Bevan Docherty and Andrea Hewitt lead the Kiwi charge for vital championship points in Hamburg at the latest round of the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series this weekend in an event that carries the mantle of 'world's largest triathlon' with over 12,000 registered in age group racing.
Those points will be hard earned though as the big hitters of the sport assemble for the 4th round of the WCS in 2010, knowing that opportunities to move up in the rankings before the season ending Grand Finale in Budapest are running out.
5th ranked going into Hamburg, Docherty recognises that urgency with the Kiwi having targeted the German race at the start of the season.
"It's the Make or Break part of the series; this is where the key players show their cards. I'm very happy with where I'm placed in the rankings, but still have a lot of work to do."
That work will include holding off a field that includes former World Champion Javier Gomez (ESP), Beijing Olympic Champion Jan Frodeno (GER) and current third ranked triathlete Courtney Atkinson (AUS), with the Aussie yet to taste victory in a WCS event in 2010.
Heading into the race Russia's Alexander Brukhankov leads the ITU World Championship Rankings with a narrow advantage over his countryman, Dmitry Polyansky. Both men are on the start list in Hamburg and will no doubt look to get away from the pack during the 1,500-metre swim in the River Alster. Polyansky has been dominant on the swim leg this year and teammate Brukhankov is never far behind.
Docherty has targeted the next month as being crucial to his hopes of a medal in the World Championship this season with Hamburg followed a week later by London and then Kitzbuhel in mid August.
The USA-based Taupo triathlete is in good shape, warming up with a win two weeks ago at the Philadelphia Triathlon.
"I missed the last race in Madrid in order to train for these next races. The training has been going really well, and I'm in great shape.
"Hamburg is a flat fast race and with 200,000 spectators lining the course it really lifts you and brings the best out of you!"
Also on the start line for the Kiwis will be Ben Pattle, Callum Millward and James Elvery as each looks to gain vital world ranking points to gain entry into the remaining WCS races.
In the women's race Kiwi Andrea Hewitt goes in as the best ranked of the Kiwis at 8 in the world after a steady if unspectacular start to the season, knowing that a top performance is needed to stay in touch with current series leader Barbara Riveros Diaz, with the Chilean deciding to sit this one out.
The absence of Diaz is well and truly covered however with the presence of defending world champion Emma Moffatt of Australia, who finished as the runner-up at the Hy-Vee Elite Cup in Des Moines four weeks ago. Taking the top spot in Des Moines was Moffatt's countrywoman, Emma Snowsill, who appears in top form and will look for her first Series win of the season in Germany.
With the current points leader idle for this round, the leader of the world rankings after this weekend may very well be Japan's Mariko Adachi, who currently sits 315 points back of Riveros Diaz. With 800 points available to the race winner on Sunday, Adachi is well within striking distance of becoming the new world number one.
Looking for her third major win in a row in Germany will be Switzerland's Nicola Spirig, who is fresh off of winning the European Championship for the second consecutive year. She'll be joined by fellow Swiss standout Daniela Ryf, who won round two of the Series in Seoul and is currently the third-ranked woman in the world.
Hewitt will be joined by fellow Kiwis in youngsters Teresa Adam and Rebecca Kingsford and both look to gain further experience in elite company.
Free live video will be available at triathlon.org/tv during both the men's and women's events. The men race at 1:30pm local time on Saturday with the women to follow at 3:30pm on Sunday. The Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series continues next weekend, 24 and 25 July in London.
