This Friday’s start to the 2018 ITU World Triathlon Series season will happen without the racing presence of Alistair Brownlee in Abu Dhabi.

Similar to 2017, we don’t expect to see a full ITU season from Alistair this year as he continues with his racing over the longer distances, but ITU World Triathlon Abu Dhabi was on the schedule as a key preparation race for the (Sprint distance) Commonwealth Games next month.

After a brilliant return from hip surgery with a dominating victory at IRONMAN 70.3 Dubai in February, Alistair confirmed today that a calf pull will keep him out of racing action this week. It’s quite possible that World Triathlon Leeds will be his only WTS start this season – a race he has won for the past two years.

I have decided not to race in @WTSAbuDhabi this week. Pulled my calf a bit and there’s no chance of me not putting everything into a race and doing further damage.

— Alistair Brownlee (@AliBrownleetri) February 27, 2018

Another race?

With the Commonwealth Games individual event taking place on Thursday 5th April in the Gold Coast, Australia, that doesn’t leave much time for any pre-Commonwealth Games preparation racing. A quick look at the ITU calendar shows that there is a World Cup race in Mooloolaba (also a Sprint distance), on 10th March which would be an option, injury permitting. Alistair is on the provisional start list for that one.