PORT Macquarie triathlete Tim Berkel will put the Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship in Melbourne ahead of his home race again this season, but he plans to return to Port Macquarie to race in future years.
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A podium finisher his home race Berkel has finished second in Port twice he will miss the 30th birthday of Ironman Australia this May.
Berkel has his eye on improving an amazing seventh place at the World Championships at Kona last year, meaning a race in Port wasn't on for this year.
He said it wasn't a permanent arrangement though.
"I would love to come back next year," Berkel said.
"I won't be there this year, but definitely on the cards for next year."
Berkel will be course-side for the 70.3 at Port this year, hopefully after a good performance in Hawaii.
He wanted to be part of the crowd at Port.
"I'll definitely be a part of the race anyway. I'll come home and cheer some mates on."
Berkel was back training on his home turf this week as his Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship Melbourne tilt hit full swing.
Berkel was working with training partner Peter Robertson, from Lennox Head, in preparation for the Melbourne race on March 22.
The pair were doing plenty of kilometres in all three triathlon disciplines for the week, but Berkel and Robertson were focusing on the bike leg.
The duo was aiming for 500-600 kilometres on the bike, 20km in the water and 80km of running.
Melbourne's bike course is on a highway, so Berkel and Robertson rode mostly on the Pacific Highway in a big session on Tuesday.
"We did 180km yesterday [Tuesday]," Berkel said.
"We just did some race-pace stuff and a loop around Bago, and some old rides I used to do."
Berkel and Anderson have another big day in the saddle planned for today, with a solid 220km ride up to Gingers Creek and around that area.
"It's a big day," Berkel said.
"We'll be on the bike all day. A solid eight hour day.
It's a mixture of scenery and hard work.
"It's nice riding, and you've got that climb all the way up to Gingers," Berkel said.
Berkel pulled the pin on a planned race in Dubai this weekend in favour of putting in some more training.
"I'm not going that well and I just need to train," he said.
"Hopefully I'll be right in three more weeks' time."
