Andorra is set to host the Winter Triathlon World Championships for the first time ©Getty Images

Andorra is set to host the Winter Triathlon World Championships for the first time this weekend, with more than 200 athletes travelling to the microstate in the Pyrenees to compete in the men's and women's races.

Naturlandia park, near the town of Sant Julià de Lòria, will host racing tomorrow and on Sunday (March 21).

The two-day event will have races for in elite, junior, under-23 and Para-triathlon athletes, and there will be a mixed relay event for both elite and junior athletes.

Russian Triathlon Federation (RTF) athlete Pavel Andreev starts as the clear favourite in the men's race, having won every world title since winning his first in 2011.

A ninth world title will be on the mind of one of the sport's greatest athletes and he will go into the World Championships with confidence high following victory in the World Cup season opener in Asiago in Italy last month.

His team mate and bronze medallist from 2020, Dmitriy Bregeda, will look to bounce back from a fourth-place finish in Asiago, but the 2019 runner-up will not be the only RTF athlete who has a shot at making the podium.

Runner-up from 2018 Pavel Yakimov and Evgenii Uliashev are also in the running.

Marek Rauchfuss of the Czech Republic, a silver medallist a year ago, and the Italians, led by Guiseppe Lamastra, could also feature atop the leaderboard.

German newcomer Sebastian Neef claimed the silver medal at the Asiago World Cup last month, so is another athlete to watch.

Daria Rogozina is the current holder of the women's world and European titles, but did not race in Asiago, meaning her form is unknown. 

The RTF athlete is a two-time world champion, who held off compatriots Anna Medvedeva and Yulia Surikova for the gold in 2020.

Italy's Sandra Meirhofer appears the best non-Russian challenger after winning at the Asiago World Cup, while Austria's Romana Slavinec will be aiming for a fourth World Championship podium following bronze medals in 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Winter triathlon consists of running, mountain biking and cross-country skiing.

There will be approximately eight kilometres of running, 14km of mountain biking and 12km of skiing.

Andorra is hosting the 23rd edition of the World Championships, which were first held in Mals in Italy in 1997.

The men's and women's elite races will be held tomorrow, with the mixed relay on Sunday.