This Sunday the fourth leg of the WTS takes place in Leeds and all British hopes will be on the Brownlees in men’s elite race, hoping they can repeat last year’s success of a one-two.
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This year Ali Brownlee has been focusing on the longer 70.3 distances and Jonny has had a disappointing start to the season with bike crashes and injuries, but both will be hungry for a win in their home city.
Ali said: “I’m obviously really looking for to racing in Leeds, I couldn’t miss my home race. The atmosphere in the crowds in the city centre was magical last year, so hopefully there will be even more people turn out this year, and they’ll shout even louder.”
Jonny said: “I’ve had a bit of an unlucky start to the year, but if I want to do well in the Series I have to do well in Leeds. So hopefully it will start well on Sunday, and hopefully I can finally beat Alistair in a big race.”
And it would be foolish to rule out Tom Bishop after his second place in the opening round in Abu Dhabi in March. Gordon Benson, Adam Bowden and Scots, Marc Austin and Grant Sheldon complete the British male line up.
Hoping to keep the British men off the podium in Leeds will be Olympic bronze medallist Henri Schoeman (RSA) and Fernando Alarza (ESP) who is presently lying second in the WTS rankings.
In the women’s Leeds-based Non Stanford, who finished fourth in Rio last summer, is arguably Britain’s biggest challenge to ITU world champion, Flora Duffy who finished second last year behind Gwen Jorgensen.
However, it was super-fast swimmers and cyclists, Jess Learmonth and Lucy Hall who made the best start with Duffy last year. They are back this year along with ETU Triathlon European Champion, India Lee and recent ITU World Cup winner, Georgia Taylor-Brown.
Women’s start list
WTS LEEDS OURSE PROFILE:
The 1.5km swim will take place in the Roundhay Park Lake, located approximately 9km north of Leeds city centre. The 40km bike leg will see athletes leave Roundhay Park and head into the city centre and complete a full loop that leads back into the Park before finishing in T2 in the city centre. The 10km run course will take you on a city centre loop which will take you past iconic landmarks such as Town Hall, Millennium Square and The Headrow.
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Both races will be live on BBC2 on Sunday 11 June with the women starting at 13:00 and the men’s at 15:45. You can also follow the action @220Triathlon or watch it on triathlonlive.tv if you’re not in the UK
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