And heading into this weekend's Triathlon NSW Junior Super Sprint Triathlon Championships, that home advantage will be priceless for the pair.

The 18-year-olds will lead a young Orange contingent hoping to make waves against the best junior triathletes - those 23 and under - in the super sprint championships.

The Gosling Creek course has received a number of upgrades since the Orange Cycle and Triathlon Club shifted their base from Lake Canobolas out to the south of town five years ago, to the point the loop is now regarded as one of the best short courses in NSW.

Tight corners on the bike, a difficult run leg, open water swim ... there's little intricacies in all three disciplines Tudor and Thornhill know all about, and they're hopeful of being able to attack those areas this weekend.

"It's definitely one of my major events for the season. Hopefully I get a good result and execute all the little things," Tudor said.

"We're able to come out every weekend and train. It's basically our backyard, so we're really confident out here.

"This course is a bit technical which is good, that suits me."

"It's one of the premier races on the calendar," Thornhill added.

"I'll be focused on my processes; a nice clean swim, making sure transitions are quick and focusing on bike handling skills and a good turnover in the run.

"Hometown advantage is always a good point. It's a very technical course, which is good for someone who's able to push through the corners and have a good leg on the bike."

Mitch Westhuizen is one of those gun rivals entering this weekend's event hoping to upset that homegrown apple cart.

The 18-year-old Balmoral Triathlon Club star trains regularly with both Tudor and Thornhill in Sydney, but admits his trips out to prepare with the duo in Orange are few and far between.

He knows what both Orange triathletes are capable of, and knows those strengths will be emphasised even further on home soil.

However, major competition will come from the older age groups.

Josh Ferris is a silver youth Olympic games medalist, while the Schofield twins, Jayden and Luke, are at the top of their game, Thornhill says, and will make the trip west from Sydney fresh off competing in Super League triathlon.

Connor Whiteley, too, will be returning from Sydney to compete on a track he's very familiar with - and they're names the likes of Thornhill, Tudor and, indeed, Westhuizen will be very aware of come race time.

"There's a few under 23s boys that are quite good. I'll give it a good crack and we'll see what happens," Westhuizen said.

"It's good to race the 23s boys though, it raises the level of competition and pushes us a bit more, which will develop us as athletes."

Thornhill is a fresh off a round win in the opening leg of the 2020-21 Central West Inter-Club Triathlon series in Mudgee, and that victory, where he went toe-to-toe with Nick North, has set him up for a strong spring series this weekend.

The young-gun believes a well-rounded performance can again ensure he's at the pointy end of the field come Saturday afternoon's finals.

"The inter-club is a prestige series in the Central West and being a local boy it means a lot to get the win. Essentially the weekend was a good training race, though, and I had a good battle with Nick North.

"I look forward to the rest of the inter-club races to build a solid foundation for the big races this season."

Over 170 triathletes are expected to turn out for the weekend's series at Gosling Creek.

Among those athletes will be three-time Olympian Barbara Riveros Diaz - the Chilian star will make the trip to Orange to run in the female leg of the series.

While professional triathlete Nathan Breen will be in Orange to commentate on the races.

Orange Cycle and Triathlon Club president Phil Tudor says the event will provide Orange with two phenomenal days of racing, with event doubling as the biggest the club has hosted.

"When we first set this up, myself and Mel Ashton-Gerard ... it was to give our athletes, Orange and in the Central West, the opportunity to have a state quality event we didn't have to travel for," Tudor said.

"It's just grown and grown, and now with Gosling Creek it's the best facility in the state for this type of racing, the short course super sprint racing."

That facility will be added to on Saturday morning, officially anyway, when Calare MP Andrew Gee, Member for Orange Phil Donato, representatives of Newcrest and Orange mayor Reg Kidd join members of the Piranhas to open the club's new training shed.

That addition, along with the upgrade of the circuit's bike track, will be opened on Saturday morning at 10am.

"It's an unbelievable triathlon facility and this gets used by the community every day," Tudor added.

"We'll use it eight times a year, but the community can use it 365 days a year. It's just a great facility."

The weekend's racing includes a five round state series for under 23, junior and youth triathletes.

Saturday morning is registration, group coaching sessions and a Super Sprint Aquathon, Saturday afternoon is the heats and finals for the TNSW Super Sprint Championships for draft legal athletes and a Super Sprint Transition Triathlon for non-drafting athletes.

There's additional races on Sunday as well.

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