There's no malice intended but Ironman legend Cameron Brown is quite pleased his nemesis Terenzo Bozzone won't be racing against him at the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Taupo Half on Saturday.
The half-ironman distance race (2km swim, 90km cycle, 21km run) is one the 11-time Ironman New Zealand winner has never attempted before but with Bozzone still recovering from an Achilles injury he's confident he can win.
"I'm not disappointed Terenzo's not there - I'll look forward to racing him in March [at Ironman New Zealand]," Brown, 39, said.
"He's a lot stronger than me [at this distance]. I'm sure he'll be ready in March but it's been a slow process for him. It's very tough to mentally go through injury."
Brown knows all too well - he got calf cramp in the swim at this year's Ironman World Championships in Hawaii and was forced to pull up 12km into the run when it felt as if any further would lead to a muscle tear.
It's because of this that he's able to be ready for this race. He usually wouldn't be race fit until January for the Port of Tauranga Half.
"I hope to win. I'm getting stronger and stronger every week but I'm not too focussed on how I'll perform as Ironman is my A race. It's a course I'm familiar with, I know it well."
Bozzone, a former world champion at this distance, is just pleased to be able to take part, albeit as a ringer in the Kellogg's team.
He got called in at the last minute when the original cyclist was involved in a bike crash a couple of weeks ago.
"I'm very disappointed I can't race [as an individual]," he said.
"I prefer the half distance over Ironman, I think at my age and ability I'm probably best suited to it but long distance is what I want to do well in. The big goal is the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Ironman New Zealand.
"It's a shame I can't race this weekend but it's an opportunity for me to watch from the side, I can watch Cam from an outsiders' view and try to find any weakness in his racing. I'm going to have to look very hard.
"I was hopeful I would be on the start line but I would have been very lucky, hopefully I can have a good day on the bike. I'm still looking forward to coming down, it's always a fun race with it being the first of the season and you get to see where everyone's fitness is at."
Bozzone, 26, underwent Achilles surgery in October after injuring it earlier in the year. He is now running on an anti-gravity treadmill to help regain strength in his Achilles. It's the only one of its kind in New Zealand.
"You zip yourself in and you alter the gravity. I tried running without it and I felt good, the Achilles felt fine. I have just enough time to get ready for Taupo in March."
-PRO FIELD: Men: Cameron Brown, Keegan Williams, Brodie Madgwick, Jamie Whyte, David Bowden, Jared Bowden, Shaun Kavanagh, Callum Millward, Will O'Connor, Chris Sanson; Women: Sam Warriner, Gina Crawford, Belinda Harper, Candice Hammond, Fiona Eagles.
The race starts at 6.30am.