Tour de France winner Stephen Roche has offered his support to Geoff Thomas, arguing that cycling should not object to Lance Armstrong joining the former England footballer in France this summer to raise money for the fight against cancer. Roche, the 1987 Tour winner whose own son suffered with leukaemia, believes Armstrong’s involvement with Thomas’s ‘Le Tour - One Day Ahead’ event will only help raise awareness and cash for the cause. Thomas and Armstrong are united by both being cancer survivors but some senior figures in cycling – UCI president Brian Cookson and Team Sky boss Sir Dave Brailsford – have objected to the controversial American returning to the French roads. Lance Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Le Tour title, wants to return to work fighting cancer . Former Tour de France champion Stephen Roche, pictured with former footballer and charity organiser Geoff Thomas, supports Armstrong's return to raise money and awareness of the disease . Armstrong is set to be part of a team of cyclists rising the route on a day before the Tour de France starts . The US cyclist revealed details of his doping scandal in an interview chat show host Oprah Winfrey . Lance Armstrong's former team-mate Jonathan Vaughters said he would support the disgraced cyclist’s plan to ride part of the Tour de France route this summer if it was for ‘altruistic’ reasons. Vaughters, who rode with Armstrong in the US Postal Service team in 1998 and 1999, was however wary of his motives for accepting an invitation from fellow cancer survivor Geoff Thomas to join him in a charity ride. ‘I sincerely hope his reasons for wanting to do that are altruistic.I have no idea what his motivations are. If it's altruistic then it's hard to condemn anything altruistic, across the board. If it's part of a greater commercial strategy or legal strategy, then I feel like that's disingenuous.’ Vaughters, speaking at a UK anti-doping conference, said Armstrong’s lifetime ban from competition was not the only way he had been punished. ‘One of the biggest penalties that guys face when they are caught for doping is the loss of their social group,’ he said, ‘They're no longer accepted amongst their tribe, their people that they were once close with. He would like social acceptance again. I'm assuming that's a little bit what he's after (with the charity ride).’ Vaughters welcomed reports that Armstrong has met with US anti-doping boss Travis Tygart in Denver, Colorado. It's positive news. I don't know what his motivations are, but to me that's good news. My experiences with Travis have been nothing but positive.’ Thomas and a team of cyclists will ride the route of this summer’s Tour one day ahead of the professional peloton, with Armstrong planning to join them for two stages. But Cookson branded Armstrong’s involvement ‘inappropriate and disrespectful’. Roche, who in 1987 became the second of only two cyclists to win the Triple Crown of the Tour, the Giro D’Italia and the world road race title, said: ‘I believe in what he’s (Thomas) doing,’ said Roche. ‘I know that by having Lance involved with Geoff Thomas in his charity to generate funds for leukaemia - I think that his overall picture will be a lot brighter. 'He will bring in a lot more money for very, very worthy causes. It's about going forward. We can't change the past. We must use the past to make the future better.’ It was Roche’s son, Florian, who suffered with leukaemia and the Irishman, speaking to the Newstalk Breakfast radio show earlier, said: 'I can speak from my heart because my son had leukaemia and he's on the straight now, thank God,’ he said. ‘And when you're involved with that, to see how far a euro goes, and how euros are lacking to fund research. 'So I'm speaking from a different perspective maybe than someone who just a general cyclist that's very disappointed in what Armstrong has done to the sport. So I know the power he has. 'I know that people are going to despise me for saying so, but I think we have got to move on. I think that he faulted - he wasn't the only one that faulted - he's been punished. 'He'll be punished for the rest of his life for what he did. But there is a redemption somewhere as well. Where does it start? Does it start this year, next year, in ten years' time? Does it start by doing a charity cycle?' Former Crystal Palace, Wolves midfielder Thomas (right) won nine full England caps in his football career .
Lance Armstrong is set to ride Tour de France course to raise money for cancer charity run by former footballer Geoff Thomas . Former winner Stephen Roche has backed return of cyclist disgraced by doping scandal . UCI president Brian Cookson and Team Sky boss Sir Dave Brailsford have objected to   rider's return .