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Armstrong’s appearance in France for the start of the ‘One Day Ahead’ charity ride in Muret, organized by former England soccer player Geoff Thomas, prompted criticism from at least one Tour team, Bretagne-Seche.
Armstrong already had spoken of his sense of responsibility over the doping accusations faced by race leader Chris Froome during this year’s Tour, but, facing a media scrum upon his arrival, Armstrong said he understood that his legacy as a drugs cheat would hang over him while he was in France. But when asked if he was looking for sympathy, Armstrong said: “That’s not true. “It’s nice to be back here helping a good cause and helping Geoff. Geoff started a great thing. He asked me to come. He made a real passionate effort, so I decided to do it. “I can understand that there’s still some hurt feelings. That’s a process that I’ll walk through for a long, long time.”
