The New Zealand athletes are primed and ready for the opening round of the ITU World Triathlon Series in Auckland on Saturday, each with their own goals and objectives on race day.
While Andrea Hewitt and Ryan Sissons will be centre stage tomorrow at the ITU press conference, Kate McIlroy, Nicky Samuels, Rebecca Kingsford, Simone Ackermann, Clark Ellice, Tony Dodds and Bryce McMaster are all focused on putting together their own race plans on the uncompromising Auckland circuit on Saturday afternoon.
 NZ Elite Triathletes at yesterdays press conference(Photo: Barfoot & Thompson World Triathlon Auckland; click to enlarge) |
Kate McIlroy goes in as the world number 10 and has a solid summer of training and racing heading into the first race of the season.
"Summer has been really good, I have had a really good block of training over the last few months, I have been consistent and done two stints at altitude which has gone well so I am looking forward to racing.
"There are 30 odd girls but it is a field full of top quality girls Anne Haug, Barbara Riveros, Andrew of course (Hewitt), Gwen Jorgenson, Emma Jackson – all of them have been training really well and are world class so should make the race interesting.
McIlroy expects the race to play out a little differently to some of the flatter courses the athletes will encounter this year.
"Tactics are slightly different on this course because of how hard the bike is. You want a strong swim, you don't want ever to be chasing. The bike will test a lot of the girls and take it out of the legs, some will not want to bike too hard to save for the run, but even if you want to make a break that is going to hurt you and make it a bit of a gamble heading on to the run. That is where coaches will be helping on course with the white boards and time gaps throughout the race.
"My bike is strong though and I have ridden hard in some of the Contact races throughout the summer to see how I run off that sort of workload. If I fell good and the opportunity is there I will be biking pretty solid but it depends who is around me as well. Tactics will be huge; it is about making good decisions."
Wanaka's Nicky Samuels will line up looking forward to a course that suits her strengths, in particular her ability on the bike, with the tough hills on each of the 8 laps of the 40km course offering opportunities for breakaways.
For recently crowned Oceania U23 Champion Simone Ackermann, the goals and expectations are a little different as she races in top company just two weeks after a gruelling ITU World Cup race in Mooloolaba.
"I have been having a few easier weeks and starting to get on top of things since Mooloolaba. This is such a tough field, my goals are just to be competitive, have a good swim and see what I can do on the bike. Points aren't my focus, the big goal is the U23 World Champs at the end of the year, this is more about experience than anything."
Rebecca Kingsford is another with limited experience at the top level and has similar goals.
"Definitely this is one of the tougher courses on the ITU circuit and here in New Zealand, you have to do some hill work and learn how to ride the hills and conserve energy at the right times so yeah, it is a bit different to a flat course.
"I have been working on the swim, I would like to make the front bunch and then perhaps sit a little on the bike and see what I can do on the run. But I haven't done many of these World Series races so this is about experience; I have nothing to lose really."
Clark Ellice has fond memories of the Auckland waterfront, finishing third in a half iron distance event in January this year, the Taranaki athlete will be hoping for another strong day.
"From what I learned last year a good swim is crucial, the nature of the course dictates you have to be right up there out of the water. I have been working on the swim in the off-season, I know I have the bike at the right level but you can't use that strength on the bike if you aren't there out of the water, I know my biking and running is up with the best so the key is get out of the water in good shape and take it from there."
Bryce McMaster raced under the New Zealand flag for the first time at last year's Grand Final on the same course and has enjoyed a great summer of training.
"Summer has been fantastic, I spent a month at altitude at Wanaka with the New Zealand team in the best weather I have ever seen there, it has been a phenomenal summer for me, training the house down in Australia and then finishing 4th at the Oceania Championships and second Kiwi home.
"I am the youngest in the New Zealand group and at 23 I am learning as I race on what is a big learning curve. I've made a few mistakes but I am learning and developing as an athlete and hope to take that to the Commonwealth Games in a year's time and develop into a threat down the track. I have worked hard this summer and hope it can show in racing.
"You can't hide on this course, any weakness will be 100% exposed. You have the Olympic silver medallist, four guys who were top ten in London, this is impressive, this is a small field in numbers but a strong field with everyone ready to go."
Martin van Barneveld is the other Kiwi in the elite men's field which gets underway at 12.06pm and the women at 3.06pm with racing focused on Queen's Wharf and the technical multi-lap CBD course which offers superb spectator viewing.
Racing in that women's event is Sam Warriner as the former world champion returns to top level ITU racing for the first time in some years since racing longer distance events and taking time out to have a baby. The 41 year old has gradually upped her racing programme through the New Zealand summer but on Saturday will face her sternest test yet on return to the top level of the sport.
