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Lance Armstrong Makes Appearance In Davis

DAVIS, Calif. (CBS13) – Riders were greeted Sunday morning by cycling legend Lance Armstrong for the first ever Live Strong Challenge taking place in Davis.

The seven-time Tour de France winner took the stage before 1,400 participants under much better circumstances than his previous visit to the Yolo County town.

"The last time I was standing on this street… it was pouring rain and freezing cold," Armstrong said, referencing the 2009 Amgen Tour of California. "Today it's beautifully sunny, and there's thousands of us here and I'm really really glad to be here."

Armstrong led the riders in multi-distance races ranging from 20- to 105-mile treks, which was expected to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for cancer treatment.

Many participants said they were riding in support of family members who have suffered from cancer, and others said they were riding to celebrate defeating the disease.

"I'm riding with my nephew from Southern California who is a cancer survivor," said Washington resident John Edwards.

The Live Strong Challenge moves to Philadelphia next month and will wrap up in Austin, Texas in October.

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