This is a brilliant race. Firstly it's in Barcelona, great city with good transport links, plentiful hotels and loads to see and do.

Secondly it's a draft legal bike on closed city centre roads - worth the journey and entry fee alone!

Barcelona tri is a well established and well organised race, it's the largest triathlon in Spain. Organisation is slick with easy check in and a small expo. You get a t shirt at check in with your packet/chip, a bag and somewhat bizarrely two boiled sweets and a small lollipop (?)

You can rack on Saturday night but I chose not to. Transition is pretty secure, it's inside the athletics stadium, check in is a bit haphazard, no bike checks at all and I saw a couple of people go in without putting their helmets on. Maybe that's just our health and safety culture?!

Once you're racked (numbered racking) there is a swim warm up area (translated as "the heating zone" in one pre race email that I received) which is adjacent to race start. When your wave is called into the pen there is a countdown and then a short downhill dash into the surf. Out of the swim and a 500m run into T1, a further 200m out to the mount line, then the fun starts! 4 laps of fast and furious draft legal racing on closed, beautifully maintained, roads. Just awesome. Get in a fast pack and just hang on for the ride! The course is quite technical with two dead turns on each lap and quite a few 90deg turns. No climbs just a few ramps. It's over too soon, I was tempted to go for a fifth lap!

I would describe the run as mazy (!) there is a section where you keep doubling back on yourself, it's a bit like running through the queue for passport control at the airport. Anyway TWO samba bands on course and some really good support from lots of locals. A couple of aid stations en route but this aspect could stand some improvement.  

Finish line, medal, drinks, fruit and pastries. No drama with getting back into transition or with checking out. 

My only bug bear, the swim, bike and run where all short of proper Olympic distance. The swim by 100m, bike by 4K and run by 400m (according to my 920xt). A bit annoying - although I do now have a new Olympic PB.

Don't let that put you off though, this really is a cracking race in a great city and well worth doing.