Lance Armstrong brought traffic to a standstill on Tuesday after issuing a Twitter invitation for cyclists to join him on a casual bike ride through Glasgow.
“Hey Glasgow, Scotland! I’m coming your way tomorrow,” Armstrong wrote on the site. “Who wants to go for a bike ride?”
More than 200 showed up in pouring rain to join the seven-time Tour de France winner in the Paisley district of Glasgow.
“It’s a chance to meet lots of people,” said Armstrong, who planned to watch Irish rockers U2 play at Hampden Park later on Tuesday.
“We made up our mind to come and see a show two nights ago and I said, ‘Hey let’s have a bike ride,’” he said.
Joining Armstrong on his ride was former world champion Graeme Obree of Scotland.
“It’s fantastic — I know my friends will be jealous,” said Obree, who broke the one-hour distance record in 1993 and 1994. “He does have such a draw.”
Among the amateur riders was 44-year-old nurse Julie Watson, who has been cycling for 10 years.
“It’s a bit out of this world,” she said. “It’s quite dreamlike. It’s a chance in a lifetime to ride with my hero. He’s an inspiration that I’ve followed for years since his cancer.”
After the ride, Armstrong wrote on Twitter: “Thanks to everyone who turned up to ride in Paisley! I figured we’d have a nice ride for a dozen or so. But 100’s [sic] came. Haha! Awesome!”
Armstrong is due to compete in the Tour of Ireland starting tomorrow.
He told reporters he would ride again in next year’s Tour de France. Making a comeback after three years in retirement, Armstrong finished third in this year’s Tour.
Armstrong also said he had no plans of riding in the 2012 London Olympics.
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