Auckland World Cup Closes Out 2011 ITU Season

The 2011 ITU World Cup series hits its final destination this Sunday in New Zealand.

It’s been three years since the last world cup event in this triathlon mad country, in New Plymouth, and the last race in Auckland was in 1998. But triathlon is back in a big way to the nation that has produced champions like Hamish Carter, Samantha Warriner, Bevan Docherty and Andrea Hewitt. This World Cup is not only the finale for 2011, it’s also the preview for next year’s ITU World Championship Series Grand Final.

In the women’s race, it’s hard to bet against Hewitt who is coming off two consecutive Dextro Energy Triathlon Series wins. In the men’s race, her partner and coach Laurent Vidal will also wear the No.1 in the men’s race, and is a strong chance to continue the recent French run of World Cup form. But there will be challengers for both on this tough course, in particular Nicky Samuels (NZL), Ai Ueda (JPN) and Vicky Holland (GBR), and in the men’s New Zealanders Bevan Docherty, Kris Gemmell, Ryan Sissons, James Elvery and Tony Dodds.

Read more: Triathlon.org