More than 200 people have cycled into Auckland to take part in a morning ride with drug-cheating cyclist Lance Armstrong.

Despite being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles in 2013, plenty of Kiwis were keen to get up close to Armstrong, who said he was humbled by the showing.

The 45-year-old had earlier asked Aucklanders to join him for the waterfront cycle via Twitter.

Trucks bringing goods in and out of the nearby Auckland Port were held up by the riders, most of whom were male.

They departed at 6am for a ride of about an hour.

No-one present seemed especially concerned about the 45-year-old’s fall from grace or the 2012 revocation of his Tours for doping.



“The whole sport was riddled with it and he was just king of the kids,” 64-year-old cyclist Ian Margan said. “He was still an amazing rider in his time, and he still is, presumably.”

Armstrong acknowledged to reporters that the ride was unlikely to change the minds of Kiwis who felt betrayed by him.

“It is what it is,” he said. “There’s nothing I can say to a lot of people to make it go away and I get that.”

Armstrong is thought to be in Auckland for a film shoot with Lion Breweries.