I’ll start with that I am triathlon fan and WAS excited about the 70.3 WC’s tommorrow.
Although the pro race has all the favorites there are alot of top pro’s missing from the start list. Why is that? Is it too close to Kona? Should this race be in the Spring or late summer? Is it the end of the season for most pros? Is the prize purse too small for a World Champs? Why no PR for this race, there has been better PR for the Chicago Tri? I have to say as a tri fan that I am dissappointed with the amount of top pros doing this race.
Although the pro race has all the favorites there are alot of top pro’s missing from the start list.
I don’t see many missing. For a 70.3 it looks pretty stacked. If Bjorn wasn’t at Silverman I would expect to see him there also. Could you be more specific as to who else you might expect (again knowing this is a 70.3).
It will be interesting to see how the pros (and top AG’ers) who did Kona will perform against other “more rested” pros (Lessing, Legh, Bozzone, McGlone etc).
In general I would say yes to most of your questions re: why more pros aren’t there. I also think after the first 1-2 years this will develop into a seperate focus race for pros and top AG’ers (most will pick this or Kona; presuming this becomes a “world championship” in everyone’s eye’s).
Still too early to draw many conclusions
My 2 cents 