Final stage starts after Armstrong’s team takes off unofficial jerseys honoring cancer fight

‘Shirtgate’ delays start to last Tour stage

PARIS — The final stage of the Tour de France was delayed Sunday when Lance Armstrong’s Radioshack team was forced to change out of unofficial jerseys honoring cancer patients.

The start of the stage was held up for about 15 minutes while Armstrong and his teammates took off the black jerseys with the number “28″ on the back. The figure was selected to honor the 28 million people fighting cancer, the focus of the Texan’s Livestrong Foundation.

The International Cycling Union said the RadioShack riders had to wear their official race numbers.

TV images showed the team’s riders on the side of the road taking off the black jerseys and putting their regular red ones on and pinning their numbers to the backs.

Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996 and came back to win the first of his seven Tour titles in 1999.

The rest of the pack pedaled slowly as race officials delayed the start.

The 63.6-mile course from Longjumeau to Paris is expected to be largely ceremonial — with Alberto Contador set to win his third Tour.

Contador, who was sipping a glass of champagne en route to the Champs-Elysees and held up three fingers to signal his probable third Tour win, extended his lead over nearest challenger Andy Schleck to 39 seconds in Saturday’s time trial.

Schleck was in good mood Sunday, speaking with TV reporters while riding but declining to sing the famous French song, “Aux Champs-Elysees.”

The Luxembourg rider and Contador then playfully sprinted in front of the pack about 57 miles from the finish before shaking hands for photographers.

Contador, known as the Pistolero for his trademark finger-firing gesture, then took a blue plastic squirt gun and sprayed photographers.

Contador was poised to join Greg LeMond, Louison Bobet and Philippe Thys as a three-time Tour champions. Armstrong is the most successful Tour rider with seven consecutive wins, between 1999 and 2005.