The Livestrong army next year will return to the same three cities it occupied in 2011 for its charity bike rides to raise money to fight cancer.
The Lance Armstrong Foundation is presenting the Team Livestrong Challenge series in Davis, California, in June and in Philadelphia in August.
The series wraps up in the foundation's hometown of Austin for the 15th annual Ride for the Roses weekend.
Supporters also will be able to raise money for Livestrong at the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in May and RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) in July.
Race for the Roses
The Lance Armstrong Foundation launched its fight against cancer in March 1997 with the Race for the Roses bike ride, held in Lance Armstrong's hometown of Austin. That year also marked Armstrong's return to pro cycling after battling cancer.
Living in Austin at the time, I attended the Friday evening criterium that encircled the downtown, and the Sunday bike ride that started at Zilker Park. Many cycling luminaries lent their support by showing up, including Greg Lemond. I remember a big turnout for that first ride, still two years before he won his first of seven Tours de France.
The Ride for the Roses has grown ever since with Armstrong's rise in prominence and celebrity. Last year, the bike ride raised $2.5 million for the foundatoin.
In 2012, organizers are expecting 4,000 bicyclists to participate in the riding options of 15 to 100 miles. The dates are Oct. 19 – 21.
The Team Livestrong Challenge opens in Davis on June 24. This is the second year the event visits Davis, the nation's first platinum-level bicycle friendly city and home to the US Bicycling Hall of Fame. Last year, 1,500 cyclists raised a total $950,000.
The Philadelphia event actually is based in nearby Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and routes bicyclists over 20 to 100 miles of country roads. That event is Aug. 18-19.
Each Team Livestrong Challenge ride has a registration fee and pledge minimums. See the website for details and discounts.
If those locations are inconvenient, Livestrong also has partnered with two other bicycling events this summer.
Other events
Cyclists can register for theIron Horse Classic in Durango on May 30, which features a 56-mile ride against the narrow gauge railroad to Silverton. Also, RAGBRAI cyclists can register through Livestrong to raise pledges for that cross-state bike ride July 22-28.
If you're interested in bike rides for other causes, I've listed dozens of choices at Charity Bike Rides for 2012.
1 comments
I hardly create responses, but i did some searching and wound up here Livestrong host cities
announced for 2012