Lance Armstrong sat down with ABC News This Week’s George Stephanopoulos to talk about RAGBRAI — the politics of cancer research funding — and bringing the issues of cancer back as a national priority and into the hearts and minds of the American people. At this point in time, concerning cancer as an epidemic that strikes one in two men and one in three women, Armstrong said, “There are people who never needed to die — never needed to go through the pain and suffering — it’s got to stop.”
Of the RAGBRAI he participated in last week in Iowa, he joked that he enjoyed it much more than riding through the Alps during the Tour de France. In the RAGBRAI, a seven day bike tour, he was amazed at the sheer relaxed fun of it all. Armstrong spoke about drinking cold beer and eating coconut cream pie. He told Stephanopoulos that ladies were asking him what his favorite pie was, because in each town square there are home baked pies waiting for the cyclists.
Armstrong hopes that by talking to the voters of Iowa, a pivotal political state during presidential campaigns, that he wants to see discussion and debate about cancer issues. Ultimately, during the presidential and vice-presidential debates, he would like to see one of the moderators ask the candidates directly, “What’s your plan?” concerning cancer — the number one killer of people in this country.
Armstrong said he was not looking to get elected to political office and wanted to stay neutral and apolitical. What he is looking to do, he said, is start a movement. Of a political future — Armstrong said, “Never say never.” You can watch ABC News This Week’s George Stephanopoulos interview with Lance Armstrong video here.
