Lance Armstrong is helping to create the XCO circuit for Los Angeles 2028

The organization of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games is already working on the mountain bike circuit, and one of the names that has unexpectedly appeared in the project is Lance Armstrong. The Texan, one of the most controversial figures in cycling history after losing his seven Tour de France titles due to doping, is collaborating in the design and development of the Olympic XCO course.

Lance Armstrong participates in the development of the XCO circuit for the 2028 Olympic Games

The information came to light after Armstrong himself posted a photograph on Instagram alongside the team responsible for building the Olympic circuit near Los Angeles, although it was the media Mountain Bike Action that ultimately brought visibility to the matter after investigating the Texan's real involvement. In the Instagram image, he appears with representatives from Progressive Trail Design, a company specialized in creating trails and bike parks, and responsible for the layout that will host the Olympic mountain bike event in 2028.

The news has been particularly surprising because we had no record of Armstrong having a close relationship with XCO. However, the British media confirms that he did compete in some important MTB events in the United States in the late 1990s. 

 

 

 

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Mountain Bike Action contacted Progressive Trail Design directly to confirm whether Armstrong was indeed involved in the Olympic project, and the answer was affirmative. Woody Keen, the founder of the company, explained that the former cyclist has been collaborating with them for years on various projects related to trails and trail riding experiences.

For now, it has not been detailed exactly what Armstrong's role will be in the final design of the Olympic circuit or to what extent he will technically influence the course, but his presence has already generated debate within cycling due to everything his figure represents.

Armstrong remains one of the most controversial figures in sports. After dominating the Tour de France from 1999 to 2005, USADA confirmed years later an organized doping system that resulted in the stripping of all his titles and his lifetime ban from professional cycling. Nevertheless, he continues to maintain a public presence in the cycling world through podcasts, events, and projects related to cycling and trail building.

The choice of such a divisive figure to collaborate, even informally, on an Olympic project has not gone unnoticed and once again places Armstrong's name at the center of cycling conversation just as Olympic mountain biking works to define what will be one of the most important circuits of the next decade.