Clearly it’s not about the bike. Armstrong took the lead on the run leg of the Ironman 70.3 triathlon in Panama yesterday but was overtaken in the closing kilometres to finish second.
New Zealand’s Bevan Docherty took the title at the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Panama. According to ironman.com, Docherty, a two-time Olympic medalist, was second out of the water and seventh off the bike, and came across the finish line at 3:50:13, less than a minute ahead of seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong.
According to a post-race interview with Kevin Mackinnon, Armstrong had this to say after his incredible runner-up finish. “I was very surprised, to say the least. It was a completely new experience for me. I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know strategically how these races go down, so I tried to feel my way out on the bike and basically take a crash course in 70.3s.”
Armstrong has certainly enjoyed his return to multi-sport racing.
“If it wasn’t fun I wouldn’t be here. I don’t need a job, so I need a challenge in my life. I need some stuff to do. I like to train, I like to suffer a bit. It’s great to be back. This sport has changed a lot. Back when I raced, I did Olympic distance races and sprint races. It was a very different game back then. Not better, not worse, just different.
Armstrong’s next Ironman 70.3 event will the Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas in Galveston on 1 April.
For more from the post-race interview, click here.
The Ironman 70.3 event is an international triathlon event. Events around the world qualify athletes for the Ironman World Championship 70.3. Races consist of a 1.9 km swim, a 90 km bike and a 21.1 km run.
Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG Foundation has partnered with Ironman this year, with the goal to raise a million dollars – a goal that he sees as being quite attainable.
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