Its not every day you get to race Lance Armstrong up the High St

It began with a �tweet� from Lance Armstrong urging Scots to join him on a bike ride and ended with the seven-time Tour de France winner besieged by about 250 rain-soaked fans in Paisley High Street.

See our slideshow of Lance Armstrong's Tour de Paisley here

It began with a "tweet" from Lance Armstrong urging Scots to join him on a bike ride and ended with the seven-time Tour de France winner besieged by about 250 rain-soaked fans in Paisley High Street.

The legendary cyclist, who beat cancer and now dedicates his career to raising awareness of the disease through his Livestrong charity, had written on Twitter before flying in from the US to watch last night's U2 gig at Hampden Park: "Hey Glasgow, Scotland!! I'm coming your way tomorrow. Who wants to go for a bike ride??"

The 37-year-old rider, who finished third in the most recent tour, which ended last month, sent a further message saying the ride would start at noon outside the hotel where he was staying in Paisley.

Armstrong struggled through the autograph hunters, photographers and cycling fans who had travelled from across Scotland to join him. The Renfrewshire town hadn't seen anything like it since St Mirren paraded the Scottish Cup in 1987.

I was dispatched to get a "sit-down" interview with one of sport's greatest riders, and took my mountain bike in the hope I'd be able to keep up with one of the world's fastest cyclists.

Paisley High Street is far from the Champs Elysees in Paris, the Tour's traditional finish, but the air of anticipation was keenly felt. Finally, Armstrong emerged from his hire car shortly after 1pm.

When his black-and-yellow helmet in Livestrong's colours disappeared under a sea of fans, I felt my chances of an interview were gone. Then, incredibly, a hunched figure on a racing bike pushed through the throng and I found myself face to face with the cycling legend.

I was wearing a yellow jersey, but that was the only thing that we had in common. Armstrong was clad from head to toe in Nike waterproof kit, and a pair of strange-looking lightweight, lycra waterproof boots that wrapped around his feet.

I had a T-shirt underneath, an old crash helmet, a pair of trousers that were soaked and battered trainers.

I asked him what he thought of the Scottish weather. "I love it. Back home it's 105 degrees and hot," he replied in his Texan drawl.

Then off we set. For a few precious moments it was just myself and the cycling superstar side by side followed by around 60 other cyclists, who kept crashing into each other as they desperately tried to keep up.

At Maxwelltown Street traffic lights in Paisley, we stopped and I asked Armstrong what he had let himself in for: "I've never done anything like this before. I've never even been to Scotland," he said.

I felt proud that I had kept up so far, but as we wound our way up the B789 towards Elderslie, I realised what really makes this champion tick. Armstrong, who was on a 60-mile training run, surged ahead, and I was left flapping around on my mountain bike as the spray flung itself off his wheels into my face.

I gave up two miles outside the village of Howwood, with another cyclist, Murray Scott, 40, from Gorbals.

He said: "I was hoping that when he stopped at traffic lights it would give me a chance. I couldn't believe how fast he was cycling, and that's a leisurely cycle ride for him."

Meanwhile, Tom Stewart, owner of Armstrong's hotel, the Ashtree House, said: "This is the power of Twitter. I've had a lot of celebrities here, people like Kevin Keegan, but they don't Twitter the world to say they are going on a bike ride."

Willie McCluskie, 65, and Dickson Hislop, 74, are members of the Ivy Cycling Club who have been riding for almost 100 years between them. Willie said: "Since then the first Tweet the jungle drums have kept banging and every cyclist from the West of Scotland is here."

Former cycling world record holder Graeme Obree, 44, who briefly met his hero, said: "To have such a bunch of characters here is amazing, but they must be a bunch of slackers to have taken the day off work."

One moment will remain with me. As I caught up briefly with Armstrong at the traffic lights in Johnstone, one rider ahead of the American shouted out: "What kept you? We've all been waiting for you."

Fast facts

Armstrong was born Lance Edward Gunderson and was named after Lance Rentzel, a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys American football team.

He won every Tour De France from 1999 to 2005, becoming the only person to have won it seven times.

He is good friends with former president, George W Bush and has been known to meet up regularly with the fellow Texan to go mountain biking, despite claiming to disagree with his political views.

He broke up with singer Sheryl Crow in 2006, which he later blamed on her desire for children.

Despite receiving extensive surgery after suffering from testicular cancer, Armstrong and partner Anna Hansen recently celebrated the birth of their first child, (Armstrong's fourth) Max, in June.

He is known for his charity work, which includes setting up Livestrong, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, to help people suffering with cancer as well as Athletes For Hope, which helps professional athletes get involved in charitable causes and inspires non-athletes to volunteer and support the community.