Posted 07/02/2009

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Lance Armstrong to Provide Exclusive Daily Updates and Connect Directly with Fans from the 2009 Tour de France on LIVESTRONG.COM

Behind-the-scenes blog posts, videos and photos as well as coverage featuring the LIVESTRONG loops - the new route tracking tool that gives fans a detailed look at the course across all 21 race stages.

Press release from Demand Media

Santa Monica, Calif. – LIVESTRONG.COM, the definitive online destination for health, fitness and lifestyle-related information, announced today that it will provide exclusive blog posts, videos and photos directly from Lance Armstrong during the 96th Annual Tour de France bike race which runs from Saturday, July 4 until Sunday, July 26. Armstrong’s updates regarding his ongoing progress, experience and interviews with other members of Team Astana will be featured on the Tour de France portion of the site, which went live late in the evening on July 1.

“It’s an honor to be returning to the Tour de France for the 12th time this year,” said Lance Armstrong Foundation founder and chairman, cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong. “I’m back on my bike riding for the 28 million cancer survivors around the world today. I’m really looking forward to the challenge and having the ability, through the power of LIVESTRONG.COM, to give the community and race fans across the globe an inside look at my experience.”

The dedicated, exclusive Tour de France coverage provided through LIVESTRONG.COM will enable cycling fans to follow Armstrong along all 21 stages of the race. Additionally, fans will be able to see each stage using LIVESTRONG Loops, a new route tracking tool that provides a detailed map of the course and will be featured on the Tour de France home on the site. The application is the latest addition to LIVESTRONG.COM’s growing library of health and fitness tools that help support an active, health-minded community. LIVESTRONG Loops also enables users to map and explore more than 20,000 courses for running, walking, cycling and hiking in their local areas and beyond. Members can also track their fitness activities and caloric burn from completing a loop by using The Daily Plate—directly on the site or via top rated companion mobile applications on the iPhone or Blackberry.

As the community goes On Tour with Lance, they will see behind-the-scenes videos, pre-race coverage and an insider’s look at team meetings. The updates will be supported with ongoing blogger correspondence, who will give a glimpse into race activity. Additionally, fans will be able to impact Armstrong’s communication and coverage by participating in a daily poll. Feedback will drive interviews and topics the audience wants him to cover. With its content surrounding the Giro d’Italia last May, LIVESTRONG.COM demonstrated the reach and impact that social media has on its community. The destination’s video section hosted more than 70,000 visitors during the Giro d’Italia. LIVESTRONG.COM’s coverage of the Tour de France is sponsored by Clear 2O, Nissan, and Oakley.

“With the LIVESTRONG.COM platform, we are making it possible for the community to follow Lance and Team Astana through exclusive, online content; creating a rich and dynamic Tour de France user experience,” said Joe Perez, executive vice president of product marketing and community for Demand Media. “Leveraging social media’s influence, we are able to give race enthusiasts direct and intimate interaction with Lance that they won’t find anywhere else; while also allowing them to impact his communication, truly tailoring the behind-the-scenes coverage they will see.”