10,000 cyclists set to join Armstrong's Adelaide 'Twitter ride'

• Friday, 15 January 2010
• Nigel Wynn
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Lance Armstrong, Sebastien Rosseler, Tour Down Under 2010

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Lance Armstrong has done it again. A one-line open invite made via micro-blogging website Twitter asking people to join Armstrong for a bike ride in Australia is likely to attract thousands of respondents.

"Ok Adelaide... 9am Saturday. Wigley Reserve. Come one come all!" Armstrong posted on Twitter on Thursday.

Armstrong added later: "For those wondering about Saturday Wigley Reserve ride, ride whatever kind of bike you want. Road, mtb, city, borrowed, old, new, whatever."

Australian sprint star Robbie McEwen is also part of the ride. "I've got a feeling... Saturday's ride is going to be a good ride, massive!" McEwen commented via his Twitter site.

An estimated 10,000 cyclists are expected to take Armstrong and McEwen up on the offer, providing something of a policing headache for local authorities.

Seven-times Tour de France winner Armstrong is currently in Adelaide, South Australia, where he and his new RadioShack team-mates will kick off their 2010 racing season at the Tour Down Under next week.

With a total of 2,399,705 currently 'following' Armstrong's online musings, it is no surprise that such rides attracts cyclists in their thousands.

Armstrong arranged similar impromptu rides via Twitter last year. Thousands of local cyclists joined the Texan in Paisley, near Glasgow, and Dublin, Ireland, in August as a result of his open invites.

Related links
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Armstrong in Australia: "I'm in better shape than last year"
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