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Brownlee relishes tough World Triathlon Auckland course

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The second round of the ITU World Triathlon Series visits Auckland, New Zealand, this weekend. Jonathan Brownlee will hope to upset the Iberian order, with 5 of the top 6 ranked athletes coming from Spain or Portugal.

Brownlee is one of four British men lining up in Auckland. The hilly course should suit the Yorkshireman, who has been training at altitude in Queenstown since the last round in Abu Dhabi, where he finished fifth.
 
He said: "I've been in New Zealand since the Abu Dhabi race and it's been a good training block. I was disappointed with how the first round went but I've put it behind me now and I'm looking forward to a very different race in Auckland.”
 
He added: “It's colder water and a hilly bike course, as well as being double the distance of course, so I'm hoping for a good outcome from this one."
 
Mario Mola (ESP) starts in the number one position having won Abu Dhabi’s sprint distance race. Javier Gomez (ESP), the reigning ITU world champion who celebrated his 32nd birthday this week, is ranked one place behind Brownlee in fourth. He has won on this course for the last three years.
 
Tom Bishop and Grant Sheldon return to Auckland having had good races there a year ago. Bishop made a strong impact on the bike, leading at times, and Sheldon finished 12th. Phil Graves completes the GB line up. 
 
Lucy Hall and Jess Learmonth represent Great Britain in the women’s race. Commonwealth Champion, Jodie Stimpson, has withdrawn in order to rest an Achilles tendon issue that has been bothering her in training. 
 
ITU World Champion, Gwen Jorgensen (USA) starts in pole position on Sunday following her win in the opening round.
 
Olympic Champion, Alistair Brownlee, is hopeful of starting his ITU World Triathlon Series campaign in Cape Town, South Africa next month. He was a late withdrawal from the first round in Abu Dhabi with an ankle ligament injury. 
 
There are ten rounds of the ITU World Triathlon Series and the 2015 ITU world champions will be decided at the Grand Final in Chicago in September.
 
Highlights of the men and women’s races are being shown at 4pm on BBC2 on Sunday 29 March. Live coverage is available overnight as follows:
 
Sat 28th March
BBC Red Button, IPTV and BBC Sport website:
Live Women's Auckland Triathlon 2345 GMT - 0320 BST (clocks change at 0100 GMT to 0200 BST)
 
Sun 29th March
BBC Red Button, IPTV and BBC Sport website:
Live Men's Auckland Triathlon 0435-0700 BST
 
Replay times are available here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/17151954 
 
British athletes racing at Barfoot & Thompson World Triathlon Auckland (1500m swim, 40km bike, 10km run):
 
Men
Tom Bishop, 23, from Derby, trains Leeds
Jonathan Brownlee, 24, Leeds
Phil Graves, 25, from York, trains Leeds
Grant Sheldon, 20, from Hamilton, trains Stirling
 
Women
Lucy Hall, 23, from Lutterworth, trains Leeds
Jess Learmonth, 26, Leeds
 

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