Record Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong's final day as a Tour rider began in surreal fashion as he was told to change his race jersey
Record Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong's final day as a Tour rider began in surreal fashion as he was told to change his race jersey.
The 102.5-kilometre 20th stage from Longjumeau to Paris is traditionally a ceremonial stage which finishes in a sprint finish on the Champs Elysees. Cancer survivor Armstrong and his Team RadioShack squad wore black jerseys featuring the number 28, to signify the number of millions of people worldwide dealing with the disease.
The peloton were forced to stop at the official start line as Armstrong's Team RadioShack squad had to change their jerseys. The squad signed in wearing their usual red and grey colours. And, having changed to the black jerseys without permission, race organisers ordered them to revert to their original attire. Armstrong flashed a wry smirk to the camera but was clearly annoyed. However, while the Texan and his teammates changed and re-attached their race numbers, photographers and TV cameras hovered, giving the jersey perhaps more publicity than was intended. Armstrong, who will be 39 in September, said: "We got a message on the radio that if we didn't take off the jerseys, we'd get kicked out of the race. My first instinct was 'okay, kick us out'.
But then I thought 'they won't let us win team GC (general classification), so we can't get kicked out.' The commissaries decided that it was a violation of the rules. In the end, although it was stressful, it probably brought more attention to the issue."
Team RadioShack, who won the Tour's team title, were fined a total of 6,300 Swiss francs for the incident. The International Cycling Union said they will hand the money accrued from fine to cancer
charities.
