The World Triathlon Para Series heads to Montreal on Saturday, where conditions look near-perfect for the fourth stop on the 2025 circuit. Once again the Parc Jean-Drapeau will open to the athletes for the 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run, and the start lists in Quebec are once again stacked with some of the biggest names in the sport, fresh from the recent Para Cup Magog.
PTWC – Men
The men’s wheelchair start list sees USA’s Howie Sanborn and Justin Pines line up alongside Italy’s experienced Giovanni Achenza, and two H2 athletes: France’s Louis Noel and Britain’s Joshua Landmann.
Sanborn has been in strong form this season and could lead out of the water, but Noel and Landmann will look to use their power on the bike and push to close any gaps. Achenza’s consistency over many seasons means he can never be counted out, and Pines adds another competitive American presence to the field.
PTWC – Women
Australia’s Paralympic Champion Lauren Parker is the standout name in the women’s wheelchair race. Parker’s dominance in recent years has been built on a balanced swim, bike, and push. She’ll be joined by Brazil’s Jessica Ferreira, Mexico’s Brenda Osnaya Alvarez, the USA’s Emelia Perry, and Kendall Gretsch, whose bike strength is legendary.
As an H2 athlete, Gretsch starts slightly later, but her power on the course should bring her into contention for overall fastest time. Ferreira and Osnaya Alvarez have both impressed this season, and young Emelia Perry will be eager to challenge more experienced rivals. Parker, however, remains the one they’ll all be chasing.
PTS2 – Men
The men’s PTS2 race sees Belgian Wim De Paepe face American veterans Mark Barr and Mohamed Lahna, alongside Mexico’s Diego Alfonso Lares García and USA’s Jorge Torres-Hinojoza.
De Paepe’s performances this year have been marked by fast swims and some steady running, but Barr’s experience and strong bike leg will keep him firmly in contention. Lahna can close gaps late in the race and Lares García and Torres-Hinojoza will also aim to stay close and fight for the podium in what promises to be an open contest.
PTS2 – Women
USA’s Paralympic champion Allysa Seely returns to the start line in Montreal, facing Australia’s Anu Francis, Germany’s Neele Ludwig, Japan’s Asumi Yasuda, and Italy’s Marina Abaterusso.
Seely, if she finds her rhythm early, will be tough to beat but Francis has been improving with every race and could be a real contender, while Ludwig and Yasuda both have the bike strength to keep things interesting. Abaterusso will also be pushing to make an impression in a competitive field.
PTS3 – Men
Germany’s Max Gelhaar leads the PTS3 men’s race, joined by France’s Cedric Denuziere and Geoffrey Wersy, Greece’s Stylianos Malakopoulos, and the USA’s Zachary Osborne.
Gelhaar’s fast swim and smooth transitions make him a favourite, but Denuziere and Wersy could close the gap on the run. Malakopoulos is always a threat on the bike, and Osborne could shake things up if he finds his form early.
PTS3 – Women
In the women’s PTS3 race, the USA’s Hannah Longmire and Rachel Wais are joined by Mexico’s Kenia Yesenia Villalobos Vargas. Longmire will look to use a strong swim to create early distance, while Wais’s steady pacing could bring her back into contention later in the run. Villalobos Vargas adds another layer of intrigue, with the potential to upset the American duo if she can keep close after the bike.
PTS4 – Men
A deep men’s PTS4 field lines up in Montreal: France brings Pierre-Antoine Baele, Antoine Lamarche Poulain, and Gregoire Berthon; while Brazil’s Jorge Luis Fonseca, Britain’s Finley Jakes, Australia’s Mathew Engesser, Japan’s Keiya Kaneko and Hideki Uda complete an international lineup.
Baele and Lamarche Poulain have shown great form this season, but Uda remains a danger if he can stay close after the swim, and Jakes has the bike power to disrupt the favourites in a race that could come right down to the line.
PTS4 – Women
France’s Camille Seneclauze leads the women’s PTS4 field out against Australia’s experienced Sally Pilbeam and the Netherlands’ Ingrid De Oude.
Seneclauze has impressed with consistent podium finishes this season, but Pilbeam’s years of racing mean she can never be ruled out. De Oude, still relatively new to the series, has shown steady improvement and will aim to challenge for a spot on the podium.
PTS5 – Men
Canada’s Stefan Daniel, racing at home, will be the man to watch in the men’s PTS5 category. He faces tough competition from the USA’s Chris Hammer, Portugal’s Filipe Marques, Australia’s David Bryant, Ireland’s Tom Williamson, Turkey’s Ugurcan Ozer, Brazil’s Ruiter Antonio Goncalves Silva, and Kenya’s Oscar Dennis.
Daniel’s swim and run are usually decisive, but Hammer has the ability to push him close, especially if he limits the gap out of the water. Bryant brings bike strength, and Marques and Williamson could surprise if the leaders falter. Expect a fast-paced race with the crowd lifting Daniel on home soil.
PTS5 – Women
The USA’s Grace Norman tops the women’s PTS5 field, with France’s Gwladys Lemoussu, Americans Michelle Dynes and Virginia Ogburn, and Brazil’s Erica Da Rosa Rodrigues also on the start line.
Norman remains the athlete to beat, Lemoussu’s finishing speed could be decisive in the podium hunt and Dynes and Ogburn will look to challenge early as Rodrigues pushed for a breakout performance.
PTVI – Men
The men’s PTVI race promises to be fiercely contested. Ireland’s Donnacha McCarthy, Mexico’s Heli de Jesús Casillas Alcalá, France’s Thibaut Rigaudeau and Maxime Gayet, Britain’s Oscar Kelly, Spain’s Kevin Mendez Martínez, and Canada’s Olivier Desloges make up the field.
McCarthy, racing with guide Sean Husband, has been strong this season, but Rigaudeau and Kelly both have the speed to challenge. Casillas Alcalá will look to use bike power to get into contention, and Desloges will hope local support gives him an extra boost on home soil.
PTVI – Women
Brazil’s Leticia Freitas is joined by Germany’s Anja Renner, Ireland’s Judith and Chloe MacCombe, France’s Heloise Courvoisier and Fanny Bourdelas, the USA’s Taylor Talbot, and Spain’s Sonia Ramos in the women’s PTVI race.
The MacCombe sisters have been consistent podium finishers, while Talbot’s run could make her the athlete to beat if she exits the bike close to the front. Freitas often uses a strong bike to build a lead, and Courvoisier, Bourdelas, Renner, and Ramos all add depth to what could be the closest women’s race of the day.