Local Bike Team Meets Lance Armstrong During Iowa Bike Trip
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Three local bicyclists had the opportunity to meet Lance Armstrong during a bicycle trip across Iowa last month.
The bicyclists are members of Team Harmless, a bicycle club consisting of 22 members from Warsaw and Indianapolis and New Jersey, Illinois and Michigan, who participated in Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.
The event was July 23- 29.
The 467.6-mile ride was hosted by the Des Moines Register and began at Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, and ended at Muscatine, Iowa.
Greg Dearborn, director of administration and purchasing at Little Crow Foods, was one of the cyclists from Warsaw who participated in the trip.
It was Dearborn's second year for participating and he said riding with 9,000 other bicyclists and meeting Armstrong were highlights of the trip.
"The great thing about the trip was that there was everyone from kids to retired people who took part in the event," Dearborn said.
Dearborn rode his Allez bicycle he purchased in 2003.
He first heard Armstrong was taking part in the trip when he was in Colfax, Iowa, July 26.
He received a phone call from Fred Helfrich, another cyclist from Warsaw who participated in the trip.
Helfrich called to tell him to keep a look out for Armstrong because he had spotted him riding in Mitchellville, Iowa, with a trail of other bicyclists behind him.
"I was at a homemade ice-cream stand in Mitchellville when I saw Armstrong zoom by with other bicyclists and I was surprised," Helfrich said.
Armstrong was scheduled to ride the route from Newton, Iowa, to Marengo, Iowa, July 27-29, to promote the Lance Armstrong Foundation and cancer research, but came a day early.
Dearborn said he wanted the opportunity to ride with Armstrong so he kept looking over his shoulder and spotted Lance and the other bicyclists coming his way.
"As they passed by, I joined in the line and went 35 miles an hour to keep up," Dearborn said. "I eventually was in the spot where there was only one bicyclist between Lance and myself and I had adrenaline going."
Dearborn said Armstrong shifted his bike three times and took off, leaving the pack of cyclists behind.
"It was like he was modestly showing us he was the best bicyclist in the world," Dearborn said.
Armstrong and the other bicyclists stopped in Lambs Grove, Iowa, where Armstrong was scheduled to stop for a live Webcast.
Dearborn had the opportunity to shake hands with Armstrong and thanked him for coming to the event.
"The thing I admired most about Lance was that he waited until the mass of cyclists would ride so he could put himself out into the arena with us," Dearborn said.
Darren Kline of Warsaw was another bicyclist who saw Armstrong. It was Kline's first year for participating in the trip.
He rode in the pack with Armstrong in Brooklyn, Iowa, and got a picture of Armstrong.
"I was excited to complete the trip even before it began, but seeing Lance made the experience extra powerful," Kline said.
Dearborn and Helfrich again saw Armstrong July 27 outside Montezuma, Iowa, where he was at a beer garden signing autographs for a Webcast promoting Livestrong.
Armstrong will be at the tour next year and Dearborn, Helfrich and Kline said they are looking forward to taking part in the trip again. [[In-content Ad]]
Three local bicyclists had the opportunity to meet Lance Armstrong during a bicycle trip across Iowa last month.
The bicyclists are members of Team Harmless, a bicycle club consisting of 22 members from Warsaw and Indianapolis and New Jersey, Illinois and Michigan, who participated in Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.
The event was July 23- 29.
The 467.6-mile ride was hosted by the Des Moines Register and began at Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, and ended at Muscatine, Iowa.
Greg Dearborn, director of administration and purchasing at Little Crow Foods, was one of the cyclists from Warsaw who participated in the trip.
It was Dearborn's second year for participating and he said riding with 9,000 other bicyclists and meeting Armstrong were highlights of the trip.
"The great thing about the trip was that there was everyone from kids to retired people who took part in the event," Dearborn said.
Dearborn rode his Allez bicycle he purchased in 2003.
He first heard Armstrong was taking part in the trip when he was in Colfax, Iowa, July 26.
He received a phone call from Fred Helfrich, another cyclist from Warsaw who participated in the trip.
Helfrich called to tell him to keep a look out for Armstrong because he had spotted him riding in Mitchellville, Iowa, with a trail of other bicyclists behind him.
"I was at a homemade ice-cream stand in Mitchellville when I saw Armstrong zoom by with other bicyclists and I was surprised," Helfrich said.
Armstrong was scheduled to ride the route from Newton, Iowa, to Marengo, Iowa, July 27-29, to promote the Lance Armstrong Foundation and cancer research, but came a day early.
Dearborn said he wanted the opportunity to ride with Armstrong so he kept looking over his shoulder and spotted Lance and the other bicyclists coming his way.
"As they passed by, I joined in the line and went 35 miles an hour to keep up," Dearborn said. "I eventually was in the spot where there was only one bicyclist between Lance and myself and I had adrenaline going."
Dearborn said Armstrong shifted his bike three times and took off, leaving the pack of cyclists behind.
"It was like he was modestly showing us he was the best bicyclist in the world," Dearborn said.
Armstrong and the other bicyclists stopped in Lambs Grove, Iowa, where Armstrong was scheduled to stop for a live Webcast.
Dearborn had the opportunity to shake hands with Armstrong and thanked him for coming to the event.
"The thing I admired most about Lance was that he waited until the mass of cyclists would ride so he could put himself out into the arena with us," Dearborn said.
Darren Kline of Warsaw was another bicyclist who saw Armstrong. It was Kline's first year for participating in the trip.
He rode in the pack with Armstrong in Brooklyn, Iowa, and got a picture of Armstrong.
"I was excited to complete the trip even before it began, but seeing Lance made the experience extra powerful," Kline said.
Dearborn and Helfrich again saw Armstrong July 27 outside Montezuma, Iowa, where he was at a beer garden signing autographs for a Webcast promoting Livestrong.
Armstrong will be at the tour next year and Dearborn, Helfrich and Kline said they are looking forward to taking part in the trip again. [[In-content Ad]]