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Updated at 12:50 p.m., Thursday, September 11, 2008

Cycling: Armstrong wins mountain bike race

Associated Press

ASPEN, Colo. — Lance Armstrong won the Aspen Cycling Club's 10-mile Smuggler-Hunter Creek mountain bike race Wednesday, one day after announcing his return to seek an eighth victory in the Tour de France.

He finished in 57:10, 14 seconds ahead of the second-place rider.

Armstrong plans to compete Sunday in the 12 Hours of Snowmass, his spokesman, Mark Higgins said Thursday.

The mountain bike race is a fundraiser for the Aspen Youth Center and the Extreme Sports Camp, a service for kids with autism.

"There's a huge buzz in Aspen right now," said Sarah Visnic, director of the youth center. "People are talking about it everywhere."

Armstrong, who has a home in Aspen, said he likes training in the resort town because of its 8,000-foot elevation and similarity to European mountain towns.