Triathlon in Lance Armstrong’s future

Lance Armstrong has confirmed speculation that he will eventually compete in an Ironman triathlon.

Armstrong has revealed to the magazine ‘Outside’ his interest in entering an Ironman competition. “Whenever I’m done with this (comeback). I can unequivocally say  yes to that.

The record seven-time Tour de France champion will be coming full circle in his sporting career. As a teenager, he was a top-class triathlete over shorter courses in the late 1980s.

But the father to be,  eventually switched to road cycling, where he has become one of the sport’s greatest competitors.

Typical of Armstrong, he also wants to be competitive when he attempts the gruelling Ironman distance, which  consists of a 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km marathon run.

The winner finishes in around eight hours and the cut-off time for the late finishers is between 15-17 hours.

“I’m definitely motivated to do an Ironman,” he said.”We’ll go back and I’ll be close to 40, but I’ve swam more in the last three years than before that.

“And I don’t want to just do an Ironman, I don’t want to approach it like I approached the marathons, I want to do it as fast as I can.”

In the three years since he retired from professional cycling, Armstrong competed in several marathons, posting a string of impressive sub-three hour finishes.

Armstrong also based himself on the Big Island of Hawaii for a post-Christmas training on the Queen K highway where the the Hawaiian Ironman is held, before flying to Adelaide last Sunday to launch his cycling comeback at the Tour Down Under.