Ironman champion Pete Jacobs and multiple Ironman 70.3 winner Michelle Wu will enter the inaugural URBAN Hotel Group Ironman 70.3 Cairns race as firm favourites following their performances in the Coral Coast 5150 Triathlon last weekend.

Jacobs dominated the event, leading from start to finish and increasing his lead at every changeover to record a slick time (1:47:49) over the Olympic distance (1.5km swim, 40km cycle, 10km run).

He has now got his racing season back on track after withdrawing from the Ironman in Melbourne with a bio-mechanical injury.

“My shoulder was pulling forward, which was twisting my hip and putting pressure on a different part of my foot. It took another five or six weeks to figure out that to fix the issue I had to straighten my hips, but it was still there.  Straighten my chest, but it was still there, and then we finally found out that the foot injury was coming from my shoulder,” Jacobs explained.

“I’m feeling really fit. I’ve been injury free for the last eight weeks and my build-up has been great, so I should be in really good shape for next weekend."

Jacobs has one more big training session to do before his taper but will take on the Quicksilver Reef Swim, Green Island to defend his 3km title from last year.

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Jacobs will be up against some tough competition on Sunday with the in-form Tim Berkel expected to be feature in the leading group, after a second in his hometown Ironman at Port Macquarie recently.

Victorian Josh Rix will be in the mix; he had a solid race in Melbourne and will be sure to keep the front runners honest.

Michelle Wu may not have claimed line honours in the Coral Coast 5150 Triathlon, going off in a different wave start she recorded the fastest time by a massive six minutes on race winner Michelle Mitchell.

“I was mainly using this event as a hit out to the 70.3 next weekend, coming from Canberra I wanted to acclimatise and get myself ready for next weekend,” said Wu.

There will be some stiff opposition from seven time Ironman New Zealand champion Joanna Lawn who recently finished fourth in Melbourne.

Lawn had originally planned to do the Ironman but has switched to this race instead. Ali Fitch has also opted out of the Ironman to the shorter distance.

RACE START: Sunday, 3 June at 6:45am