Triathlon: NZers look to leave their mark in Madrid

Andrea Hewitt in action during the Contact Tri Series. Photo / Getty Images

Andrea Hewitt has happy memories to draw on if needed for the second round of the triathlon world championship series in Spain this weekend.

The Canterbury athlete will look for a repeat of her 2009 visit to Madrid when she won ahead of Swede Lisa Norden and Frenchwoman Jessica Harrison.

Hewitt enters tomorrow night's (NZT) race in third place overall in the series following a promising podium start to the season in Sydney, but that was some time ago and can count for little as the season heads to Europe for the bulk of the campaign.

Paula Findlay goes into the race as a deserved favourite, with the Canadian having won the season opener in Sydney from Chilean Barbara Riveros Diaz and Hewitt.

Findlay is definitely the one to beat after winning three of the past four series races.

Also lining up for New Zealand will be Kate McIlroy and Debbie Tanner, both of whom are continuing their comebacks from injury.

McIlroy, of Wellington, showed very good signs when finishing second at the last month's Seoul Asian Cup race while Tanner is also pleased with her progress training in France with the bulk of the New Zealand high performance squad.

"It is the first time I have been here and the team and the environment have been great," she said.

"There has been a great culture and for me personally I have been able to put a really good training block."

Tanner likes the look of the Madrid course.

"I think the course will suit the New Zealand athletes and we have been training in some very hot conditions here in France so if it is hot in Madrid it should be no problem."

New Zealand have five men entered and they, too, think a tough and demanding course will suit their purposes when they race on Sunday morning.

Kris Gemmell, Ryan Sissons, Tony Dodds, James Elvery and Clark Ellice will line up wearing the silver fern, each with the goal of gaining vital personal ranking points but also with a view to promoting New Zealand up the Olympic ranking order, with the top eight nations set to gain three positions at the 2012 London Games.

Best placed of the New Zealanders at present is Sissons, 22, who is 11th in the standings.

"I know it is going to be a hard race with a difficult bike course and potentially hot conditions which should suit me," he said.

Fellow Aucklander Elvery is also in France training and like many athletes on the circuit has the calculator out to make sure he is on the start line in the crucial London Olympic qualifying race in August.

"I think I'm starting to come into some good shape with some solid training all going to plan the last weeks. I need a couple more good results to secure my start in the London qualifying race later in the year, and have Madrid this week then a points race in Italy next week to get them."