By Kent Gray/Triathlon.kiwi
Hayden Wilde’s prowess on a bike is the stuff of legend but ever wondered just how fast the Whakatane Falcon can fly on two wheels? Tonight, Dear (Mid) Weekend Warrior, is your chance to find out.
The world No.3 is set to add genuine stardust to Tri NZ’s popular eSport Race Series after signing up for the 2023 series’ opening ‘The Muckle Yin’.
Wilde will headline the 25.14km points race around a virtual Scottish landscape in the A pen. That’s exciting/scary news for the fastest Zwift-ers in the land and inspirational stuff for average Kiwi Joes and Janes racing at slower (but no less legendary) levels. Even if you’re not the owner of a fully decked-out pain cave and Zwift account (not yet anyway!), you can watch the race live on Tri NZ’s Facebook page from 7.05pm (racing from 7.15pm).
The Kiwi No.1 is happy for to give back to the Tribe Nation in what doubles as a structured training hit out schemed up by his coach Craig Kirkwood.
“Yeah, I’m definitely racing…Craig’s fault!” Wilde told Triathlon.kiwi.
“Didn’t know I was racing until I looked at my Training Peaks and Craig slapped it in without saying anything [laughs]. Haven’t raced the Tri NZ series for some time so looking forward to it. Zwift racing is always hard so this will be a good workout.”
Tonight’s race offers sprint and climb bonuses, the perfect launch to the six-event series.
Expect Wilde, fresh from his runaway World Cup New Plymouth win on March 26, to be a provocateur from the get-go. The 25-year-old is in the midst of a big training block as he closes in on the next round of the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) in Yokohama on May 13.
Luckily it’s not too late to enter yourself- registration is open right up till just before the 7:15pm (women) and 7.20pm (men) start times.
Full information, including race links, is available on the Tri NZ e Sport Series page HERE.
