
Brownlee junior? (Edit: VMT @ sidelined - is on Yokohama list)

WPRO (maybe 5), SOF=92:
Simmonds
Visser
Madsen
Oliveira
Buckingham

Lopez not on Yokohama list
https://triathlon.org/...ries_yokohama/544223
Surprised Byram is opting for the 100k: I'd have thought she would be more competitive in the WT LD champs
https://www.triathlon.org/...onships_ibiza/584060

https://protriathletes.org/media-releases/ibiza-wildcards-set-up-olympic-charged-duel-in-the-sun/


M: Jan Frodeno, Ali Brownlee, Cam Wurf, Justus Nieschlag
F: Amelia Watkinson, Sif Madsen, Anne Reischmann, Els Visser

Why Wurf? He'll be outrun by 8+ minutes, and no way he can put that much time into anyone.

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viewings

It's a show, he'll be entertaining and hopefully light up the bike course. Probably not - but who would you rather get the wild card?

I know...Van Riel, Geens, Bergere, but the olympic pathway is firmly in the way here...so really in LC tri, I can't think of a name that would be a bigger draw to the wild card list.

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Oh boy! This will be amazing!
Do we think Jan and alistair can push the swim, drop kristian and work together to keep him at bay?
Who is able to swim with those two on the list? Bakkegaard?

Brownlee jnr is on the Yokohama list