South African immigration threatened to turn away Lance Armstrong
March 23 2010 by Liam Clifford
Cyclist Lance Armstrong, who has won international cycling championship the Tour de France seven times, narrowly escaped being rejected for a South African visa because his passport was full.
The 38-year-old
athlete was held by South African immigration officials in Cape Town on Monday,
ahead of a race at the weekend.
Armstrong wrote on his Twitter page:
"Well, made it to Cape Town but can't get in the country since my passport is
full and there's no room to stamp it. So ... stuck." He later posted an update
to let his friends and fans know the South African visa had finally been
granted: "Well, made it in to SA. Not the friendliest welcome I've ever received
but we've all seen immigration officers like that."
News of Armstrong’s
visa predicament spread rapidly on Twitter and other social networks, and many
fans sent messages of support to the athlete, who has suffered from testicular
cancer in the past.
Armstrong had applied for a South African visa in
order to compete in the Cape Argus, the largest mass participation cycling event
in the world.
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