L'ALPE D'HUEZ - Seven-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong believes cycling needs the support of its fans following the doping scandal that prevented this year's favourites Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso competing.
"Quite honestly, I wasn't coming to the Tour de France. The only reason I came is because of what happened," Armstrong told reporters on Tuesday.
"I think that now is the time that fans of cycling have to stand up and say, 'I'm a fan'.
"I want to come and I want to be supportive, not just of the team, not just of the race, but of the sport of cycling, which to me is still the most beautiful sport there is," added the former Discovery Channel rider, who retired after his record seventh victory last year.
American Armstrong said he would follow Wednesday's 16th stage from Bourg d'Oisans to La Toussuire in the Discovery Channel's car with team manager Johan Bruyneel.
Giro d'Italia champion Basso, 1997 Tour winner Ullrich and Spaniard Francisco Mancebo were among nine riders withdrawn from the Tour on the eve of the race amid a doping scandal in Spain.
The investigation came to light in May when the Spanish Civil Guard raided addresses in Madrid and Zaragoza and found large quantities of anabolic steroids, equipment used for blood transfusions and more than 100 bags of frozen blood.
