Mooloolaba in Australia, Ishigaki in Japan, Huatulco in Mexico, Spain's Banyoles, Edmonton in Canada, Hungary's Tiszaújváros, Guatapé in Colombia, Tongyeong in South Korea and Cancun, Mexico are hosting the nine legs of this year's Series.

Dismissing any suggestion that the World Cup was in danger of being overshadowed by the ITU World Series, the ITU's President Marisol Casado said: "ITU is still deeply committed to our World Cup series as it is still a crucial part of the elite pathway to the Olympic Games and World Championships.

"Host cities can showcase itself to a global audience while developing national triathlon programmes."

Bids must be submitted in conjunction with each city's national federation by June 1 this year.

The ITU World Cup is a vital part of the qualification process for a number of major events, including the Olympic Games, with points gained on the series counting on the World Championship rankings.

It is also a way for cities to showcase themselves to a worldwide audience and demonstrate their ability to organise key sports events.

For those cities looking to host World Series events it is also a useful platform on which to showcase their capabilities.

The World Cup is the flagship series of the ITU and started in 1991, and each race consists of a 1500 metres swim, 40 kilometre bike leg and a 10km run.

Ishigaki, which has hosted a leg of the series for 17 years, has been a part of the circuit longer than any other venue.

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