Double defending Challenge Wanaka champion Dylan McNeice has a patriotic outlook on how he would like Sunday's triathlon to pan out.
''I hope a few of these foreigners will get dealt to by the course and leave us Kiwis to it,'' he grinned.
He was referring to Great Britain's Joel Jameson, who was second at Challenge Henley and Challenge Weymouth, in England, and Matt Burton, of Australia, the winner of last year's Challenge Philippines.
McNeice's fellow New Zealanders are allies only in that they are from the same country, because at the end of 226km of swimming, biking and running, Wanaka's Dougal Allan and Braden Currie and Auckland's Carl Read want that top step of the podium as much as he does.
Working in McNeice's favour is he knows he has what it takes to win. He did it last year and the year before.
''There is no second-guessing myself,'' he said.
He left his Christchurch home three weeks ago to get himself into the right space to reclaim his title.
As much as he appreciated the support of friends and family leading up to and on race day, ''a little distraction-free time'' was invaluable, McNeice (29) said.
His other not-so-secret weapon is his torpedo-fast swimming ability. In 2014, he set the course record, swimming 3.8km in 46min 26sec.
''I've been swimming basically all my life, growing up at the beach.''
Having been a competitive swimmer from age 9 to 19 would explain this phenomenal talent and also perhaps why he now finds churning out the laps ''a little bit boring''.
Unfortunate news flash for McNeice's rivals hoping to hunt him down in the race's final marathon stage: running is his favourite discipline of the triathlon.
