US poker celeb Bilzerian hires Armstrong to win $1.2 million cycling bet
We’re not late to the April fools party, that headline really does reflect something that has happened in the real world.
US poker giant turned celebrity Dan Bilzerian has won a $1.2 million bet having cycled 300 miles in just 48 hours from Las Vegas (largely downhill) to his home in LA. A team of medical professionals, two chefs, a van set up to allow slipstreaming and countless other staff aided the effort, but it’s an impressive feat nonetheless.
Despite a medical history in which he has had four heart attacks, the 35-year-old adrenaline junkie ignored common sense and decided to hire the service of Lance Armstrong in order to train for the epic. As a thanks for training up Bilzerian, Armstrong accepted $25,000 donation set for a charity of his choice.
The bet with investor Bill Perkins was bolstered by a number of side bets challenging Bilzerian to make good on his goal – one of which reportedly centred around a private jet.
The “king of Instagram‘s” bike choice for the ride? A recumbent, on which he reclined for the first 200 miles in the slipstream of the van in front.
It’s not industry news, but cycling’s profile surely hasn’t been this high in the national consciousness since Armstrong appeared on Oprah for less salubrious reasons and (we hope) that can only be a good thing.
Check out the CycleVegas training video below:
