BOISE, Idaho — Thousands of cyclists are in Boise for several races that took place over the weekend.
One of those athletes was Lance Armstrong, the cyclist whose legacy was tainted by a doping scandal in which he was stripped of seven Tour de France titles for using performance-enhancing drugs.
On Sunday, Lance Armstrong and Idaho's own three-time Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong rode in an 80-mile trek across the Treasure Valley.
"It was tough, the gravel roads, they are tough this time of year," Lance Armstrong said.
"It was brutal out there today," she added. "Obviously we all know locally that the heat waves just come in and so it really took a toll on a lot of people."
The ride is called the Gran Fondo Hincapie, an event held in hundreds of cities across the U.S. and in Boise for the first time Sunday.
It attracts celebrity cyclists from around the world.
"It's a beautiful part of the world," Lance Armstrong said. "I have never ridden here before so it’s always nice to ride somewhere where you haven't been. I was like damn, it’s beautiful here."
Both Kristin Armstrong and Lance Armstrong say hosting a ride such as the Gran Fondo is a big boost for Boise's cycling community.
"Wherever we can attract any caliber of rider here to Boise, such as today, I think it is amazing for our city," said Kristin Armstrong. "I think it is amazing for our state."
After Sunday's trek, riders celebrated at Ten Barrel Brewing in downtown Boise to be a part of Lance Armstrong's live broadcast of 'THEMOVE.'
"It’s basically a Tour de France commentary show on a daily basis," Lance Armstrong said. "We take just a really unfiltered, raw, honest approach to what we think is going on in the race."
A reoccurring debate on Armstrong's podcast was how to pronounce Boise.
"We were like whoa, this is a serious thing in Boise," Lance Armstrong said. "So, we got it resolved."
Cyclists hope Boise will be a regular stop for the Gran Fondo Hincapie down the road.