For the 12th consecutive year, the northern Hungarian town of Tiszaujvaros comes alive as it welcomes the ninth stop of the BG Triathlon World Cup series. One of the longest running world cups in ITU history is a favourite for many top athletes for the week-long party atmosphere and the generous crowd support. Elite women start at 10:30am (UTC/GMT +2) while the elite men go at 1:30pm.
After earning a silver medal in Hamburg this past weekend, Aussie Felicity Abram heads east to Hungary in search of her first world cup win. Abram has climbed to number two in the world cup after having been on the world cup podium three times this year; New Plymouth and Richards Bay in addition to Hamburg. Anja Dittmer of Germany continues her Olympic preparation as she races for the second straight weekend after finishing fourth in Hamburg. Dittmer has won in Tiszaujvaros in 2003 and 2004. British veteran Andrea Whitcombe will race in her first world cup since failing to finish in Madrid. Whitcombe began the year in good form, placing fifth in Mooloolaba and sixth in New Plymouth.
Brazilian Mariana Ohata, Czech Vendula Frintova and American Sarah Groff will make this an unpredictable race with several podium contenders. The home team fields a large team of eight women that includes Zita Szabo, Hungarys lone representative at this summers Olympic Games.
Click here for full womens start list
The mens field is expected to include world number one and this years new world champion Javier Gomez and his Aussie rival Brad Kahlefeldt who finished runner-up to Gomez in Mooloolaba and New Plymouth earlier this year. Gomez has won three world cup titles this year but hasnt raced since winning the world championships on June 8 in Canada. He won here in Tiszaujvaros last year while Kahlefeldt took the title in 2006.
Kazakhstans Dmitriy Gaag will have plenty of home support as the veteran makes his home in Tiszaujvaros. He has made the podium here five times since 1998 including the spectacular sprint to victory over Kahlefeldt in 2005. Also in the field is Czech Martin Krnavek, twice a winner in Tiszaujvaros in 2000 and 2001. Russian Ivan Vasiliev will be in the field seeking his third world cup medal in his breakthrough season. Vasiliev took bronze in Ishigaki, silver in Madrid and finished fourth in Hamburg this past weekend.
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The crowds come out in droves every year in Tiszaujvaros
Tiszaujvaros was one of Gomezs four world cup titles last year