Luke Bell & Annabel Luxford Gear up for Ironman 70.3 Ballarat

IRONMAN 70.3 Ballarat is looming on December 11th, and two key Aussie athletes are preparing for one of the last big races in 2016.

Luke Bell is the IRONMAN 70.3 Ballarat race ambassador, and he’s thrilled to be helping put this country town on the international racing map.“As a teenager giving triathlon a ‘go,’ Ballarat was one of the first events I associate with fond memories, so it’s nice to get back there and help bring triathlon and Ballarat to the Ironman World.

This year, you can get first-hand insight into the world of pro-triathlon racing as Luke will be doing a “FaceLive” feed with IRONMAN leading into the event. This film style enables you to see the ‘goings on’ pre and post event.

Despite his excitement about the race, Luke has had a very tumultuous last month. He was forced to take a few weeks off after being hit by a car over three weeks ago while he was out cycling.

“My year this year started with fractured pelvis on January 5th, and that took a good six months to recover from. Things just got going and I had a good couple of IRONMAN 70.3’s and some podiums then “BANG” was collected by a car last week on a normal easy training ride that resulted in bone bruising of the head of the Tibia,” he said a few weeks ago.

It’s clear Luke has had a year of ups and down, and after his bike suffered a puncture at the race last year, Luke is excited to give IRONMAN 70.3 Ballarat a good crack.

At the moment I am just looking for any luck in general. That is sport, though. It is great when it’s good, and crap when it’s bad. You learn to ride the highs and lows. You put on a brave face at times; smile, say all is good and move on.

With the race just two weeks away, Tim Van Berkel is tipped to take out the top spot after a huge year with wins around the world, a second on at the IRONMAN African Championships, a win at June’s IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship in Cairns and a 3rd place at Ironman 70.3 Thailand.

“I’ve heard a lot about Ballarat, and it’s a race I’ve always wanted to do, so I’m looking forward to racing there,” he said.

Other top men to watch will be Peter Kerr from Geelong, and defending champion Matthew Pellow,

Annabel Luxford heads to Ballarat to defend her title

This Aussie champion has had a fierce year including her win today at IRONMAN 70.3 Western Sydney. Despite health concerns around a heart arrhythmia she experienced in Kona, she’s keen to finish the year in style.

“I got the all clear from the cardiologist and started back training-slowly. I’m working four days a week at the moment, so I can’t say it’s the best prep I’ve had leading into a race. In saying all that, though, I’m itching to get back on a start line in Ballarat.”

Luxford is in top shape after her win at Western Sydney, and we don’t doubt she’ll make another top podium finish. Trizone wishes all the athletes good luck, and make sure you check back in to discover more about this event when December 11th draws closer.