IRONMAN Austria takes place this weekend in Klagenfurt, with two Kona spots on offer in this male only professional field.
Former full distance champions such as Florian Angert, Arthur Horseau and Niek Heldoorn will toe the line in what is set to be an enthralling battle.
In our preview below, you can find all the information you need on start times and how to follow live, plus a rundown of the podium contenders on Sunday.
Start times and how to follow live
IRONMAN Austria will take place on Sunday June 16. The pro men will begin at 06:30 local time. This corresponds to 05:30 in the UK, 00:30 on the East Coast and 21:30 on the West Coast on Saturday June 15.
Whilst there is no live broadcast in Austria, the ever reliable IRONMAN Tracker is the perfect data addition to support your viewing. If you haven’t got it on your phone already, where have you been?!
Pro Men
Leading the lineup in Austria is the self-appointed ‘Dark Horse’ of long course triathlon, Horseau, who races for just the second time this season, following a DNF at the Miami T100 in March.
![Men podium Wurf Heldoorn Horseau IRONMAN Lanzarote 2023 [Photo credit: James Mitchell / Club La Santa IRONMAN Lanzarote]](https://www.tri247.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Men-podium-Wurf-Heldoorn-Horseau-wins-IRONMAN-Lanzarote-2023.jpg)
Wins at IRONMAN Lanzarote and Embrun preceded an incredible sixth place finish at the IRONMAN World Championship for Horseau in 2023, as the 31-year-old started to make a name for himself.
Training partner of reigning IRONMAN World Champion Sam Laidlow, Horseau is part of a growing pool of French long distance talent, and is joined in Austria by compatriots Simon Viain and Denis Chevrot.
Heldoorn, who finished second behind Horseau at Lanzarote in 2023, will be the Frenchman’s main rival for the win on Sunday, with the Dutch pro lining up after consecutive podiums at IRONMAN New Zealand and IRONMAN 70.3 Kraichgau so far this season.
Michael Weiss leads Austrian hopes on home soil, with the 43-year-old still going strong in his 15th season of professional long distance racing. Last year he was a DNF here, but after a solid start to the season, will be looking to perform in front of a home crowd.
Finally, the German trio of Andreas Dreitz, Ruben Zepuntke and Florian Angert all have the ability to influence the race in Klagenfurt, with Dreitz and Angert in particular very experienced athletes over the Ironman distance.
Dreitz last tasted success with a win at Challenge Roth in 2019, with Angert last finishing on a podium at the World Triathlon Long Distance Championship in 2022. Both men will be hungry to end that drought on Sunday.
Prize Money: What’s on the line?
The prize purse on offer this weekend is $50,000 – with each of the winners collecting a $7,500 share of that total.
In addition to prize purse, there will be two qualifying spots for the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona later this season.
The total funds will be paid eight-deep, as follows:
- $28,000
- $5,000
- $3,750
- $3,000
- $2,000
- $1,500
- $1,250
- $1,000