In the men’s race, Magnus Ditlev (PTO World #3) is the top-ranked starter – and with good reason. The Dane’s performance in winning Challenge Roth this year was just nine seconds shy of Jan Frodeno’s world best – and on a slower version of that course with a non-wetsuit swim. While he’s certainly long-distance focused right now, Ditlev’s more than seven-minute domination of his Collins Cup match-up shows he can still rock the 100k!

Lionel Sanders (PTO World #4) is a favourite at any race where he toes the line and Dallas will be no exception. With his modus operandi back to smashing the bike leg as hard as possible and engaging beast mode on the run, expect him to come through strong – just as he did in winning his Collins Cup match-up against Sam Long and Sam Laidlow.

Despite being in the final match at the Collins Cup, with tougher wind conditions and the win already secured for Team Europe, Daniel Baekkegard (PTO World #6) destroyed the competition to earn a full six points. Unable to race the PTO Canadian Open due to illness, expect the current 70.3 European Champion to feature from start to finish.

Florian Angert (PTO World #7) is a truly well-rounded athlete who will be up there from the gun. The German missed out on Collins Cup selection due to Team Europe’s domination of the top of the world rankings but secured second place at the World Triathlon Long Distance Championships in Samorin the same weekend showing he’s in stellar shape.

Sam Long (PTO World #11) is the top-ranked American on home soil. 2022 started well for Long before he come unstuck a little after being hit by a car just before St. George. There followed a less than dominant display around a selection of European races before coming back strong at 70.3 Gydnia and the Collins Cup, where he battled shoulder to shoulder with Sanders. Now thriving back in the US, don’t be surprised to see another Sanders-Long dual on the streets of Dallas.

Rudy Von Berg (PTO World #12) took his first full-distance win in France earlier this year but was bested by Ditlev to the tune of seven-plus minutes at the Collins Cup. The American will want to put that behind him and use his all-around swim, bike, run ability to secure a top finish at the PTO US Open.

Since winning IM Des Moines in June, Matt Hanson (PTO World #14) has struggled to fire at PTO events, coming 22nd in the PTO Canadian Open and being roundly beaten into second place at the Collins Cup – though, to be fair, that was by PTO World #2 Gustav Iden who’s yet to lose a middle-distance race. With the lure of becoming the first-ever PTO US Open Champion, watch for Hanson shooting up the order during the run – the question is whether he’ll run out of real estate to reach the front.

Jackson Laundry (PTO World #15) is another class performer in Dallas with something to prove. Having started the year strong – beating Lionel Sanders, Rudy Von Berg and Alistair Brownlee at 70.3 Oceanside – the Canadian didn’t show his true potential at either the PTO Canadian Open (19th) or the Collins Cup. After two sub-par performances, which Laundry admitted stung him, look for a big comeback at the PTO US Open.

In 100km racing, there’s little room for weakness and on paper, Ben Kanute (PTO World #17) has the swim, bike, run combo to fight for the top spot. That said, he’s another athlete who struggled at the PTO Canadian Open (28th) and came last in his match-up at the Collins Cup. That was against PTO World #1 Kristian Blummenfelt and Olympic Bronze medallist Hayden Wilde though, so he was certainly an underdog there and that could help him fly under the radar in Dallas.

Sam Laidlow (PTO World #19) was a stand-out performer in the PTO Canadian Open, coming fourth despite suffering cramps on the run. He had a torrid time at the Collins Cup with stomach issues and will want to prove that he deserves to be among this esteemed company. A strong swimmer, expect the Frenchman to play a part throughout the race.

Aaron Royle (PTO World #40) might not (yet) but a top-ranked athlete, but this recent short-course convert came third in the PTO Canadian Open and won his Collins Cup match-up. Seemingly already a specialist at the 100km distance don’t be surprised if the Aussie is standing atop the podium at the end of the day.