Two days ahead of round five of the Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series in London, twenty of the top triathletes in the world gathered for a double-decker bus tour of the city that will host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. The athletes, all members of ITU’s elite Gold Group, were joined by members of the press on a tour of some of London’s most iconic landmarks, including Westminster Abbey and Big Ben.

The tour gave media the opportunity to sit down with the athletes for one-on-one interviews, and also provided beautiful photo opportunities in front of Big Ben and Westminster Abbey.

Pre-race favourites Alistair Brownlee and Javier Gomez also attended this afternoon’s press conference and fielded questions about Sunday’s showdown in Hyde Park.

“It’s a really strong field racing this weekend,” said Brownlee, who won this event last season. “This may be the strongest field I’ve ever competed against. There are so many guys who can win this event and Javier is definitely one of them.”

Gomez, who won last weekend’s event in Hamburg, was quick to credit his competitor as being the race favourite.

“Alistair showed last year that he is the best triathlete in the world,” Gomez said. “He doesn’t have any weak points. He’s always in the top four or five out of the water, he’s very strong on the bike, and we all know how fast he can run. He’s the one to beat for all the other athletes.”

Also attending the press conference was reigning women’s world champion Emma Moffatt, who took over the top spot in this year’s world rankings with her runner-up finish at round four of the Series last weekend in Hamburg.

“It’s exciting to be back here racing in London and to get a preview of the 2012 Olympic course,” Moffatt said. “I’m really looking forward to the energy of the race tomorrow and the support from the crowd here in Hyde Park.”