U23 world and European champion Will Clarke has been providing a 606 regular this year as he bids for Olympic success in Beijing.

Well the big one is finally upon us. This weekend is the Madrid World Cup, the final qualifier for the Olympics, the last chance to show worthy of the team for Beijing.

It’s been a long time coming - ever since we began training in November this has been the event on everyone’s mind. There have been many nightmares and dreams about this one let me tell you!

I’ve booked myself into a nice hotel to make it nice and relaxing before the race, preparation has gone great over the past six weeks and - if I look at the big picture - over the past year really.

There are three places available for GB men, and six men in contention.

- Tim Don was world champion in 2006 and World Cup winner in 2008.

- Alistair Brownlee got a World Cup Podium in 2007 and was world and Euro junior champ.

- Stu Hayes was eight at worlds last year and pipped me to the post in last Sunday’s French Grand Prix.

- Andrew Johns has done just about everything in his long career.

- Olly Freeman is a big talent, great junior and had a good start to the year.

- And me. This is what makes me nervous - any three of us could make the team.

The course is based around a large park not very far from the Madrid city centre.

The swim is in a lake. It should be warm enough to be a non-wetsuit, so this will make the swim really fast with the French, Russians and Germans leading the way.

There is no hiding without a wetsuit - without one the non-swimmers always struggle.

The bike course is very tough as it takes you straight up a decent 2km climb and back round with a descent and a flat section, eight times in total.

Stu Hayes got away last year and built himself a handy minute lead. I however crashed when my wheel snapped clean in half, and hit the tarmac hard!

You have to be very strong on the bike to get off at the end and run well on the flat, four-lap course.

Fortunately the run course takes us down an avenue of trees where we can get shelter. Madrid is one of my favourite World Cups, the atmosphere is electric and it makes the race very enjoyable.

It seems like every time I turn up a World Cup these days the standard is incredibly high and Madrid is no different as the field is stacked.

Spain's Javier Gomez is the outright favourite at the moment, as well as his team-mate Ivan Rana. It is also the last qualifier for the Germans and the French so the pace will be on.

Next time I write we will know what everyone is doing for the rest of the year. At last!

Cheers,
Will