Maybe RAGBRAI XXXV is in danger of becoming LAGBRAI II at times, but that's OK if the issue is the fight against cancer.
Presidential candidate John Edwards rode with Lance Armstrong on Wednesday, following a convertible packed with media and surrounded by a pack of riders about 50 deep.
Edwards, who said he's only ridden a bicycle one or two times in 20 years, is the only presidential candidate to accept Armstrong's invitation to ride with him for a spell in RAGBRAI, according to the Des Moines Register.
Edward's wife, Elizabeth, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. “Lance has become a friend,” Edwards said. “Proud of what he's doing, particularly on the cancer issue. It's obviously very important to us personally.”
The Globe Gazette shot some video of Armstrong meeting with John and Elizabeth Edwards on the road.
Fund-raiser
Later Wednesday, Armstrong spoke for about five minutes at a Lance Armstrong Foundation fund-raiser in Cedar Falls, featuring Blues Traveler. The event drew paid attendance of 9,445, reported the Register.
He focused on the need to find a cure for cancer, and thanked the audience for having him back in Iowa this year.
Some 10,000 cyclists are making their way across 477-mile of Iowa blacktop this week in the 35th annual RAGBRAI bike ride.
(Update: Armstrong announced that he's skipping out of RAGBRAI early — on Friday — to fly to Paris for the finish of the Tour de France. His Discovery Channel team has two cyclists — Alberto Contador and Levi Leipheimer — among the top 3.)
The bike tour isn't about Armstrong, however, it's about bicycling and personal interactions along the way.
Kilted cyclist
One of the best recently was recorded by Melanie at her MySpace page. She said RAGBRAI passed through Parkersburg and she enjoyed seeing “All those hot young guys in bike shorts strolling around town all sweaty. It's enough to make you drool.”
When Melanie see a biker wearing a kilt waiting in line in a local grocery store, they dare each other to flip it up to see if he's a “true Scotsman.” One gets up the nerve to ask him:
“His reply was to turn around and flip the back of his kilt up and flash his bare ass at us in the middle of the store. Screams erupted and a lot of laughter commenced. So I would like to thank the riders of ragbrai and a special thanks to our kilt wearing man of the hour. May you soon revisit our lovely little town.”
RAGBRAI cyclists make friends all across the state.
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