Lance Armstrong has volunteered to help American professional gambler and self-styled playboy Dan Bilzerian to prepare for a 278-mile cycle ride in order for him to win a bet.
Bilzerian has entered a wager of $600,000 with hedge fund manager Bill Perkins that he can cycle from his home in Los Angeles to Las Vegas in a 48-hour period, 139 miles per day.
Former pro Armstrong, currently serving a life ban from cycling due to doping, joined Bilzerian for some training rides to help him get ready for the long-distance ride.
Along the way, Bilzerian showed Armstrong around his home and the two had time to stop off in the desert and fire some of Bilzerian's vast collection of guns.
According to Bilzerian – who is known as much for his brushes with the law and lewd photos on Instagram as he is for his gambling success – it's the first time that he has ridden a bike in 18 years.
Bilzerian has until May 31, 2016 to undertake the ride.
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Reportedly, when Perkins heard that Armstrong had got involved he offered the Texan a wager of $200,000 if he could do the same ride in 15 hours. Apparently, Armstrong has not yet replied.
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Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.
