However, he will not rule himself completely out of contention.
''Sometimes I say I'm going to take a race easy and then as soon as the starter's gun goes, instinctively I'm like 'You're not going to beat me in this race' ... but at the end of the day, I think the body will have the final say,'' Allan (27) told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
''My mind will be willing to race but I just don't know what the legs will be like.''
Allan arrived back in New Zealand on Thursday, fresh from winning the inaugural four-day Wenzhou Outdoor Challenge adventure race in China with fellow Wanaka multisporter Braden Currie.
Despite his physically demanding week, competing in today's 125km circumnavigation of Lake Hawea was a priority, Allan said.
''I like this race, because it feels more like an adventure race than a mountain bike race.''
Last year he finished in a time of 4hr 36min 34sec, shaving 8min off the previous race record set by Marcus Roy in 2008. While forecast bad weather was unlikely to be conducive to course records today, challenging conditions could have the opposite effect and push the top riders even harder, Allan predicted.
He will be up against some strong riders, including Nick Clark and Brent Miller, both of Christchurch, who placed third and fourth respectively last year, and Gavin Mason, of Wanaka, who finished seventh last year and was pushing for a placing today, race organiser Danielle Nicholson said.
In the women's race, Kath Kelly, of Roxburgh, and Jo Williams, of Wanaka, are among the favourites.
Multisport veteran Steve Gurney, who recently moved to Queenstown, will make a return to the race. He has ridden in every Epic since it started in 2006, with the exception of last year.
The event also features a 95km classic event, and a new category, a 35km traverse ride. There are 840 entrants across the three categories, up 40% on 2012 numbers. The long-distance Epic race offers $1200 prizes for the first man and woman home.
Mrs Nicholson had no concerns forecast rain would cause the Hunter River - which feeds into the head of the lake - to flood and affect the course.
''It's been so dry that it could absorb quite a lot of rain.''
