Gary Johnson opts for mountain biking over Iowa straw poll
By Lynda Waddington | 08.09.11 | 12:44 pm
Despite the massive GOP party happening in Iowa this weekend — the famed Ames Straw Poll — former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson has other places to be. Specifically, he’ll be riding his mountain bike along a 100-mile course in Colorado, billed as a “race across the sky.”
Of course, the announcement, made by his campaign Tuesday, comes as little surprise.
On the one hand Johnson is known for being an avid outdoorsman and adventurer. He has reached four of the highest peaks on all seven continents, including Mt. Everest — a fact specifically noted by his campaign. He has taken part in Iowa’s RAGBRAI bike trek and has also biked the eight-day Adidas TransAlps challenge in Europe. He’s finished the Hawaii Iron Man five times and won the Breckenridge 100 mountain bike marathon in his combined age group just last year.
On the other hand the Johnson campaign has made clear its thoughts on the Ames Straw Poll, noting there had been “a strategic decision to spend resources and time doing retail politics in New Hampshire.”
http://newmexicoindependent.com/71038/gary-johnson-opts-for-mountain-biking-over-iowa-straw-poll
