Lionel Sanders asks his fans what they think he should do – PTO Tour or Ironman Pro Series
Canadian star weighs the pros and cons of triathlon's long-distance race options
Photo by:
Meg Oliphant/Getty Images for Iroman
Lionel Sanders has, in the past, joked that he’s not a pro triathlete, but rather he’s a “YouTuber” who does triathlons. That statement especially rings true when you look at his latest video post on his YouTube channel in which he outlines the two options he has for his 2024 racing schedule – to either sign a contract with the PTO Tour, or to pursue the Ironman Pro Series with it’s US$1.7 million bonus pool in addition to the prize money from the Ironman races.
“I have the freedom to make the decision based on what’s best for me rather than how do I put food on the table,” Sanders says, citing his sponsorship support.
PTO Tour
“From my standpoint I think that either pathway I choose will be excellent for development, excellent for the mind,” Sanders continues. “The PTO series is extremely difficult for me. It is a longer swim than the 70.3, most of them will be non wetsuit, they’re technical swims with multiple loops, they have the best guys in the world – many of the athletes are either in the ITU (World Triathlon) or fresh out of the ITU, so their take out speed is insane. The bike courses are shorter, they’re in cities, generally, so they are extremely technical, also a strike for me. And then the run is … extremely fast, especially if you want to win. Currently the ITU guys, they’re focused on being extremely fast and they’ve not logged … I’ve logged 30 or 40 Ironmans so far … that stuff definitely blunts speed over time.”
“The pros of the PTO series is they have amazing marketing, they have amazing media,” Sanders concludes. “The PTO racing also highlights every one of my weaknesses. That is a pro. Certainly not a pro from wanting to make money and win races standpoint, but it is a pro from a development standpoint.”
Ironman Pro Series
“I have so many great data points in Ironman,” Sanders begins when he talks about the Ironman option. “I have led the Ironman World Championship for 20 miles of the run. Yes, I know the sport has progressed, but I do know what it takes to get to the front of the Ironman world champs.”
Sanders continues with a description of his many top Ironman events, including his runner-up finishes in Kona and St. George world championship races, along with his close battle with Gustav Iden at Ironman Florida in 2021. He also got into the sport after getting inspired by Ironman racing, and has long dreamed of winning the Ironman World Championship in Kona.
“My passion is most definitely Ironman,” he says.
Decision
In the video Sanders provides some insights on how the PTO contract would work – the contract bonus is based on world ranking and there’s an expectation to compete at all six races in the series. He also says that it will likely be harder to join the PTO Tour in the second year if you’re not part of next year’s tour.
“I guess I am in a rock and a hard place,” Sanders says. “I don’t have a lot of time to mess around. Motivation is a huge portion of the puzzle.”
Sanders says his motivation to do the PTO Tour would be in search of “personal improvement,” while the motivation to compete in the Ironman Pro Series would be to “achieve your life dream.”
Sanders also notes that this is a unique time for pro triathletes – never has there been this much opportunity to make a living from the sport.
“It’s a fascinating time – this has never happened before,” he says. “(It is a) Good problem to have – the value of pros is going up. People are seeing our worth. The organizers are seeing our worth. Investors are seeing our worth. Seeing that we have a great sport and a viable professional sport.”
Sanders ends the video by asking his fans what they “would do” in the same situation. Based on his comments, it sure seems as though we’ll see Sanders competing at Ironman events next year, which many of his fans seem to be supporting based on the comments.
It is Lionel Sanders, though. A man who fired the coach who helped him achieve that runner-up finish in Kona three weeks after the race and who has self-admittedly “shot himself in the foot” a number of times when it comes to race choices. (All that said, it truly is hard to imagine Sanders won’t be gunning after the top spot in the Ironman Pro Series in 2024.)
