Lance Armstrong signs up for NZ triathlon
23 Nov 2010
He is probably the world's best-known cyclist, and now seven-times Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong is going to test his expertise on the landscapes of New Zealand.
Armstrong is set to ride in New Zealand next year - not in a pure cycling event, but as part of a sprint triathlon in the well-known tourist destination of Rotorua.
The famous athlete’s return to triathlon has been long anticipated, and it was via Twitter under his alter-ego that he announced he’ll take part in the Eves Blue Lake Multisport Festival next January.
The Blue Lake
The event includes a 750m lake swim, 16km road cycle and a 5.5km forest run, and is staged at Lake Tikitapu - also known as the Blue Lake, near Rotorua.
Juan Pelota, Armstrong’s alter-ego, tweeted: "I’m thinking the first tri is here...... 38°12'S 176°20'E." And an hour later added: "Late January...."
The co-ordinates match Lake Tikitapu and the time frame matches the multisport festival’s 25th anniversary which will take place on 30 January, 2011.
New Zealand triathlete Samantha Warriner responded to the tweets by saying: "Let me know if you really are coming - I'd love to be the first to 'chic ya' in 2011! :)"
Armstrong confirmed
Organisers of the Rotorua event have now confirmed that Armstrong will be racing.
Event organiser Charlotte Pearson said confirmation, which had come from Armstrong’s media advisor, was "pretty exciting".
"For all those top New Zealand triathletes it will be a novelty to race against Lance Armstrong. We usually attract club competitors so it will be pretty cool for them to say that they've raced Lance," said Pearson.
Race entries
Armstrong’s choice of New Zealand to make his come-back into triathlon will attract a lot of international interest as well as boost local participation.
Entries only opened a few weeks ago with Armstrong being just the third person to sign up. Since then numbers have increased rapidly.
Organisers are hoping the 2011 race will attract top New Zealand triathletes.
Top Kiwi athletes Bevan Docherty, Kris Gemmell and Cameron Brown have all competed in the event when younger, and it's hoped some will compete again. Docherty has already said that he’s interested if it fits his international schedule.
Before carving out a record as one the greatest cyclists of all time, Armstrong began his sporting career as a triathlete winning the US national sprint-course triathlon title in 1989 at 18.
Armstrong's media advisor said that the legendary cyclist will come to New Zealand after the Tour Down Under in Australia in January 2011 - meant to be his last professional cycling race outside the United States.
Blue Lake Triathlon
The Eves Blue Lake Triathlon and Multisport Festival is a popular summer fixture that’s billed as "five events, two days and one great location".
Held over Auckland anniversary weekend, a public holiday celebrated in the northern half of the North Island, the weekend will include an aquathon and open water swim as well as the sprint triathlon, plus two entry level events - a 750m swim and a 5.5km fun run.
If Armstrong is keen to compete in other events, he’ll have the chance to win a cash prize of NZ$1,000 awarded to the "King and Queen of the lake" - who have the fastest overall time across the three main events.
With spot prizes donated by local sponsors including Cyclezone Rotorua, tour companies and Polynesian Spa the cycling great will have the chance to experience some key Rotorua attractions - and relax in the city’s famed healing geothermal waters.
Background: Lake Tikitapu
The event’s location is unique - Lake Tikitapu is just nine kilometres from Rotorua city and a popular recreation spot for boating, water skiing, trout fishing and triathlons.
The lake is surrounded by easy walking tracks, beautiful beaches, native bush and the exotic conifers of the adjoining Whakarewarewa forest.
With its natural physical attributes and varied terrain it is a perfect location for triathlons and other sports events.
Lake Tikitapu is the smallest of four lakes that lie between Lake Rotorua and Lake Tarawera in the Bay of Plenty. The others are Lake Rotokakahi or Green Lake, Lake Okareka and Lake Okataina. All lie within a volcanic caldera formed within the last 300,000 years.
Lake Tikitapu is a relatively shallow crater lake that gets its distinctive blue hue from the rhyolite and pumice on the lake bed. While the subsurface flow drains towards Lake Tarawera, Lake Tikitapu has no visible outlet.
The lake is about 1.6km by 1.3km.
More information
Summer events - New Zealand 2010 / 2011
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