Having finished in the top 8 eight each of the previous three IRONMAN World Championships in St. George, Kona and Nice, Leon Chevalier is one of the favourites for the podium in Kona this year.
However, Chevalier, like many of his fellow top ranked professionals, will balance his Big Island ambitions with the T100 Triathlon World Tour in 2024, after accepting a contract with the PTO.
Explaining the rationale behind his decision, the Frenchman told TRI247 that the financial benefits of signing on for the series were too good to refuse as a business opportunity, as well as from a competitive standpoint. .
“The PTO is putting a lot of money in the pockets of athletes”
Having already qualified for the IRONMAN World Championships in Kona late last season, the 27-year-old did admit that securing his slot early also played a part in his decision making.
“I was hoping to qualify for Kona nice and early to give me a blank slate for 2024 so that I was able to do whatever I wanted.
“After qualifying from my win last year in Cozumel, which played a big part in me choosing to race the T100 Tour, I wasn’t stressed about having to get to an IRONMAN early this season and chase a Kona slot.
“Had I not have qualified in Cozumel, it might have been a little more difficult to choose. However, financially the PTO is putting a lot of money in the pockets of the athletes on the tour.
“It’s guaranteed pretty much with the way it works. It’s money before you race and for showing up so as a business opportunity it’s a no-brainer.”
“It’s something I didn’t want to miss out on”
Another factor that attracted Chevalier to what the PTO were offering was the opportunity to help bring triathlon into the mainstream, with talk of a potential documentary series similar to “Drive to Survive” a big draw.
“I think the T100 is a really cool opportunity, because like a lot of people, I watched all those sports documentaries on Netflix and I think the PTO’s intention is to do something similar for triathlon and I have the opportunity to be part of that in 2024, which is really cool and something I didn’t want to miss out on.”
Having raced on the PTO Tour at the European Open in Ibiza last year, the PTO World #8 added that he was excited for the organisation to keep growing and gathering momentum.
“I think the tour will be really cool and I saw in Ibiza last year what it was like and I think it will be even bigger this year with the season-long narrative.
“I think it will be great to be onsite with everyone else and it is a new side to the sport that we haven’t really seen that compares to more mainstream professional sports.”
