the Oregon Convention Center
in February, is no stranger
to Portland’s bike-friendliness.
(Photos © J. Maus)
By now, I’m sure many of you have read the story heard ’round the world about Lance Armstrong’s rumored return to bike racing.
VeloNews posted a story about it yesterday, and now the rumors have been confirmed by Lance himself.
I’m excited about this because his presence can be nothing but good, not just for the sport of bike racing, which is in dire need of drug-free heroes (at least that’s what many Americans see him as), but for the bike movement in general.
How can Lance’s return to racing help energize the bike movement?
We already know he is familiar with what Portland has done to become a bike-friendly city (he paid us a visit back in February).
When he opened a bike shop earlier this year he said it would focus on commuting. Lance also went one step further and told his local newspaper that he hopes the shop can help spur Austin’s bike advocacy movement with the ultimate goal to “evolve into a place like Portland.”
And today, in a story that was just published by Vanity Fair, Armstrong says he’s considering a run for Governor of Texas in 2014. In that position (I can’t imagine him losing) he would be able to have an even greater impact on the bike movement.
Currently, Texas ranks 30th in the League of American Bicyclist’s Bike Friendly State rankings. That leaves a lot of room for improvement and we all know that Lance doesn’t like to finish mid-pack.
Lance, I know you already have the global fight on cancer and the future of bike racing on your shoulders, but if you can possibly add the work of bike advocacy to that load you’d become even more of a hero to the millions of everyday riders fending for their lives on American roadways.
For more analysis and scuttlebutt on Lance’s return, read Joe Lindsey’s coverage on Bicycling.com.