PTO Tour: Kristian Blummenfelt 'now a Man City fan' with 'monster' Erling Haaland inspiring compatriot

Erling Haaland's «monster» exploits are inspiring compatriot Kristian Blummenfelt's pursuit of ticking off more triathlon goals in Ibiza. And the reigning Olympic champion says more events like the inaugural Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) European Open can help narrow the gap in profile between his sport and football in Norway.

Ad Blummenfelt, 29, will compete in the first ever edition of the race this weekend alongside a star-studded field on the idyllic Balearic island. Triathlon'Standard is the best ever': Brownlee ready for Balearic battle with Blummenfelt and Frodeno2 HOURS AGO The event features every Olympic champion since Beijing 2008 as two-time gold medallist Alistair Brownlee and Jan Frodeno, who grabbed glory in China 15 years ago, will also do battle in the Spanish sun.

Blummenfelt has watched Norwegian hitman Haaland, 22, rack up a staggering 51 goals for Manchester City this season and break the Premier League record for most goals in a campaign — 35 — against West Ham on Wednesday night. The two-time Ironman world champion admits Haaland's exploits have ignited his passion for football and hopes innovative events like the PTO's European Open can help further enhance the visibility of his sport in Scandinavia.

'Standard is the best ever': Brownlee ready for Balearic battle with Blummenfelt and Frodeno Professional Triathletes Organisation announces Ibiza as inaugural host of the PTO European Open He said: «I wasn't too much of a big a football fan, but I'm watching all of Erling's post-match videos to see the goals he's scoring. »I've suddenly turned into a Manchester City fan because of what he's doing.