Could Lance Armstrong win an Ironman?

[george]

http://ironmanexplorer.msn.com/article.aspx?aid=21&GT1=7337

[loctite]

depends on how they drug test. :D

[Fixed]

depends on how they drug test. :Dyeah bro i.m.h.o. he'd need johan b.'s help cheers :beer:

[manet]

http://janseeger.com/images/Flippers.jpg

[Sandy]

I don't think that he could win one, at least not if the best competitors were entered. He would excel in the cycling, obviously, but at the top level, all the entrants would be excellent at all three disciplines. He has not swam or run competively for years and different muscle groups are needed. He would need to be able to be outstanding in all three disciplines, and I don't think that would be possibe for him, with the type of training he has been doing for years. Not enough swim and run specific training. He would need a great deal of preparation and he is getting older, obviously.

I believe a former Tour cyclist recently competed in a triathalon and he didn't even have the best time in the cycling portion. Lance Armstrong would have to swim before the cycling, and have the ability to run effectively after the cycling.

My knowledge of Ironmans is nill, so my opinion should not mean very much (if it ever does).


Steelman Sandman

[Fixed]

bro don't kid yourself if he were to train he'd be one the best swimings mostly all tech. and feel for the water and that would come back to him fast. larson's a major stud L.A. 's a super stud i think he could win an i.m. somewhere in the world after a years trainin i.m.h.o. cheers :beer:

[jjb]

bro don't kid yourself if he were to train he'd be one the best swimings mostly all tech. and feel for the water and that would come back to him fast. larson's a major stud L.A. 's a super stud i think he could win an i.m. somewhere in the world after a years trainin i.m.h.o. cheers :beer:

I agree with Fixed. I may be mistaken but didn't L.A. start his sports carrer doing triathelons?

[Fixed]

yeah bro he knocked off most of the big four at 15 cheers :beer:

[harlond]

He has not swam or run competively for years and different muscle groups are needed. He would need to be able to be outstanding in all three disciplines, and I don't think that would be possibe for him, with the type of training he has been doing for years. Not enough swim and run specific training. He would need a great deal of preparation and he is getting older, obviously.
Actually, he has competed in, and won, duathlons within the past couple years. If I recall correctly, he won one duathlon by coming from behind during the closing running stage. He might very well have a problem in the water, but LA appears to be pretty fast on his feet. Which is not to say he wouldn't have to do a lot of training to come up to speed.

I believe a former Tour cyclist recently competed in a triathalon and he didn't even have the best time in the cycling portion. Lance Armstrong would have to swim before the cycling, and have the ability to run effectively after the cycling.
Udo Bolts finished 10th overall in the Ironman a couple years ago. I've read interviews of him on that subject in which he said that his cycling team did not allow him to engage in any running until September for the October (?) Ironman. If Udo Bolts can finish 10th after that kind of suboptimal training, I think it's certainly possible that LA could contend for the win with proper training. Doper or not, he's a physiological freak and an incredible athlete.

[Sandy]

I think that I am being outgunned here by those who actually know something.


Ironman Sandman

[Dr. Doofus]

with his toughness and his army of support staff, he could win one

[chrisroph]

Heck yah he could. With his ability to transport and use oxygen, his multi-million dollar tt position, his swimming technique/ experience, and his will to win, he could become a dominant triathlete pretty quickly. But why bother? Cashing big checks, being a rock groupie and riding for sheer enjoyment without fear of the blood and pee police knocking down your door has got to be more fun.

[Sandy]

So maybe I was wrong in doubting LA's ability to win an Ironman, but I bet you that he couldn't be an NFL offensive lineman, or a NBA center, or a Sumo wrestler,...., or be the fastest in one of my club rides,....Ok, ok, ok..I guess that am wrong again. :)


Never right and always left behind,



Dandy Sandy

[Fixed]

Heck yah he could. With his ability to transport and use oxygen, his multi-million dollar tt position, his swimming technique/ experience, and his will to win, he could become a dominant triathlete pretty quickly. But why bother? Cashing big checks, being a rock groupie and riding for sheer enjoyment without fear of the blood and pee police knocking down your door has got to be more fun. bro I agree it'd be like going from the major leauges to the minors I think he just wants to have fun now i.m.h.o. cheers :beer:

[shaq-d]

no way. cross-sports winnings are impossible. you don't see cyclists becoming great speed skaters do you?

oh wait, you do.

giggly

sd

[Birddog]

Lance was a phenom in Triathlon as a teenager. He was one of the "Ironkids" nat'l champions. He was still doing triathlons when he was "discovered". The story I heard was that he was good enough to go to Colo Springs for testing and development in Tri. His cycling results were so good that he then was involved in a tug of war between the governing bodies of cycling and Tri.
When Lance was just 17, he went up to Tulsa and entered an Olympic distance Tri and won it overall, by over a minute. This wasn't an event with a bunch of "elite" level racers, but they weren't chopped liver either. There were some pretty good locals in that event, and they were blown away.

I think he could do it again, but the bigger question is "why". there really isn't enough money in it IMO. To be in an elite level, in any sport, it takes a ton of training and TIME. The time is the issue he cites about retiring. He wants the time to be with his kids etc. Of course, he wouldn't have to pack up and go to Europe for long stretches, so maybe........................................... nah, I don't think so.

Birddog

[xcandrew]

Fixed mentioned Steve Larson. He was a former teammate of Armstrong's on the Motorola team. He took up triathlon and won the first Ironman (Lake Placid) that he entered!

Here are some links that I googled up:

http://www.duathlon.com/articles/3204

http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/interview/larsen.html

[CarlosContreros]

bro don't kid yourself if he were to train he'd be one the best swimings mostly all tech. and feel for the water and that would come back to him fast. larson's a major stud L.A. 's a super stud i think he could win an i.m. somewhere in the world after a years trainin i.m.h.o. cheers :beer:


I agree with my bro just south of......"malfunction junction"

Lance could do it!
I mean...who's shown more "discipline" in regards to ..diet...
training...etc.!
As much as I'm in awe of Lemond..Ulrich and others..they
all but Lance had major "weight problems"!
Lance is not only a "genetic freak"...he's also got his head-in-the-game!

[Ken Lehner]

I don't think that he could win one, at least not if the best competitors were entered. He would excel in the cycling, obviously, but at the top level, all the entrants would be excellent at all three disciplines. He has not swam or run competively for years and different muscle groups are needed. He would need to be able to be outstanding in all three disciplines, and I don't think that would be possibe for him, with the type of training he has been doing for years. Not enough swim and run specific training. He would need a great deal of preparation and he is getting older, obviously.

I believe a former Tour cyclist recently competed in a triathalon and he didn't even have the best time in the cycling portion. Lance Armstrong would have to swim before the cycling, and have the ability to run effectively after the cycling.

My knowledge of Ironmans is nill, so my opinion should not mean very much (if it ever does).


Steelman Sandman

(first of all, it's "triathlon", not "triathalon")

In 2004 at Ironman Hawaii, Kai Hundertmarck (former Telekom pro) had the second fastest overall bike split racing as an age grouper (35-39). He finished 16th overall, top age grouper, and about 15:00 out of 10th overall.

Steve Larson has (or had) the fastest bike split ever at Ironman Lake Placid.

Armstrong would be a threat to the overall win if he were to devote two years to acclimating to the run (eccentric vs. concentric muscle contractions). His swim would return fairly quickly (because it's a technique event, not a strength limited event), since he was a pretty good swimmer "back then".

[Cadence230]

Well hell yeah.