Lance Armstrong Looking For First 70.3 Win

Published May 18, 2012 12:08PM

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will be the favorite to win Sunday’s Ironman 70.3 Florida race in Haines City.

This will be the first year the event won’t take place on the grounds of Walt Disney World in Orlando. Instead, athletes will swim in Lake Eva, bike through Polk County and finish with a three-lap run around the lake’s park.

The Florida race will be Armstrong’s first time entering a 70.3 event as the favorite to win. The American has so far competed in three half-iron-distance races, finishing second at Ironman 70.3 Panama on Feb. 12, seventh at Ironman 70.3 Texas on April 1 and third at Ironman 70.3 St. Croix on May 6.

Last year’s 70.3 Florida winner Andy Potts (who also beat Armstrong at 70.3 St. Croix two weeks ago) has decided not to race. Armstrong will have to contend with the other two podium finishers from last year. American David Kahn is skilled at all three sports and may challenge Armstrong on the run if he can stay within striking distance. Ukraine’s Maxim Kriat has faced Armstrong twice this year and finished behind him both times (11^th at Ironman 70.3 Texas and seventh at Ironman 70.3 St. Croix).

Armstrong will likely be experimenting with a couple of things as he works toward Ironman 70.3 Hawaii on June 2 and his Ironman debut in Nice, France on June 24. He’s expressed the need to hone in on a nutrition plan that will help him feel strong through the entire 70.3-mile race. The cycling star is also still learning how to balance the need to gain time on the bike with the desire to have fresh legs heading onto the half-marathon.

The Ironman 70.3 Florida race is a P-500 event, the lowest possible rating on the Kona Pro Ranking scale. The winner will bank 500 points toward Kona qualification, with 440 going to second and third earning 390.

Men’s Start List
1 David Kahn
2 Ed Donner
3 Tyler Lord
4 Lance Armstrong
5 Zach Ruble
6 Jimmy Archer
7 Andres Castillo
8 Pablo Montoya
9 Josh Seifarth
11 Fabian Rahn
12 Jim Lubinski
13 Andrew Hodges
14 Michael Poole
15 Chris Huff
16 Julien Biboud
17 Raymond Botelho
18 Jason Watson
19 Andrew Langfield
20 Stephen Dyke
22 Flo Kriegl
23 Mauro Cavanha
24 Martin Lamonatgne-Lacasse
25 Francesc Godoy
26 Chris Bagg
28 Bojan Maric
29 Maxim Kriat

Women’s Start List
36 Nina Kraft
37 Ashley Clifford
38 Mandy McLane
39 Heather Leiggi
41 Andrea Hutchins
42 Amber Ferreira
43 Erica Urquiola
45 Fiorella Dcroz
46 Angela Axmann
47 Missy Kuck
48 Terra Castro
49 Natasha Yaremczuk
50 Paolina Allan
51 Jessica Jacobs
52 Amanda Stevens
53 Melody Ramirez
54 Jennifer Tetrick
55 Tamara Kozulina