Düsseldorf in Germany will provide the third consecutive weekend of ETU European Championship competition on Sunday, as Sprint Distance honours will be decided on the banks of the Rhein

Host to the Tour de France Grand Départ just a week later, Düsseldorf will be further cementing its status as a major sporting city this weekend when it hosts the 2017 ETU Sprint Triathlon European Championships. With the Standard distance championships being held last weekend in Kitzbuhel, Austria, this marks the first season of the two most popular ETU Age-Group events being held in separate venues. Several British Age-Group athletes will be making the most of that opportunity and racing in both.

Unlike the ITU World Championships, the ETU European Championships is still currently held as a non-drafting race for Age-Group athletes. After completing the opening 750m swim in the Rhein, athletes will race over a single loop, 20.7km bike course, which is primarily out-and-back in format, alongside the banks of the river. The closing run should be similarly flat, comprising of two 2.5km loops.

Last year in Lisbon, the Great Britain Age-Group team collected a massive haul of 41 medals over the Sprint distance. Having improved on the 22 medals gained 12 months over the Standard distance in Kitzbuhel (26), can the squad get close to that figure of 41 this time around? The presence of a strong home team is likely to make that a significant challenge.

Of the 15 Gold medal winners last year, seven will be racing in Düsseldorf; John Souter (30-34), Michael Smallwood (70-74), Rosie Weston (16-19), Elizabeth Bullivant (40-44), Gwen Kinsey (40-44), Joyce Mark (55-59) and Georgina Jennings (70-74)

Another British athlete to look out for is Jacqui Phillips (50-54). Second last year in the 45-49 division, she has already won Gold at the ETU Duathlon European Championships, where she was the fastest Age-Group athlete overall. Another Gold on Sunday would be her tenth international championship win, in Great Britain colours.

Race website: http://www.triathlon-duesseldorf2017.de/en.html