Although he started the running leg of the XTERRA world championships in second place overall, Lance Armstrong finished well off the podium positions in the Hawaiian event today
The former pro got off to a solid start in the off-road contest, placing fifth in the swim discipline. His time in the 18.3 mile mountainbike was also the fifth fastest, with the combined total putting him into second overall heading into the 6.1 mile trail run.
However he faded dramatically there, with over 60 competitors recording faster times on that leg. A total of 21 of those passed him during the run, dropping him to a final finishing position of 23rd overall. He said afterwards that he had crashed heavily towards the end of the MTB section, banging his head and cracking his helmet.
Austrian pro triathlete Michael Weiss was quickest overall, conceding over two and a half minutes to Armstrong in the swim but taking four minutes eleven seconds out of him on the bike leg and starting the run in the lead.
He posted a time of 43 minutes 54 seconds for the running section to complete the championships in exactly two hours 27 minutes.
South African Dan Hugo was 33 seconds further back in second place, while the Spaniard Eneko Llanos took third, a further 53 seconds behind.
Armstrong’s overall time was two hours 36 minutes 59 seconds, nine minutes 59 seconds off Weiss’ time. He commented afterwards on his fall. “Tough but fun day today. Went out too hard in the swim, finally got going on the bike but took a nasty spill at the end. Then suffered in the run.”
“Don’t remember the last time I cracked a helmet. In fact, I don’t remember much!”
He finished fifth in the XTERRA event held last month in Utah. He said prior to the world championships that he didn’t have a preconceived finishing position in mind, but entertained thoughts that he could fare strongly.
“I will be happy going out there and giving it my best,” Armstrong said. “Maybe that is top five, maybe it is top 10. It could be better, I don’t know. That is why we have the race so we can find out,” he said, according to AP.
“I’d be really happy if I won it, so I guess that means I’d be surprised,” he said, when asked if he could triumph. “Shocked is probably too big of a word, or too strong a word, but, yeah, I’d be very pleasantly surprised.”
Lesley Paterson of San Diego won the women's race, completing the three disciplines in a time of two hours 45 minutes 59 seconds.