While most Americans will picnic and party the Memorial Day weekend away, the world’s top triathletes will gun for gold at hot contests across the globe.

Europe blows up this weekend with two big races in Spain, one in Austria and another in France. First up is the hot-and-heavy short-course showdown, the Madrid BG Triathlon World Cup, where international elites will vie for Olympic qualifying points. Fighting to keep three Beijing spots for the U.S. men, Americans Matt Reed, Doug Friman, Mark Fretta and Joe Umphenour will go all out for top finishes but will face tough competition from Spain’s Javier Gomez and Ivan Rana, the Brit trio of Tim Don, Andrew Johns and William Clarke, and that pesky Russian, Dmitry Polyansky. Saturday will also prove a key race for the Germans striving to join 2007 world champion Daniel Unger and Jan Frodeno on their country’s squad.

Several female competitors will also compete to keep their Beijing dreams alive—namely Germans Joelle Franzmann and Christiane Pilz and Brits Hollie Avil and Andrea Whitcombe. But as with most World Cup races, Portuguese sensation Vanessa Fernandes will be hot to hog the podium, as will the already-Beijing-bound Julie Ertel of the U.S., Aussie Felicity Abram, Kiwi Andrea Hewitt and Rebeccah Wassner of New York.

In long-course action, the brave and bold take on one of the toughest courses on the World Triathlon Corporation circuit as Spain’s Ironman Lanzarote shakes down for the 17th year. With punishing hills and pulsing heat, this race is avoided by many, a must-do-before-death for others. Topping the pro lists are 2005 and 2006 men’s winner Ain-Alar Juhanson of Estonia, last year’s men’s fourth-place finisher Bert Jammaer of Belgium and recent Ironman South Africa champ Bella Comerford of Scotland.

Delving deeper into the continent, Ironman Austria 70.3 enters its second year, while Challenge France in Niederbronn-Les-Bains attracts a stacked roster of elites. This new French half-iron-distance event will feature iron-stars Rutger Beke of Belgium, Luke Dragstra of Canada, Aussie Justin Granger, Spaniard Marcel Zamora and France’s own Francois Chabaud, while Frenchwomen Alexandra Louison and Tine Deckers and Australain Belinda Granger top the ladies pro list.

Lighting up the Southern Hemisphere on Sunday, Ironman Brazil kicks off on the sun-swathed vacation island of Florianopolis, more affectionately known as “Floripa.” Though several nations are represented on the men’s and women’s start lists, this race looks to be primarily a battle between Brazil and Argentina. The headlining Argentine, Oscar Galindez, has won this event three times before, his 2007 victory resulting in the infamous bus debacle in which he and women’s winner Nina Kraft arrived at the awards ceremony too late to claim their Kona slots. But winning a fourth Brazil title won’t be a cakewalk—Galindez must fight off charges from the pesky Eduardo Sturla of Argentina and Ivan Albano Junior and Fabio Carvalho of Brazil. And expect two-time race winner and recent Ironman China victor, Olaf Sabatschus of Germany, to give these South American boys a run for their money.

On the female front, Brazil’s Fernanda Keller hopes to make it three wins at her home-country Ironman but must fend off two-time Brazilian Olympian Carla Moreno and American iron-glutton Hillary Biscay.

You know where to go for the post-race round-up: InsideTri.com.