Lance Armstrong is auctioning seven of his Trek bikes at Sotheby's on Sunday, one for each of his Tour de France wins, with six of the bikes having been turned into works of art by famous artists like Damien Hirst. The proceeds from the auction will benefit the LIVESTRONG Foundation, and organization that was setup by the sports icon to inspire and empower people affected by cancer.
One of the bikes on offer is the bike stolen in Sacramento during this year's Tour of California. The thief pried the padlock off of the Astana equipment trailer stealing three bikes from the team, including Armstrong's now famous black and yellow time trial bike.
The bike was stolen by Lee Monroe Crider, a man with a 21-year criminal history in Sacramento, who sold the bike to Dung Hoang Le for $200.
Le turned the bicycle over to police. Both men pleaded no contest in Sacramento Superior Court.
The bikes are currently on exhibition at Sotheby's, and they will be bid on during an invitation-only auction this weekend.
Armstrong encourages the invited participants to bid generously in a short essay written to potential buyers.
"I'm not a gearhead, and my garage is anything but a cycling museum, but I can honestly say that letting go of my bikes has never been harder," Armstrong explains. "From Damien Hirst's masterpiece Tour de France 'finale' Trek Madone covered in real butterflies, to the KAWS 'Chompers' cycle that I broke my collarbone on in the Vuelta Castilla y Leon, every ride is a treasured piece of personal history that I'm proud to offer up to benefit LIVESTRONG."
The Texan is a huge fan of art, and his desire for the bikes to be treated as such likely has something to do with the auction being closed.
Auction Details