Armstrong rides in Iowa as new 'Tour' champ is crowned

A day after the latest Tour de France champion was crowned, disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong took part in a much different kind of event, far removed from the days he enjoyed as king of the cyling world.   

Armstrong, who was banned from competitive cycling by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) last year, was seen riding through the streets of Council Bluffs, Iowa on the first day of the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Race Across Iowa, or RAGBRAI.

This is Armstrong’s fifth visit to the annual non-competitive, seven-day bicycle ride across Iowa, and event that has grown steadily since 1973, when two local newspaper writers decided to ride across Iowa.

The Austin, Texas native told the Des Moines Register earlier this month that his trip to Iowa wasn't a statement or an experiment. He said he simply wanted to ride with what is typically "a friendly group of people that share the same interests."

Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles last August after he dropped challenges to USADA allegations that he took performance-enhancing drugs to win his competitive cycling’s premier event from 1999 to 2005. 

British cyclist Chris Froome won the 100th Tour de France on Sunday and immediately vowed that his victory wouldn't be stripped for doping as Armstrong's were, the AP reported.

"This is one yellow jersey that will stand the test of time," Froome told reporters.

As the first Tour champion since Armstrong's was banned last year, Froome rode through a barrage of doubt and skepticism, especially since his strength in the mountains and time trials reminded some observers of Armstrong and the way he and his team used to suffocate the race.

"In a way, I'm glad that I've had to face those questions, that after all the revelations last year and just the tarnished history over the last decade, all that's been channeled toward me now," Froome said.

Al Jazeera and wire services