{"id":17462,"date":"2022-09-19T01:19:53","date_gmt":"2022-09-18T23:19:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.220triathlon.com\/?p=112544"},"modified":"2022-09-19T11:07:13","modified_gmt":"2022-09-19T09:07:13","slug":"usas-collin-chartier-in-shock-pto-us-open-win","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/rss_feed\/usas-collin-chartier-in-shock-pto-us-open-win\/","title":{"rendered":"USA\u2019s Collin Chartier in shock PTO US Open win"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Tim Heming\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Monday, 19 September 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

USA\u2019s Collin Chartier delivered a perfectly judged race to beat Magnus Ditlev and compatriot Sam Long<\/a> and win the inaugural PTO US Open in Dallas.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a career-best performance he described as \u201cdefinitely the race of my life\u201d, the 28-year-old PTO ranked No 28 shocked a star-studded line-up to scoop the $100,000 first prize, as Denmark\u2019s Ditlev overtook Long within the final kilometre to grab second place.<\/p>\n

Chartier, who finished 11th in the PTO Canadian Open<\/a> in July, stopped the clock in 3:17:17 \u2013 42sec clear of the Dane. Sam Laidlow, who led through the first half of the bike, held on for fourth, with Germany\u2019s Florian Angert, who was leading on to the run, in fifth.<\/p>\n

In a field packed with quality it was one of the most open races of 2022. There was no Alistair Brownlee<\/a><\/strong>, who had withdrawn with a stress fracture, but those lining up for the 2km swim, 80km bike 18km run in Texas still included Lionel Sanders<\/a><\/strong>, Daniel Baekkegard and Rudy Von Berg, with Britain represented through wildcard Tom Bishop.<\/p>\n

What happened in the swim?<\/h2>\n

Starting early afternoon under the Texas sun, the water temperature was 27.3 degrees and the air temperature 34 degrees and rising as they dived in from the pontoon.<\/p>\n

Despite the absence of PTO ranked No 1 and No 2 Kristian Blummenfelt<\/a><\/strong> and Gustav Iden<\/a><\/strong>, it was still the colours of Norway that led the way early through Vetle Bergsvik Thorn.<\/p>\n

It was the first middle distance event for the 23-year-old who is having a fine season in short course racing and finished third behind Dorian Coninx and Blummenfelt in a World Cup in Bergen three weeks ago.<\/p>\n

By the time they reached the Australian exit halfway through the 2km swim it was Australian Aaron Royle \u2013 third in the PTO Canadian Open in Edmonton \u2013 who had moved to the front with USA\u2019s Ben Kanute on his toes followed by France\u2019s Laidlow.<\/p>\n

Royle was first into transition followed by a stream of 20 athletes including Bishop, with Kanute first out on to the 80km bike leg.<\/p>\n

What happened on the bike?<\/h2>\n

Laidlow led the way for the first half of the 80km bike, with Angert for company. Behind them feared bikers Ditlev and Long \u2013 who was 35th out of the water \u2013 were moving through the field to within 90secs.\u00a0It remained tight though with less than 3mins separating the top 20 or so triathletes on the flat, seven-lap course.<\/p>\n

Angert broke away from Laidlow with 20km to go on the bike to take a 40sec lead into T2 followed by Long, Ditlev, Chartier and Laidlow as the race finally started to break up.<\/p>\n

What happened on the run?<\/h2>\n
\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Sam Long is flat out on the red carpet after finishing third in the inaugural PTO US Open in Texas<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Out on to the 18km run and both the temperature and the racing continued to heat up. First to strike was Long, who showed his intentions with the fastest transition and then ran down Angert within the first 3km. Ditlev wasn\u2019t losing any time on the leader and soon moved into second.<\/p>\n

But Chartier, who has been training with Sanders in Arizona and shares the same coach in Mikel Iden, was also looking threatening as he moved into third with both Ditlev and Long in his sights.<\/p>\n

Into the second half of the run and it appeared a three-way shootout between the trio with Angert and Laidlow running in fourth and fifth but losing time to the front.<\/p>\n

Approaching the last 5km it was Chartier who moved to the shoulder of Long to take the lead for the first time \u2013 and didn\u2019t look back as extended the advantage to the finish.<\/p>\n

Ditlev closed in on Long and managed to make the pass just before the line for a creditable runners-up spot to add to his wins at Challenge Roth and the Collins Cup earlier this summer.<\/p>\n

Sanders couldn\u2019t muster another resurgence and finished 21st, and Bishop \u2013 who was nursing a run injury coming into the event \u2013 struggled on the final discipline to come in 30th.<\/p>\n

Image credits:<\/strong> Ronan Mellows PTO<\/p>\n