Armstrong publicity stunt delays Tour start

Lance Armstrong did not win the final Tour de France of his career, but at least he was able to go out in the spotlight on the last day.

Armstrong's Team RadioShack, which he formed for the 2010 season, started Sunday's Stage 20 wearing black jerseys with the number 28 on the back, referencing the 28 million people in the world who have cancer. But a few minutes after the field began its short ride to the official start (kilometer zero) of the race, officials ordered all RadioShack riders to change into their official jerseys or have the team kicked out of the Tour. The rest of the peloton was stopped to give them ample time without falling too far back.

Armstrong, who founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation after battling cancer in 1996, appeared to be smiling during Sunday morning's publicity stunt. Television cameras showed RadioShack riders scattered on the side of the road as they removed their jerseys and put on the official ones.

Armstrong eventually stopped as well, and changed into his team outfit as photographers snapped photos of the seven-time Tour champion. A team official pinned his race number to the back of his jersey after he started riding again.

Not too long after that, Armstrong was shown riding with and talking to Saxo Bank's Andy Schleck, who trails race leader Alberto Contador by 39 seconds.

"New kits today … almost like a soccer jersey," Armstrong said during a pre-Stage interview, which aired on the Versus broadcast after the race started. "Even I, as a cancer survivor, I think about that number (28 million) and it’s staggering."