A group of cyclists will ride through Ames to raise cancer awareness.

The team of 20 cyclists comprises the cross-country Tour of Hope, formed by a partnership between Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor and six-time Tour de France champion, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, a pharmaceuticals company. They will pass by the Mary Greeley Medical Center, 1111 Duff Ave., around 5 a.m. Wednesday to gain support for cancer research.

The Tour of Hope team members have been relay-riding since Oct. 1.

Their trek across the country, which began in Los Angeles, will bring the riders across the Veterans Memorial Bridge into Iowa at around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday. The team will pass through Anita, Menlo, Adel and Grimes before arriving in Ames.

People from 18 different states, including Iowa, were selected from nearly 1,200 applicants to ride across the country.

The team is made up of nine health care professionals and 12 cancer survivors.

Team members were divided into four groups of five. The groups take turns riding so that five people are always on their bicycles. Each Tour of Hope member rides about five hours every day to cover the almost 3,500-mile journey, and each individual will ride about 800 miles, averaging 18.5 miles per hour.

Armstrong will ride segments of the Tour of Hope, but will do so unannounced. Planners for the rally in Ames are unsure if Armstrong will take part in the festivities.

“I have no idea,” said John Meyer, vice president of the ISU Triathlon Club and official contact for the Ames stop. “If the public found out, it’d be dangerous for the riders due to the large amount of people.”

Meyer is a volunteer for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which Armstrong founded in 1997. Meyer said he believed it is important to raise cancer awareness. His cousin was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and is now in remission.

“It was a wake-up call,” Meyer said. “It’s something we all may have to deal with, and we can’t ignore it.”

Iowa is fortunate to have two of the eight planned rally stops, said Mark Kargol, ISU alumnus and Triathlon Club member.

“Iowa is one of only two states in the country that have two rallies,” Kargol said. “That’s exciting.”

Kargol attributes the recent addition of a rally spot in Ames to the popularity of cycling in the area.

“Ames is a big cycling community,” he said.

“Because of that there are a lot of people who know about the tour and want to help.”

The team will head north on U.S. Highway 69 out of Ames on its way to the next rally in Mason City, which begins at 9:15 a.m. They will pass through Jewell and Alexander and arrive in Mason City around 10:30 a.m.

Kargol and other volunteers will post fliers on Tuesday along the route to promote the rallies.