Bush to ride with cycling champion Armstrong

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) – President George W. Bush, an
avid cyclist, will test his mettle against Lance Armstrong when
the cycling superstar visits the president’s Texas ranch this
weekend.

Armstrong, 33, a cancer survivor who has won seven straight
Tour de France competitions, will ride with Bush, 59, on the
1,600-acre (650-hectare) ranch on Saturday.

“The president has said that Lance is an incredible
inspiration to people from all walks of life, that he’s a true
American champion, so I think they’ll enjoy their visit on
Saturday,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said on Tuesday.

Bush turned to mountain biking after a knee injury forced
him to give up running. He took a small group of reporters on a
two-hour ride on his ranch in the August heat last weekend.
There was one rule — no one overtakes the president.

Bush has had his share of spills, including during the G-8
summit in Scotland in July when he slid and collided with a
police officer and suffered scrapes on his hands and arms.