A police security team will shadow cycling superstar Lance Armstrong during his time at Australia’s Tour Down Under next week, reports said Saturday.

Given the extraordinary interest surrounding the seven-time Tour de France winner’s comeback to elite cycling, organisers said they would be taking extra security measures to protect Armstrong.

Armstrong is expected to arrive here over the weekend from Hawaii ahead of the January 18 start to the tour, according to the reports.

Adelaide’s Advertiser newspaper said the 37-year old American and his entourage would have the services of a dedicated police motorcyclist, an unmarked car and two patrol vehicles for his training rides.

Police and race organisers would not comment on the security arrangements in place for Armstrong.

The newspaper said Armstrong was also expected to have a personal security guard accompany him as he leaves his city hotel each morning for the walk to the nearby tour village from where he will ride out on training runs or drive to the start line.

Events South Australia general manager Hitaf Rasheed would not comment about specific security arrangements.

“What a great situation to have with Lance Armstrong coming to Australia,”
Rasheed told the newspaper.

“And as an organization we will put all the (security) measures in place to make sure the event runs as smoothly as possible.”

Armstrong confidante and official photographer Elizabeth Kreutz was quoted by the newspaper that Armstrong was fully focused on riding success and spreading his cancer awareness message.

Kreutz said Armstrong and his entourage expected the frenzy surrounding the athlete in Adelaide to be around “10 times” the magnitude of his Tour de France appearances because it was his comeback ride.

“It is going to be crazy, it is always crazy with the fans and the media but with this being his comeback race and because everyone is so enthusiastic about Australia we think it will be great,” she said.

Kreutz said Armstrong’s personal team would fly into Adelaide separate from his Team Astana cycling team, which will converge from different parts of the world.

She said the size of the entourage reflected the fact Armstrong had dedicated the Tour Down Under not only to his comeback but his anti-cancer fight through the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which was formed in 1997, one year after Armstrong was diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Armstrong successfully battled the cancer in 1996, retired from riding in 2005, but has dedicated his comeback to his “Livestrong” cancer prevention campaign.