Home video showed the tumble and one of those on the ground was Lance Armstrong. The crash occurred in front of David Blackwell's home. "It was really surprising. It was kind of like, uh unbelievable."
Armstrong suffered a cut under one eye along with cuts and abrasions, but he got back up and rode another 20 miles before calling it quits and going to a local hospital for x-rays.
The spill was just part of a bad day for Armstrong. Earlier, former rider Floyd Landis announced Armstrong had used performance enhancing techniques like doping in winning the Tour De France. Before the race Armstrong denied the allegations.
Armstrong told an impromptu news conference "We have nothing to hide." The allegations didn't seem to phase Armstrong's fans, which were critical of the accuser.
Bill Wall of Visalia questioned the timing of Landi's claims. "It seemed like a low blow coming in the middle of the season."
Armstrong Fan Barbara Thurbur questioned his motives. "I think he was trying to take the stage from the racers who do it right."
Visalia bike shop owner Craig Peyron says Armstrong has revived cycling in America, but doesn't think the doping allegations will have a huge impact. "Cycling in the US is not a mainstream sport so it's probably not going to have the impact like a Tiger Woods."
Whether it turns into a scandal or not Lance Armstrong is a celebrity, and David Blackwell is happy to have recovered Armstrong's water bottle from the scene of the crash.
