Blummenfelt was in North America to contest the Professional Triathletes Organization (PTO) U.S. Open in Milwaukee and a $100,000 winner’s purse that was on the line for the men. The race was the highlight of the Milwaukee Triathlon Festival, an event that also included the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships for Olympic and Sprint distances.
Blummenfelt, the 2020 Olympic Gold Medalist and 2021 Ironman World Champion, came to the PTO U.S. Open as one of the top favorites following his second-place finish at the PTO European Open in Ibiza earlier this summer.
The 29-year-old Norwegian got off to a strong start in Milwaukee, finishing the 2km, non-wetsuit swim in a front group of about eight. After the swim, Blummenfelt hopped on his CADEX Tri frameset with a CADEX Aero WheelSystem including an Aero Disc rear and 4-Spoke front, and rocketed to the front. Three other riders joined him, and the four drove the pace for the 80km bike leg.
Blummenfelt looked to be in control for most of the bike leg, but he was struck with cramps in the closing kilometers before the second transition. Going through T2 he pulled up with another cramp in his left leg and had to make the transition gingerly.
German Jan Frodeno made his move, going to the front in the early portion of the 18km run, followed by Magnis Ditlev from Denmark and Frenchman Mathis Margirier. Blummenfelt fought through the cramps and chased back to seize the final podium spot behind Frodeno, who took the win. American Jason West finished second.
“First, I just tried to catch Magnus and just as I was catching him, that’s I when I had to stop again and squeeze off the cramping and jog for maybe 5km,” Blummenfelt explained. “Suddenly I saw Magnus struggling as well, and that gave me the motivation to chase the podium again. It was annoying, obviously, but I am pleased again to be able to get back into it after cramping and finish off strong.”
Blummenfelt now leads the PTO world rankings as he turns his attention toward the final event of the 2023 PTO Tour, the Asian Open, in two weeks.
Ironman 70.3 Podium for Pallant-Browne
Meanwhile, Emma Pallant-Browne was in Estonia with her CADEX Tri frameset and CADEX Aero WheelSystem for the women’s Ironman 70.3 European Championship. The Brit came into the event in Tallin riding a wave of momentum following her win at the Ironman 70.3 Swansea event in Wales last month.
The course in Tallin was flat and fast, starting with a 1900m swim in Like Harku followed by a 90km ride through villages to the south and back for the second transition at Seaplane Harbor. The final leg was a half-marathon run through the old city center of Talinn.
Pallant-Browne finished the swim near the front of the field, alongside German Laura Philipp. The two were third and fourth, about three minutes behind early leader Lucy Buckingham of Great Britain.
Buckingham held her lead throughout most of the 90km bike leg until she was caught by a small group including Philipp and Imogen Simmonds of Switzerland. Pallant-Browne, a former track runner, was in good position through T2, sitting fifth about a minute back.
Battling heat and humidity on the run, Pallant-Browne moved up, catching several of the frontrunners to grab the final podium spot in third, just over 3 minutes back from Philipp, who took the win.