GAP, France — Lance Armstrong’s reappearance on the fringes of the Tour de France last week was greeted at the race with the sort of enthusiasm usually reserved for bad odors. That is in stark contrast to Greg LeMond, the other American Tour champion, who not only received a warm reception when he returned last year, but who is increasingly becoming an institution.
After a long absence from the Tour, LeMond has become the host of a daily show and the face of cycling on Eurosport, a satellite and cable channel that broadcasts the Tour live throughout the continent.