YT or Max in the US. Eurosport in Europe I believe.

We keep hearing, from some of the PTO leadership even, that they want the tour to be like this Drive to Survive F1 style thing.

Totally ignorant of those races, but I assume the drivers don't just skip their races and go race a different circuit instead?

If the leadership of PTO wants a season long narrative with championship style racing at every stop there are a handful of athletes they've contracted actually giving it to them.

You can say they are fine with it...if that's the case why did they give their guys contracts? Presumably because they werent fine with being second fiddle last year and they wanted to ensure commitment this year.

Even if there is a clawback in the contract, an athlete like Neuman or Gomez taking the deal and then not racing the races necessarily excluded other athletes which as Laidlow points out, that financial security actually enabled him to make the next jump in his career and training.

So ya, I'd be annoyed if I was paying to develop and showcase talent and the return was sub optimal.

In the men's race most (>75%) of the contracted athletes have/will start both these first two races. And I expect that % to be maintained.
In WPro far more have chosen to select one (or in the case of Haug and Philipp both) of the first two races to miss (they can miss two). In addition the women have 3 Olympians contracted (who can miss the first 4) which automatically drops the max for the first 4 races to 85%.
From SF onwards both men and women will have a consistent core (>75%) of the world's top athletes racing: enough to maintain that 'season-long' narrative we've heard being a key PTO objective.
We've never had this 'unification' effect before: diamond times.
Analysis: https://www.sportcal.com/...h-a-rebrand/?cf-view

I don't know why Haug and Philipp have chosen not to race these first two. In the case of the former, ongoing health issues has been rumoured: it's up to her whether she shares her reasons. As for Philipp, maybe she is taking the 'long season' view: race from June to December. But she has two 70.3s or a full IM (to validate for Nice) as well as Roth to fit in - all a bit odd.
As for Gomez and Neumann, I guess when Neumann was offered the contract (early December, but based on his ranking on 21 August) he hoped he'd be up to racing at least by April, but he isn't. I hope Gomez is OK but he does seem to have racing bad luck with two DNFs this (Oceania) summer. Again in January when offered a hotshot contract (with Brownlee, Bogen and van Riel) presumably he expected to be ready to race Singapore, but real life intervened. I think we have to let this play out before judging this a 'conspiracy' as opposed to a 'cock-up'. PTO took a risk: with hindsight looks like they misjudged.

Of all the wildcards Keulen (who was the highest ranked athlete to miss out) has shown his worth and is (I estimate) sure to be at the Grand Final (on points), even if he gets no other starts. It will be interesting to see how well Salthouse does: she was an obvious omission from the list of contracted athletes. She performed poorly in 3 of 4 key (diamond/platinum) races in 2023 (Ibiza, Singapore and Lahti) so ranked just too low in December when the contract 'cut' was made.

Finally I note that the PTO have not published revised rankings this week. If they had it would show Knibb as #1 and however well Gentle races later today, Knibb will stay #1. Win a Gold race by such a margin and you get >100 points.

And we're off (with Belinda Jan and Jack)
https://www.youtube.com/live/p1Wv0Vm__CM?si=ORedEzRmB-7ySlYe
https://www.youtube.com/...?si=RGiw4AEj3mDT3myY
https://www.eurosport.com/...0ch20008/video.shtml
Eurosport ftw in Europe (and according to PTO, Indian sub-continent too)


@8:00 LCB with t'other Lucy on her feet with Wilms, Clarke and Lee taking better (direct) lines. Gap after those.
@11:00 Lead pack of three with Wilms and Lee have eased off.
Still no time splits on screen.
From DevPaul's thread:

Do others have commentary? I only get background sound. Watching With Discovery+ in Norway. Really disappointing.

Commentary on Eurosport excellent. Still missing any times (have tracker up on phone)
Aussie exit:
13:08 LCB Buck Clarke
+27 Wilms Lee
+37 Chura
+48 Simmonds McCauley Gentle Byram (having good swim) Oliveira Salthouse Kahlefeldt
Lots: Sodaro
Front 3 heading for exit and T1 @26:03
LCB looks as if she's eased off as the other two seemed comfortable
Jack erring on hyperbole already (because of the gap)
Jan great

Unfortunately most race data and actual leaderboard not included in the regular coverage.

You have to use a second screen with live data (https://t100triathlon.com/...ro/live-womens-race/) to get exact times, HR-effort etc.

Re: Eurosport. Sometimes an issue if you stream with the app, you need to pick language and choose (in the view, a small globe).

Thanks
Sodaro 4 minutes down, with Watkinson (who's a good cyclist). Kelly talking about needing a 'strong bike' (she needs a wheel).
LCB taking lead of Buckingham at 32:00

Thank you so much! The default settings was ambient sound.

But does LCB have something in her kit on her shoulders? Looks slippery.

Them be muscles!
Race Ranger in use. Buckingham neatly 22m behind LCB.
LCB looks to be pushing right away.
Gentle 1:28 down on LCB and that's the same after 6km: Gentle on a mission.
Sharp quick adverts on Eurosport.
Overcast so temperature lower than feared.
Yesterday the competitors were unsure whether the race would go ahead as scheduled.

Think they all have GPS trackers in their suits.

Commentators doing well I think. And actually watchable being ads free (looking at you Ironman).

Yes.
"Event Level Obligations
- Race clothing to meet World Triathlon naming requirements
- Wear Biometrics device (GPS/HR etc) during event

Temperature = 31C/86F
Humidity = 70%

Lucy also stuffed a bag of ice into her suit in T1.

---

ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

If you want even less ads, there is a fully ads free stream in the app.

Is that a specific Biometrics device provided by the organisation?

Is the "Supernova slo-mo" the new Maurten Move???

This? https://www.eurosport.com/...0ch20008/video.shtml - goes quiet while other stream away for adverts.
Visser went straight past Sodaro (latter has lost over a minute already.
Trash zone 'end' sign really tight after feed/water zone.
Gentle taking Clarke @ 51:41 into 3 but she's actually lost a few seconds to LCB/Buckingham up the road (1:31).

Are they supposed to ride on the right side of the street?
Bit of unfair seeing some riding up the bridge on the right side and some completely on the left side.

Were told at briefing to ride left and pass on right.
Buckingham getting some RR 'feedback' and glass slippering.
Gentle gradually losing time on the lead 2. But those #4 and back

Sodaro has stopped @1:06
DNF After a way below par swim she looked fairly average on the bike (and leaked time to the chase pack 2 minutes in front). Seemed to be slip-sliding away (on her seat) which commentators thought didn't bode well. Having to ride by herself: not her preferred race dynamic.
Got off her bike at an aid station.

Gentle continuing to lose time to the two in front.
Simmonds Salthouse and Lee keeping station.

Not sure, but possibly. I watch through the app (casting to my big screen). Haven't noticed silent pauses (yet).