Searchable start list

If Andrew Horsfall-Turner turns up (no pun intended), it could be an aggressive swim with him and Wilkowiecki. Skipper won't like it. Lange could have to wait until the run to catch up.

---

"FTP is a bit 2015, don't you think?" - Gustav Iden

There are reports of pros not getting on the start list because entries closed early

https://twitter.com/.../1773324778062962782

in my best thestrobro imitation all i can say is that the newhouse company , some refer to it as ironman is not up to scratch and a shambles.

Not keeping Pro entries open till the advertised closing date specified (by 'just' changing that date) is very poor. Discussion on the Oceanside thread about this.
But Texas, like Oceanside, was always going to be very popular, for similar reasons.Pros have got used to being able to enter races with only 3 weeks to go.
However any pro who had not decided by mid March to race Texas carries an element of guilt at not planning their season or just procrastinating 'because they thought they could'. Is Horseau one of those?
Shedloads of USA (and a few from other countries) new Pros on the start list. I hope those in that cohort can go under 8:30 (men, and not be chicked) and 9:30 (women) to demonstrate their prowess and thus they merit starting in the pro wave.
Last year 30 men and 25 women started. RvB won in 7:45 and (it's not a comeback') Matthews in 8:33.
At the back Shi, Eaton, Pan (all US) plus Csoke and Schmidt finished in over 9:10. And four women finished over 10 hours. They all beat Skipper who wanted to get an extra long ride in (with extra accessible hydration) and then DNF'd.
https://www.trirating.com/...3-analyzing-results/

How about, by amending this thread's title, you break this out into men and women, in a spirit of inclusion.
The top ranked women in the start list are:
Matthews (last year's winner; but ? calf after Miami)
Langridge (not T100 so assume all in for IM Series, not in Roth list despite previous extrovert and successful racing there)
Stage Nielsen (#2 in 2023)
McCauley (#3 last year coming back from injury/op)
Berry (#2 in IMNZ and #11 at Kona)
Alberts (PTO #47 and winner of IMLP and Maryland last year)
2023: https://www.trirating.com/...3-analyzing-results/

Yes. One thread per race, please.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

my bad, i just meant that was aware i had only spoken about guys but my post was long enough or at least had taken me enough to write it.

Is no one actually disappointed that the SOF level is actually quite low?

A couple of days ago a pro who is KQ posted on his IG that he was racing Texas.

but his name is NOT on the start list.

The guy trains like a pro and is gifted but it seems quite amateur to me ! He did not seem to know that the list was closed. I guess he should read ST more often !

To my earlier list of WPros, I'll add Wilms PTO#31, winner of IM Austria and recently (and IMWCQ) #3 at Busselton. NB She's racing T100 Singapore as a wildcard 14 days earlier.
Can look forward to Zilinskas leading out the swim, though Langridge will not be far behind.
WPro have 24 listed; MPro 30 so the hysteria seen at Oceanside is absent.
Hopefully they'll have the Race Ranger firmware sorted in the next fortnight.
https://sportstats.one/results/130475

They have now published the start list with start numbers (40 WPRO; 65 MPRO):
https://files.constantcontact.com/...155-fcc4e4b4ab3c.pdf
And in colour: https://www.instagram.com/...bJwLtSF/?img_index=1
Last year's results: https://stats.protriathletes.org/...m-texas/2023/results
Seven of the first 8 WPROs from last year racing again with the notable additions of Langridge and Wilms who will try to swim with Brandon and Clarke (but won't manage to).

The starting list is out

2024 Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas, North American Championship

and it is quite different from the sporstats info mentionned in the thread (i felt smart having found this info, well not any more !)
So Lange, Wilko, Currie, Skipper, Lieferman, Foley and Hanson are still in.
New contenders Koolhaas, Mignon, Marquardt, Magnien are now in. And they all may be contenders for the whole IM Pro Series.
I am personnaly relieved that the field is now significantly better with a SOF of 85. 28 with the current (not updated ranking)
It is somewhat amazing to find Koolhaas and Mignon since the former had a good result in Miami and ranks 12th in the T100 and the latter is a contracted athlete who is also racing Roth in July and is ranked 23th in the T100.... He may be the only male T100 athlete who may go for both series. Just like Kanute, Weiss or Chevalier he is struggling on this format and in great danger of not being in the top 10 given a contract for the next season.

Who's going to swim at the front with Andy Horsfall-Turner?

The WPRO SOF is 83.49. The winner stands to score about 89.
Koolhaas needs to get a Kona slot (he DNF'd Cozumel) and can't rely on getting another T100 wildcard (despite his great result in Miami). One assumes (given his Miami #6) he was offered a start in Singapore but turned it down in favour of IM Texas.
Goodness knows what Mignon thinks he's doing. It really doesn't seem sensible to race Singapore and then toe the line in the Woodlands 13 days later. In the last 13 months he has DNF'd 50% of his races. He too needs to get a Kona slot (he DNF'd Portugal).

Koolhaas, Wilko, Angert, Marquardt, Currie should be front pack. Cecarelli and Stojanovic although not very famous should join them too.
Lange, who has been working on his swim should not be far away in a second pack with Mignon and Magnien.
There is enough bike power in this group to make it tough for the weaker swimmers (Skipper, Leiferman, Skipper) to bridge the gap.

Some real swim firepower there for sure!
I hope Braden makes the front group, he does 99% of the time, but did come out of the water behind Lange at Oceanside (OK, only 15's, AND as you say, Lange's swim has improved).
The first 50k of the bike could be very interesting!

I suspect most of them didn't taper for Oceanside. My thoughts would be Braden leads most of the run until he gets passed by Lange and finishes 2nd. Skipper runs into 3rd.

Think the men's will be rather more congested than that.
Marquardt (PTO #22) had a epic battle to the line here last year and, on his debut Pro race (in 7:45!!), very nearly beat both Wilkowiecki (PTO #25), seconds down on the winner RvB. Both are on the start list.
Currie (PTO #45) Skipper (PTO #34) Magnien (PTO #50) Leiferman (PTO #43)
After the swim led out by AH-T, chances of Currie getting and staying away on the bike are slim.
Lange will have to bike rather better than in Oceanside to be close enough to run through (which is nevertheless the odds-on scenario).
https://stats.protriathletes.org/...m-texas/2023/results

Lange already lost over 4 minutes due to a wrong turn in Oceanside, I'm expecting him to be at or near the front after the bike (ignoring a potential flyer that might hold on on the run).

Race preview will come out next week but this looks like a really exciting race for the 2nd stop in the IM Pro Series. Going to be interesting to see who will eventually try to compete in the series & who doesn't. I wish there was a way to indicate that on the start list. Obviously we'll see people stacking up multiple results in the series & we know who is contracted for other races. Oceanside had a good # of half distance specialists racing. Now the IM specialists get their turn. It could very well be 90 degrees on the run. Expecting the faster runners to shine but we'll see. Currie & Lewis are the top male/female doubling back from Oceanside. Hanson & Skipper both outran Currie there. Lots of firepower in both races. Like the depth in the women's race for this one.

Thank you ST and leadership for affording the IM Pro Series the recognition and attention it merits (unlike other series happening this year).
Thorsten's trirating predictions: https://www.trirating.com/...4-apr-27th-seedings/
As to <<who's aiming to "compete" in the series>>, I guess all the PTO top ranked 15 on the start list are likely contenders (though not McCauley 'cos Sundays).
Tri247 preview: https://www.tri247.com/...-first-full-distance

Koolhaas and AH-T to lead out the swim with at least Currie, Wilkowiecki and Marquardt in tow or close chase pack.
I guess we might expect uber-biker Kallin and even Skipper to ride up to Lange (and Angert and Mignon and Magnien) and then all get closer to the better riders among the swim FP.
I would be amazed to find Lange "at or near [within 3 minutes] the front" at T2.
From a spectator PoV, I'd like to see a good chase to enliven the later miles (so hope Lange has plenty to catch). Last year's battle was epic (men's podium (RvB Wilko# and Marquardt (debut)) within 21 seconds; Matthews not reeling in Stage Nielsen in the first half and then making sufficient inroads for the late pass (Maya ran best ever with a 3:00 - a 5 minute PB)).

Ceccarelli also in front or chase swim pack.

You're totally right about Marquardt. I thought a bit about him, but my hunch was this year his dual life gets to him and he's not going to feature. But rechecking the results he did better than I recall he did in Nice. I can see him being there with Currie. Leiferman I always hope he's going to do better after St George 2022 an he hasn't delivered much (CDA was great, but Sam Long had issues, and I don't really count Cozumel to mean much).

Me placing Skipper for 3rd is a bit of wishful thinking, but I do want the best for him. Anyhow, I think still think it's between Lange and Currie for first.

I fear Currie is wishful thinking too. You have to look right back to the podium, by metres, at St George (May 2022) to see the last time he had an excellent, non-domestic race.
As for Skipper his swim puts him so far back (?in #50 of 65) and his bike is not differentially stronger than a dozen near the front. He might catch Leiferman and they work they way up together.