Billionaire cyclist rode across state under radar

Wed August 02 2006
Posted Aug 2, 2006
6,482

By JOHN CARLSON REGISTER COLUMNIST August 2, 2006 Lance Armstrong's visit last week proved again that people tend to go nuts when a celebrity is in their midst. They screamed when the seven-time Tour de France winner breezed past on his bicycle, and they went absolutely berserk when he stopped for a quick beer or piece of pie. It also proved that a billionaire - one of the greatest business success stories in recent years, and one with an Iowa connection, no less - can ride his bicycle halfway across the state and go pretty much unnoticed. Ted Waitt, the University of Iowa dropout who founded the Gateway computer company, rode from Sunday through Wednesday afternoon on RAGBRAI. He didn't make a big deal about the fact he was here and reportedly had a quiet and enjoyable ride. Lucky for Waitt he didn't advertise his presence. Through the Waitt Family Foundation and Institutes, the former Iowan is said to be one of America's 50 most generous philanthropists. Forbes magazine says he's worth $1.2 billion and ranks 645th on its list of the richest people in the world. If people had only known. ... Along with the "Lance, Share My Tent" and "Lance, Sign My Body" signs, there would have been posters saying, "Ted, Shingle Our Church Roof," had the public known in advance that Waitt was on RAGBRAI. I've always been amazed at what an upscale crowd comes to Iowa to ride bicycles for a week. Waitt's participation, to say nothing of Armstrong's and his million-dollar endorsement contracts, pushed the median income of this year's riders into the Glen Oaks range. It really doesn't matter whom you ask, they've got something interesting going. Like the guys I met in Sully Thursday, when I was standing around waiting for Armstrong and his entourage to swoop into town. Armstrong was stopping by the Coffee Cup Cafe for a piece of coconut cream pie, and owner Robin Morvant was a bit nervous with the crowd and all the cameras. Two guys in yellow T-shirts came in to pick up an entire pie they had ordered in advance. They said they'd read about the restaurant in the newspaper and wanted to make sure they got some pie. They paid Morvant and presented her with a couple of shirts that said, "Team Fat Boys." Then Morvant gave them a couple of Coffee Cup Cafe shirts, so it was hard to tell whether she made any money on the deal. Howard Peterson, a Fat Boy from Soldier Hollow, Utah, said he managed a ski area. The other fellow, who said they were "eating their way across the state," identified himself as Jim Newbold of Chicago. He said he was a lawyer. Peterson said he's more than that and insisted that Newbold tell me his actual job. "Assistant attorney general for the state of Illinois," Newbold said. "Yeah, we keep busy." I left with a Coffee Cup Cafe T-shirt, but no pie. I promised to return when there weren't 500 people trying to get into the place at once. So how the heck did Armstrong end up on RAGBRAI? At least partially because Sara Brayton of Clive lobbied him over Memorial Day weekend in Indianapolis. Armstrong was there to drive the pace car at the Indianapolis 500, and Brayton managed to talk up RAGBRAI to both staffers and the man himself. With Armstrong retiring from competitive cycling and no longer having any race to run in during the last week in July, Brayton told him he ought to ride his bicycle across Iowa. This was confirmed Wednesday night at a reception held for Armstrong prior to his big speech on the Newton town square. "Hey, it's you," Armstrong said, recognizing Brayton from their chat. He told her he was delighted that she'd suggested he try RAGBRAI. One absolutely final word about the ride: There are 10,000 registered riders out there, but thousands more join them each day. The fear was that Thursday - the day Armstrong announced he would ride between Newton and Marengo - would be a nightmarish snarl of bicycles. It was crowded, all right, but Friday's ride from Marengo to Coralville was jammed with 20,000 cyclists minimum. More than on Thursday.