Livestrong rides again: Dates for 2013 charity bike rides

The Livestrong Foundation (formerly the Lance Armstrong Foundation) is plowing ahead with fund-raising activities for 2013 that include the return of its Livestrong Challenge charity bike ride series, as well as running and triathlon events.

I’m happy to see Livestrong continue to make bicycling one of its major fund-raising tools, even as its founder’s cycling career has been a source of controversy.

The athletic events raised $5 million in 2012 for the foundation, which supports cancer patients and survivors and their families.

The Livestrong Challenge cities and events announced this week are the same as last year:

Livestrong Challenge – Davis (CA): June 23, 2013. This will be the third year in a row that the city has hosted a Livestrong bike ride of 10 to 100 miles.

Livestrong Challenge – Philadelphia: Aug. 17-18, 2013. The charity bike ride has visited the area for 8 years in a row. The 2013 ride is located in Blue Bell.

Livestrong Challenge – Austin. No date has been scheduled for this Ride for the Roses weekend, but it’s generally held in October.

Cyclists participating in two other rides can have pledges directed to Livestrong:

Iron Horse Bicycle Classic – May 25-27, 2013. This mountain biking classic in historic Durango, Colorado, covers 56 grueling miles on trails and fire roads through the mountains.

RAGBRAI – July 21-27, 2013. Livestrong hosts cyclists in the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, the longest-running across state bicycle ride in the U.S.

Registration information is listed at Livestrong for the individual rides. Running and triathlons also are earmarking donations for Livestrong.

Reputation

The Austin-based foundation that provides support for cancer patients, survivors and their families has been working to come to grips with the blemished reputation of its founder, Lance Armstrong, in recent weeks.

Armstrong, who created the foundation after famously recovering from cancer, stepped down from the foundation board in November.

While apparently distancing itself from Armstrong’s tainted cycling career, the foundation embraces their founder’s inspiration as a cancer survivor and advocate.

According to Livestrong spokeswoman Katherine McLane, Armstrong remains the charity’s “founder and inspiration and our biggest donor.”