Peddling is an artform for Armstrong

Bad boy of the British art scene, Damien Hirst, is beautifying the Tour de France with his butterfly-clad design for the bike that Lance Armstrong will use to complete the iconic race.

The bike, which is decorated with real butterflies, will be auctioned for charity at Sotherby’s in New York after is crosses the finish line this weekend. Armstrong will peddle the Hirst-designed cycle down the Champs-Elysees during the final stage of the race.

The bike, which is expected to reach up to $1 million, will be auctioned for charity along with five other works by Richard Prince, Ed Ruscha and other artists.

Speaking of his design for the bike, Hirst said: "Lance is an inspiration to many people on many levels. Bono first approached me about the bike and described Lance to me as 'the greatest sportsman the world has ever known after Ali!' It was a great opportunity to work with someone I admire and create the bike — something I've never done before. The technical problems were immense, as I wanted to use real butterflies and not just pictures of butterflies, because I wanted it to shimmer when the light catches it like only real butterflies do, and we were trying not to add any extra weight to the bike. Doing something crazy like this is ultimately about transportation and not simply transport, and what Lance does when he rides it is the same thing. I think Lance loves it!"