GREYMOUTH: Coast to Coast champions Gordon Walker (Auckland) and Emily Miazga (Canada) are favoured to retain their titles in today's longest day section.
Both are confident of taking the honours, despite a forecast of unpredictable weather and track conditions.
Walker is familiar with how fickle weather conditions can be on the 33km mountain section across rugged terrain in the Southern Alps, as he crashed and burned in 2004 when conditions turned sour.
It was also the year more than half the field failed to finish the mountain stage and withdrew.
Walker and Richard Ussher have dominated the event over the past five years, with Ussher claiming three victories to Walker's two.
Walker turned the tables on race favourite Ussher last year to clinch his second title and has learnt the hard way how important it is to be prepared.
"I was naive and hadn't prepared properly," he said of being pulled from the 2004 race.
Despite a lack of racing over the past 12 months, Walker has maintained a training regime and plans to stick with his tactic of making a break early on the bike, and has enough confidence in his running and kayaking ability to maintain or build on any lead he might have.
"Ninety percent of all these events have been decided with a strong paddle," Walker said.
Miazga is confident she has overcome the typhoid she contracted in Africa last year.
Her next objective is to overcome the all-round multisport skills of Elina Ussher.
Ussher is the wife of three-time champion Richard Ussher, who will not be competing this year in order to focus on iron man training.
He will be on the sidelines as part of Elina's support crew.
"A support crew offering that sort of experience can make the difference," race director Robin Judkins said.
Facing both Miazga and Ussher today is an experienced field of internationals, but an unknown quantity for the two, as apart from Rachel Cashin (Taumaranui) they have not raced any of the other top 10 contenders with international credentials.
The longest day Coast to Coast race starts on Kumara beach at 6am.
