One of triathlon’s most popular figures will cap off his first trip back home in four years with a race against some top class names this weekend at IRONMAN 70.3 Tasmania.

Cameron Wurf, who is a professional cyclist for the Team Ineos Grenadiers and currently sits at PTO World #52, will race his first triathlon of the year in his home town of Hobart.

The 40-year-old, who is well known for being one of the most versatile sportsmen in the game, will take on the likes of Javier Gomez and Braden Currie on February 4.

“Apprehension about the unknown”

Having raced seven full distance events last season, Wurf will compete in an Ironman 70.3 event for the first time since 2021 on Sunday, as he tries to assess his current fitness levels.

“Like everyone at the start of the year it’s a mix of excitement to get the season underway and nerves and apprehension about the unknown of where your form is at but it’s the same for everyone.

“I think I’ve demonstrated over the last number of years on the IRONMAN circuit that every time I line up in a race, I do everything I can to first and foremost get into the lead and then try and stay there, my intention for Sunday will be no different.

Having finished on the podium at IRONMAN Austria and IRONMAN Lanzarote last year, it will be interesting to see if Wurf can mix it with the best and compete for another podium in front of a home crowd.

“I’m really excited to get out there”

Having not been back home in four years, Wurf has relished the opportunity to train with some of Tasmania’s best athletes during his time there and hopes his recent training combined with his experience of the roads will pay dividends on race day.

“I’ve been home for six weeks and it’s been four years since I’d been here with the COVID restrictions, having a child and commitments with the team has meant it wasn’t possible, so it’s been fantastic to be back with everyone.

“There’s a really great youth development program in triathlon and swimming particularly going on down here, and athletics, so I’ve actually been training with a lot of the TIS groups, every session is full gas with 16-year-olds so it just reminds me of being back in the rowing days, morning and afternoon, absolutely flat out.

“I know every little inch of the road so I’ll do everything that I can to try and turn that into an advantage for myself and if the wind blows it can also add another element to it to make it extremely challenging but I don’t think it would matter where you put the bike course in Tasmania, it’s probably going to be the toughest bike course in Oceania.

“You don’t get many free kicks on the roads here, they are pretty tough to pedal on and the wind can be brutal, the little rollers are quite deceptively steep seemingly everywhere so I’m really looking forward to that part of it, I think it will make for a really exciting race and a really fair race and give everyone an opportunity to try and play their cards.”