CYCLING boss Brian Cookson condemned Lance Armstrong’s “completely disrespectful” decision to ride the Tour de France route this summer for charity.

Cookson, president of world governing body UCI, said Armstrong “would be well-advised not to take part” in former England footballer Geoff Thomas’s charity fundraising mission.

Thomas has convinced shamed drugs cheat Armstrong to take part in his charity stunt, riding the Tour route one day ahead of the professional peloton.

Cookson said the UCI has no authority to stop Amstrong, who has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, but condemned the idea.

“I’m sure that Geoff Thomas means well, but frankly I think that’s completely inappropriate and disrespectful to the Tour, disrespectful to the current riders, and disrespectful to the UCI and the anti-doping community,” said Cookson.

From next summer the World Anti-Doping Agency code will permit Armstrong to participate in sports other than cycling and triathlon. He was banned for life from those sports in August 2012.

In a statement, Thomas said: “When I was being treated for blood cancer I was inspired by Lance Armstrong’s book.”

Before being exposed as a cynical drugs cheat, testicular cancer survivor Armstrong and his cronies conducted a savage campaign of bullying and intimidation against anyone who dared challenge him.

In one instance he offered $300,000 to a rival’s former teammates to make false claims in order to discredit him.

The destructive Texan also wielded his power to force teammates into also using banned substances, furthering the blight of doping on the sport.

by Our Sports Desk