World No 1 Wilde ready for his big rival Yee
Climax of World’s Triathlon’s annual calendar in Abu Dhabi
World No 1 Hayden Wilde is looking forward to facing his long-time rival Alex Yee this weekend for the World Triathlon Championship Finals in Abu Dhabi.
The 25-year-old from New Zealand, who leapfrogged both Yee and Kristian Blummenfelt to claim the No 1 position in the world rankings, made his intentions clear to win in the capital by skipping the Cagliari and Bermuda races and arrive four weeks early to prepare for the event that takes place until November 26 on Yas Island.
He says the reason for that was because he wanted to be as fresh as possible for the race. “I wanted to focus all my attention and energy on Abu Dhabi. It was risky not doing Cagliari or Bermuda but I weighed the risks and rewards and I decided to not to race in those two. So now I am turning up in Abu Dhabi and whoever crosses the finish line first will win the series. It’s an honour to hold that number one seeding and I hope to continue to hold that top ranking post Abu Dhabi.”
In Neom, Saudi Arabia, he took third behind Matt Hauser and Jonny Brownlee to clinch the Super League Triathlon crown.