Sponsor partners for Livestrong 15-year anniversary
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Lance Armstrong happiest when surrounded by his adoring fans and pushing his Livestrong foundation.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Lance Armstrong (Team Radioshack) is using these custom-made Nikes at the Tour de France.(Image credit: James Huang)
He Rides, he wrenches! Lance adjusts a new saddle. Check out Armstrong's one-off Giro Atmos Livestrong helmet(Image credit: Tim Maloney/Cyclingnews.com)
Just hours after the US Anti Doping Agency released its reasoned decision in the Lance Armstrong case, in which 11 former teammates implicated the former US Postal team leader in a sophisticated doping program, Nike showed its continued support for the embattled cyclist by releasing the exact same statement it sent out when Armstrong chose not to contest USADA's charges back in August, according to a report by the Oregonian newspaper.
"We are saddened that Lance Armstrong may no longer be able to participate in certain competitions and his titles appear to be impacted," Nike reiterated in its statement. "Lance has stated his innocence and has been unwavering on this position. Nike plans to continue to support Lance and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a foundation that Lance created to serve cancer survivors."
That continued support for Armstrong's foundation will be highly visible on October 20 when Nike partners with Livestrong to sponsor the University of Texas' cancer awareness college football game against Baylor University, according to the Oregonian report.
The game will be part of four days of coordinated events celebrating the foundation's 15th anniversary. The second quarter will be designated the "Livestrong Quarter" after an on-field presentation by Livestrong and Nike, which created special T-shirts for the 17,000-seat student section, according to the Oregonian. Armstrong was on the Nike Corporate campus in Beaverton, Oregon, on Oct. 1 and 2 to work with designers, the newspaper also reported.
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Growing up in Missoula, Montana, Pat competed in his first bike race in 1985 at Flathead Lake. He studied English and journalism at the University of Oregon and has covered North American cycling extensively since 2009, as well as racing and teams in Europe and South America. Pat currently lives in the US outside of Portland, Oregon, with his imaginary dog Rusty.
