Lance Armstrong helps to raise funds for locals after Beirut blast

American former professional cyclist Lance Armstrong led a bike tour around Beirut Sunday to raise awareness and funds to some organizations that are helping residents of the Lebanese capital who suffered losses as a result of a massive blast in August that killed and wounded many.

Sunday's tour came as Lebanon marked two months since the Aug. 4, blast at Beirut's port decimated the facility, killed 193, wounded about 6,500 and caused damage worth billions of dollars.

"Today we're starting here, I guess not very far from the actual explosion site. We'll do a tour around the communities here, a lot of the places that were affected," Armstrong said.

The blast was the most destructive single incident in Lebanon's history.

The tour titled "Bike for Beirut," in which dozens of other cyclists took part, started outside Beirut's port where some 3,000 of ammonium nitrates stored for six years exploded, causing wide damage, including to thousands of apartments.

The blast came as Lebanon is passing through its worst economic and financial crisis in decades, made worse by the spread of coronavirus.

The legacy and reputation of Armstrong, a cancer survivor who won the Tour de France seven times, crumbled abruptly following revelations he used performance-enhancing drugs.

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