Lance Armstrong announces first public cycling event since doping confession

Lance Armstrong announced his first public cycling appearance will be at the [Des Moines] Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa later this month.

The disgraced cyclist made the announcement Tuesday that he will make his fifth appearance at the RAGBRAI, which is held July 21-27 and goes for 406 miles from Council Bluffs to Fort Madison.

“To be honest it’s not a statement, it’s not an experiment,” Armstrong told the Register Tuesday from Aspen, Colo. “It’s just me wanting to go ride my bike with what in the past has been a friendly group of people that share the same interests.”

The cyclist said he plans to spend at least "three or four days" in Iowa in addition to the racing days he'll spend in the ride, including attending the July 20 expo held in Council Bluffs.

The RAGBRAI will mark Armstrong's first race ride since he admitted in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that he used performance-enhancing drugs during his seven Tour de France wins.