It'll be a battered and bruised Braden Currie on the start line for Saturday's Ironman 70.3 in Taupo.
The defending champion crashed off his bike while travelling at about 50 kilometres per hour near his home in Wanaka last Tuesday.
He says a freshly painted road had him sliding out in front of a car, writing off his bike as well as ripping up his hip and the side of his body.
Currie says while it's been painful, he's managed his recovery so as to still be able to compete.
