Someone Stole Lance Armstrong's Bike
The Tour de France Winner Uses Twitter to Alert the World
Feb 15, 2009
Lance Armstrong's one of a kind bike won't be easy for anyone to sell. He updated the world - literally, having surpassed the 100,000 Twitter mark - via his Twitter page on February 15, 2009, saying. "There is only one like it in the world therefore hard to pawn it off."
About Lance Armstrong's Stolen Bike
The bike made news in 2008. It is a Trek Madone 6.9 Livestrong designed especially for Armstrong. Les Clarke writes for CyclingNews.com, and in his January 21, 2008 article "It is About the Bike", he describes the bike's features.
- It has the familiar black and yellow colors associated with Armstrong's Livestrong cancer survival movement.
- Some parts are longer than typical, because it is made especially for Armstrong.
Clarke makes reference to Armstrong's book about his fight to survive cancer, It's Not About the Bike, saying, "Overall, like Armstrong’s comeback, it’s a machine designed to convey a message, and unlike the statement he’s made in the past, this time it might just be a bit about the bike."
Lance Armstrong Reveals His Drug Test Results on Livestrong
Because of his historic difficulties with the French accusations of doping, which proved to be unfounded, Armstrong has released his drug test results on his Livestrong site, where fans can also follow the progress of his 2009 return to racing. The site has a chart with his results, and explains what was tested, including:
- Hemoglobin (g/dL)
- Hematocrit
- Reticulocytes
- OFF-score
- OFF and Hb z-score
In 2005, questions about Armstrong's alleged doping were officially put to rest, when the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency commissioned an independent investigation that showed the tests were improperly handled and not valid.
Why Lance Armstrong Returned to Racing
Armstrong revealed that he would return to racing in 2008, because he felt that he could increase awareness of his cause to end cancer and help cancer survivors through the media attention his competitive racing receives. In January 2009, Armstrong raced in Australia at the Tour Down Under, Tour Down Under, taking 29th.
Using Twitter to Announce the Bike Was Stolen
Within seconds of Armstrong posting the announcement (from his phone, according to the post details), the twitter started tweeting and retweeting. In the first minute, APokela annouced, "Everybody in California and everywhere else, START LOOKING!!". Moments later, it was sent to digg.com, and within 30 minutes, Juliaannich wrote, "I am sending de picture and a message about it to all Spanish site and blog too". It will be interesting to see if the bike is located through the power of internet communication.
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