Flora Duffy is proving an irresistible force in women's triathlon. Tomorrow she competes in the Stockholm WTS event knowing that whatever happens she has already qualified for next month's ITU Grand Final ©Getty Images

Mario Mola of Spain and Flora Duffy of Bermuda will compete in Stockholm tomorrow in the penultimate leg of the 2017 World Triathlon Series (WTS) knowing that, no matter what they do, they will remain leader going into the season’s finale of the Grand Final.

On a scenic course beside the Royal Palace, Mola - with four victories in WTS races this season - can afford to compete conservatively.

But he will surely not be taking it easy in any form, especially having slipped to 14th in the last WTS race in Montreal two weeks ago after recording wins at the Gold Coast, Yokohama, Hamburg and Edmonton.

In Stockholm, Mola will try to secure himself a podium position to guarantee himself a comfortable lead before facing his opponents in the Grand Final in Rotterdam on September 16.

Moya’s main concern in this race will probably be another Spaniard, Fernando Alarza, who had a powerful start to the season, making the podium on three occasions, but now stands in overall fourth position.

Spain's Mario Mola, pictured in Hamburg this year, enters tomorrow's Stockholm leg of the World Triathlon Series knowing that, whatever happens, he has qualified for next month's ITU Grand Final ©Getty Images
Spain's Mario Mola, pictured in Hamburg this year, enters tomorrow's Stockholm leg of the World Triathlon Series knowing that, whatever happens, he has qualified for next month's ITU Grand Final ©Getty Images

With his team mates Javier Gómez and the South African contender Richard Murray not racing this weekend, Alarza has a powerful incentive to take advantage and restore his ambitions.

The Spaniards will have to be wise and strong during the swim if they want to keep their chances of the podium, as Britain’s Jonathan Brownlee will be seeking to raise his level of performance after two consecutive fourth places.

The men will be taking the stake in Stockholm on Saturday at 15.06 CET.

By which time what promises to be a fascinating women’s race will have been run.

A field of 35 women will dive in the water of the Riddarfjärden in what might turn out to be a huge joint effort to combat the dominant force in women’s triathlon right now, Bermuda’s 2016 world champion Duffy, who leads this year’s WTS standings.

She will wear the golden swim cap reserved for the WTS number one knowing, like Mola, that no other athlete can take away that position form her, no matter what she does this weekend.

The 29-year-old from Paget Parish will be seeking her fifth victory of the season in Stockholm something only Gwen Jorgensen of the United States has done before.

One of her strongest rivals will be, Australia’s Ashleigh Gentle, who earned a spectacular victory in the last WTS event in Montreal.

Look out too for Katie Zaferes of the US.