Don’t blink or you might miss it – but on Thursday, August 26 world-famous cyclist Lance Armstrong will be cruising through Jasper with 45 other riders as part of his LinkPink fundraiser. 

His time in Jasper is short, and many of the details are hush-hush, including the route the seven-time Tour de France winner will follow. 

Armstrong will be in Jasper to raise money for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Each rider must raise $24,000 to ride with their hero, but many have taken that amount as a challenge.

“Some have doubled that goal,” said Tracy Sopkow, vice president of marketing and communications with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

The 45 riders have already been chosen, and Sopkow said they are people with a passion for cycling, and not only want to ride with their hero, but want to contribute to a good cause. No Jasperites were signed up for the ride as of the final day of registration on Monday, Sopkow said. 

The event began in Edmonton on Wednesday. The riders met at a LinkPink luncheon where Armstrong spoke. They then hopped a bus to Jasper for the evening, and were ready to set off from the Jasper Park Lodge for a 100-kilometre bike ride. Each rider will have the opportunity to ride at the front of the peloton with Armstrong, where their photo will be taken by a professional photographer for a keepsake. 

Sopkow could not confirm the route the tour would be taking, but rumours swirled around the possibility of the Maligne Lake Road. 

“I think the riders will be treated to a scenic ride no matter which way they go,” Sopkow said. 

While the riders don’t need to be Tour de France veterans, Sopkow said the speed won’t be for every cyclist. 

“The pace will definitely demand the riders have lots of cycling under their belt,” she said.