Updated: Armstrong second in Ironman comeback

Lance Armstrong nearly won his triathlon comeback Sunday, finishing a close second in the Panama 70.3 Ironman.

2004 Olympic silver medalist Bevan Docherty overcame Armstrong in the closing kilometers of the running leg to win in summer-like heat in Panama City, Panama. Docherty won in 3:50:13, 31 seconds ahead of Armstrong. The New Zealander told reporters that Armstrong made no attempt to shake his hand or offer congratulations after crossing the finish line.

“I’m not sure what it was all about, I can only assume he was just disappointed to get beaten,” Docherty said of Armstrong’s finish-line snub. “I did shake his hand a bit later. He’s on a completely different level and planet to us guys (triathletes). It’s great to have him in the sport; he certainly adds something. It’s eye-opening to see how he gets mobbed and the chaos around him.”

(Update: On Monday Docherty posted the following note to his Twitter account: “4 the record @lancearmstrong apologized 4 not shaking my hand, combination of dizzy (like me) & media mob. Nuff said!”)

The 70.3 refers to the total distance of the “half-Ironman,” with 1.9km swim, 90km ride, 21.1km running leg. Armstrong was leading well into the running leg until Docherty overcame him with about 1.5 miles remaining, to win by 31 seconds.

The result marks Armstrong’s big re-entry into triathlon, a sport where he made headlines as a teenager before turning to road racing in the early 1990s. Armstrong finally put an end to his road racing career last year and has since focused on qualifying for the Ironman world championship, held in Kona on October 13.

Armstrong was back in the headlines earlier this month when federal investigators closed a nearly two-year investigation into alleged wrongdoing during the U.S. Postal Service years, but no charges were filed.

Armstrong — who stopped the clock in 3:50:55 — spoke briefly to reporters on the ground, telling The Associated Press: “I need a challenge in my life. I need some stuff to do. I like to train. I like to suffer a bit and today was a little over the top, but it’s great to be back.”

Docherty was later quoted in the New Zealand media saying beating Armstrong was a “highlight of my career.”

“I thought Lance would absolutely cream us on the bike, but he was probably in a similar position to me, where he wasn’t so sure how to pace himself,” Docherty told The New Zealand Herald. “He certainly looked like he was holding back and that was probably why he ran so well off the bike. It’s great that I could hold one up for the other triathletes and show that it’s certainly not a sport you can just walk into and dominate straight away. … it’s quite an honor to see a seven-time Tour de France winner and someone you admire standing in second place below you on the podium. It’s a highlight of my career.”

Armstrong, meanwhile, is expected to compete in the French Ironman at full Ultra distance (3.8km, 180km ride, 42.2km run) to earn a berth for the Ironman finale in Hawaii in October.

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