Last year Auckland hosted the Grand Final that concluded the 2012 Series but this year it will begin the 2013 Series on Saturday (April 6) with a 1.5 kilometre harbour swim followed by the eight-lap 40km bike through the city and a fast and four-lap 10km run.

Heading the men's line-up is Spain's London 2012 silver medallist Javier Gomez (pictured top) due to the absence of Britain's Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee and his younger brother Jonathan Brownlee, who won bronze.

Jonathan Brownlee won the 2012 ITU World Triathlon Series last year with Gomez finishing second, although the Spaniard narrowly beat his rival in the Grand Final in Auckland.

The victory though, was not enough to secure Gomez the title ahead of Brownlee.

With both the Brownlee brothers sitting out the race in New Zealand, Gomez will be looking to establish an early lead on his rivals in the race for this year's ITU World Triathlon Series.

Gomez won the series in both 2008 and 2010 while Alistair Brownlee won it in 2009 and 2011 before Jonathan's victory last year.

Without the Brownlee brothers, the biggest challenge to Gomez in Auckland is likely to come from the German duo of Steffen Justus and Jan Frodeno, France's Laurent Vidal and Australia's Aaron Royle, who took the 2012 under-23 world title on the course last year.

In the women's event, Germany's Anne Haug will be favourite for victory after winning the race in Auckland last year, to finish second overall in the 2012 ITU World Triathlon Series behind Sweden's Lisa Norden.

With Norden, the London 2012 Olympic silver medallist, Olympic champion Nicola Spirig of Switzerland and Britain's talented Helen Jenkins all missing the race, Haug's biggest challenge is likely to come from America's Gwen Jorgensen, who finished second in the race in Auckland last year.

Chile's Barbara Riveros Diaz and Britain's Jodie Stimpson are also likely to be contenders in the first major race of the year.

Following Auckland, the Series will head to San Diego on April 19 and 20 before visiting Yokohama on May 11 and 12 and Madrid on June 1 and 2.

It will then go to both Kitzbühel on July 6 and Hamburg on July 20 and 21 before visiting Stockholm on August 24 and 25 and then finally the 2012 Olympic Course in Hyde Park in London for the Grand Final where the male and female world champions will be crowned.

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