50,000 gathered this Sunday to “Ride the Drive.” Roads were shut down to allow riders, walkers, or skaters to enjoy the 6-mile loop stretching from East Washington Avenue to State Street, to North Shore Drive to John Nolen Drive.
7-time Tour de France champion, Lance Armstrong, came along for the ride.
Filmed Sunday, August 29, 2010, by Logan Cascia for The Badger Herald.
Madison’s second Ride the Drive event this summer drew cyclists from across the Wisconsin and the country, including the world’s most famous cyclist: Lance Armstrong.
The city of Madison closed off a downtown loop to automobile traffic to hold the event. Rachel Strauch-Nelson, spokesperson for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, said approximately 50,000 cyclists turned out for the event Sunday afternoon.
The rally began at the intersection of East Washington Avenue and Capitol Square, where cyclists gathered to follow Cieslewicz and 7-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong around the course, which extended to John Nolen Drive via State Street.
Speaking from a bicycle-powered stage before kicking off the event, Cieslewicz told the crowd he hopes bicycle use continues to increase in Madison throughout the next decade.
“We want to be the best bicycle city in America,” Cieslewicz said. “By 2020, we want 20 percent of trips in Madison to be made by bike.”
Strauch-Nelson said Cieslewicz hopes to expand cycling infrastructure in Madison throughout the next decade after visiting bike-friendly European cities earlier this year.
She said the proportion of bicycle transportation in cities such as Amsterdam, some of which have one cyclist for every four commuters, inspired Cieslewicz to encourage more biking throughout Madison.
Before leading the crowd onto the course, Armstrong also emphasized the importance of bicycle transportation and public health in Wisconsin. He also applauded Cieslewicz and his commitment to holding the Ride the Drive event despite possible public backlash for closed streets.
Madison Parks spokesperson Steve Doneger said although the opening ceremony may have caused some minor delays, traffic flowed better than the previous Ride the Drive in June, mostly because Broom Street was now open to traffic.
“It’s awfully cool for me as a cancer survivor to be in smoke-free Wisconsin,” Armstrong said. “The idea that there’s one more bike and one less car on the road is a dang good idea to me.”
Cieslewicz emphasized the event was not a race or competition, but instead a public opportunity to make biking a popular form of transportation.
“Lance is not wearing Lycra,” Cieslewicz said. “He’s riding as a citizen.”
