Lance Armstrong Leads ‘Bike for Beirut’ Tour

Varieties

October 4th, 3:57pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

Former American professional cyclist Lance Armstrong, right, rides with Lebanese and foreign cyclists at the site of the Aug. 4 deadly blast in the port of Beirut that killed scores and wounded thousands in Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Former American professional cyclist Lance Armstrong led a bike tour around Beirut on Sunday to raise awareness and funds for organizations helping residents affected by the massive Aug. 4 blast. Dozens of cyclists took part in the “Bike for Beirut" tour as Lebanon marked two months since the blast at Beirut’s port, where some 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrates were stored for six years before exploding. “Today we’re starting here, I guess not very far from the actual explosion site,” Armstrong said outside the port. He added that the bike tour aimed to “try to bring some awareness to this community, to the people affected.” The blast killed 193, wounded about 6,500 and caused billions of dollars in damage. It decimated the port facility and thousands of apartments in the city. It also came as Lebanon is grappling with its worst economic and financial crisis in decades, made worse by the spread of the coronavirus. The group of cyclists later entered the port and passed close to the huge crater where, before the explosion, the ammonium nitrates were stored. They then continued the tour around Beirut. Among the four non-profits the tour is collecting money for are the Lebanese Red Cross and Offrejoie.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2545841/lance-armstrong-leads-%E2%80%98bike-beirut%E2%80%99-tour