Ryan Bailie will take on the world’s best triathletes in the ITU World Triathlon Series starting in Auckland on Sunday.
The Auckland race will be the first of eight stops on the WTS tour that will conclude with the Grand Final in Edmonton on September 1.
Bailie finished the 2013 WTS as Australia’s number 2 ranked triathlete and will be looking to book a spot to the 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow later this year with a good performance in the 66-strong field.
After Auckland the WTS heads to Capetown (April 5,6) for the first time, then Yokohama (May 17,18), London (May 31, June 1), Chicago (June 27, June 29), Hamburg (July 12, 13), Stockholm (August 23,24) and finishes in Edmonton (August 26, September 1).
Fellow Australian triathletes Aaron Royle, Brendan Sexton, Ryan Fisher, Dan Wilson and Declan Wilson will all join Bailie at the start line in Auckland.
“The Glasgow preparation in between the WTS Series is important for Aaron, who is at a different stage to his season with say Ryan Bailie who is really only starting out in Auckland and Brendan Sexton who knew he had to get out and get races under his belt,” said coach Jamie Turner.
The men’s race starts 3.30pm local time (1.30pm AEST) and is only missing London Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee and South African Richard Murray from the World’s top 10.
Follow the ITU World Triathlon race in Auckland live on twitter via the Sam Maxwell Sports Management Twitter Account.