Graham Wadsworth
Triathlete Graham Wadsworth will be taking on cycling superstar Lance Armstrong at this Sunday’s Xterra World Triathlon Championships in Maui, Hawaii.
The Bristol bomber, 28, has enjoyed a fine year in the extreme world of off-road triathlon, finishing 10th in the European Tour, and is now bracing himself for the biggest stage of all.
Waiting for him there is cycling icon Armstrong, who has reverted to Xterra triathlons since retiring from mainstream cycling.
The seven-time Tour de France winner, one of the most successful road racing cyclists of all time, competed in triathlons in his youth before turning to cycling full-time.
Since announcing his retirement from the saddle earlier this year, Armstrong has returned to the three-sport discipline, finishing fifth in the Xterra USA Championship, completing the 1,500-metre swim, 17.7-mile mountain bike ride and 6.1-mile trail run in 2:29:25.
Up for the challenge
Wadsworth cannot wait to line up alongside the sporting superstar. He said: “Lance Armstrong will definitely be racing, so I’ll have to make sure I beat him! He is a strong swimmer so I’ll probably end up having to catch him on the bike, which might be a bit difficult!
“Apparently he has an entourage around him most of the time, so I probably won’t be able to get near him before the race. But we all have to start together, so you’ll have Lance Armstrong lining up alongside all the amateurs and everyone taking part.
“If I manage to finish ahead of him I would have done very well. He came fifth in the USA Championships and is a top triathlete. He won’t win it, but he will probably do very well.
“I’ll just concentrate on myself. It is a very unpredictable event, as there is so much going on. You’re racing against the course essentially. It will be difficult out there, and it’s hard to say what might happen. You have to take into account the heat – a lot can change because of the heat, particularly towards the end, when people are really struggling. It can change things in terms of placings.”
The Hawaii event features a 1,500-metre swim, 18.3-mile mountain bike ride that climbs more than 4,000 feet up and down the lower slopes of the West Maui Mountains, and a 6.1-mile trail run that traverses forest trails and beach sand.
Wadsworth, an ambassador for USN, has competed in this event twice before, finishing 18th in 2009, and will be out to top that as he aims to make an impact on the biggest stage of all.
Keep updated and follow Graham on Twitter @grahamwads
Graham Wadsworth’s USN supplement diet
USN BCAA 240s: I take these everyday, about 30 minutes before a training session.
USN Epic Pro All in One: This is in my bottle on all my bike rides and contains a good amount of protein. It is also a great recovery and pre-training drink to sip throughout the day.
USN 100% Whey Protein shake: Mixes superbly with just water in a USN shaker for a great tasting recovery drink. My favourite is to mix up the chocolate flavour with ice, soya milk and a banana in a blender for a whole meal in one!
USN Pure Protein bars: My on-the-bike solid food of choice for the winter endurance rides. A great hit of muscle repairing protein and enough carbohydrates to keep me going for hours.
USN Vooma Gel: This is easy to digest when running, and gives me a boost.
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