It's back-to-back weekends of racing in Austria as the Europe Triathlon Cup and Junior Cup move to Wels following the scorching conditions that greeted athletes in Kitzbühel last weekend.
Elite Men's race promises excitement
The Sprint-distance event will see 70 athletes line up in the Elite Men's race, including 12 representatives from the host nation.
Australia's Toby Powers arrives as the top seed wearing bib number one. Powers has spent much of the season competing on the World Cup circuit and most recently recorded a top-10 finish in Huatulco two weeks ago.
Starting with bib number two, Austria's Peter Luftensteiner returns to Europe Triathlon competition after focusing primarily on WTCS and World Cup events this season. Fresh from racing in Quiberon, he will be aiming to secure his first medal of 2026.
Another athlete to watch is Philip Pertl (AUT), who claimed bronze earlier this season at the Asia Triathlon Cup Dexing and will be looking to add another podium finish to his campaign.
Spain's Damian Suarez Couto steps up to elite competition for the first time this year after an impressive junior campaign that has already yielded silver in Torremolinos and gold in Quarteira.
Germany's Nathan Lessmann arrives in strong form after narrowly missing the podium in Olsztyn with a fourth-place finish before claiming silver at the Africa Triathlon Cup in Yasmine Hammamet two weeks later.
Fabian Schönke (GER) remains in Austria following his 13th-place finish in Kitzbühel and will be joined by seven fellow Germans in the Elite Men's field.
Italy's Davide Menichelli also raced in Kitzbühel, where he finished 25th, but the longer Sprint-distance format may suit his strengths better this weekend.
Junior Cup Olsztyn gold medallist Thibault Rivier continues his transition into elite racing as he competes in just his second Elite race of the season after racing in Torremolinos earlier this year.
Belgium's Raf De Dobbelaere will be hoping to build on a strong performance in Kitzbühel, where he finished fourth in his semifinal. Austrian Thomas Windischbauer, who finished just ahead of the Belgian, will be looking to carry momentum from his home race into Wels as he starts with bib number 10.
Elite Women
A field of 51 athletes will contest the Elite Women's race, with a strong international presence supplementing the European contingent. Five Australians, one New Zealander and one American will all be aiming to challenge for the podium.
Australia's Aspen Anderson is among the leading contenders after securing eighth place at the World Cup in Chengdu and helping Australia to fourth in the Mixed Relay at last weekend's WTCS event in Quiberon.
Germany's Jule Behrens arrives after finishing 12th in Kitzbühel and has enjoyed a busy run of racing that also included the Europe Triathlon Championships in Spain. Fellow German Sophie Gießmann finished 10th in Kitzbühel and has already stood on the podium this season after winning a medal at the Asia Triathlon Cup in Lianyungang.
New Zealand's Phoebe Carter also raced in Quiberon and will look to use the experience gained at WTCS level as she takes on the field in Wels.
Austria's highest-ranked athlete is Hanna Röser, who starts with bib number 30. In her first season competing at Elite level, she will take confidence from an encouraging 13th-place finish in Kitzbühel last weekend.
Anabel Knoll returns to racing after claiming bronze in Kitzbühel and will be aiming to replicate, or improve upon, her podium performance. The German shared the podium last weekend with compatriot Julia Bröcker, who took the victory.
Spain's Natalia Castro Santos makes her return to competition for the first time since racing in Torremolinos in April and starts with bib number seven.
One of the most successful athletes in the field this season is France's Anouk Danna. The young French athlete has already collected four medals in 2026, including Junior Cup victories in Olsztyn and Quarteira, alongside a bronze medal in the Elite race in Torremolinos.
After a brief break in the Junior Cup calendar, attention turns to Wels on Sunday, where more than 100 athletes will line up to compete.
Junior Women
As in the Elite Women's race, the junior field features a truly international mix of talent. Three of the top five starters represent nations outside Europe, with athletes from New Zealand, Namibia and South Africa joined near the front of the field by Austria's Kathrin Ritter and Switzerland's Laura Marioni.
Slovenia's Anja Bezlaj will be looking to build on her progress this season after finishing 10th in Olsztyn, the most recent Junior Cup race.
Italy's Teresa Vizio has enjoyed a consistent Junior Cup campaign so far, recording top-ten finishes in both of her appearances this year. After placing seventh in Torremolinos and fifth in Quarteira, she arrives in Wels wearing bib number eight and aiming for another strong result.
Dorota Stramberska (CZE) makes her first Junior Cup start of the 2026 season. The Czech athlete comes into the race on the back of a silver medal at the Czech Junior National Championships and will be eager to make an impact on her return to international competition.
Luxembourg's Manon Schiltz is set for just the third Junior Cup start of her career and will line up with bib number 15.
Junior Men
In the men's race, Austria's Jelle Kaindl will be one of the home favourites. After securing his first Elite gold medal in Rzeszów and following it up with an impressive fifth-place finish in Kitzbühel last weekend, Kaindl will be hoping to carry that momentum into Wels and add another medal to his growing collection.
Sebastian Ziekman (LUX) has competed only once so far this season, finishing 12th in Torremolinos in April, and will be looking to improve on that performance this weekend.
Slovakia's Alex Mandak makes his first start of the 2026 season and will begin the race with bib number four.
The home crowd will have plenty of athletes to support, with ten Austrian competitors set to take to the start line on Sunday.
Several nations have also brought sizable squads to Wels. Slovakia leads the way with nine athletes, while Italy, Switzerland and Israel each field eight competitors. Their depth could prove crucial as teams look to support one another and challenge for some of the top positions this weekend.
Find the full Elite start lists here.
Find the Full Junior start lists here.
Elite races will be live streamed here.