MILAN -- American cyclist Lance Armstrong, the four-time Tour de France champion, says he is concerned about his security if the United States goes to war against Iraq.

"We Americans do not enjoy much sympathy abroad at the moment," Armstrong said in an interview with the Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport published on Thursday. "If I have to do the Tour with a war under way it would be very difficult for me."

"In cycling you ride in the open -- there is no fencing or protection nets. But I will be there just the same, it won't be the war that stops me," said the American.

	“	If I have to do the Tour with a war under way, it would be very difficult for me. In cycling you ride in the open -- there is no fencing or protection nets. ”
		— Lance Armstrong

Asked if he would pull out in the case of direct threats against him, Armstrong said he would not be intimidated.

"I hope that it won't happen. But even if I am advised to pull out for security reasons I will still go," Armstrong said. "I am not afraid and anyway I am not convinced that that there will be a war."

Texan-born Armstrong, 31, said he broadly backed Bush's stand on Iraq.

"I support President Bush. The only thing I would say is to let the (weapons) inspectors do their work. Let's take the decisions afterwards and anyway we can't go against the rest of the world," the U.S. Postal cyclist said.

Armstrong, who fought off testicular cancer, is a member of a U.S. presidential commission on cancer and was personally congratulated by Bush after winning his fourth consecutive Tour last year.

Cycling has been plagued with a series of doping scandals in recent years, but Armstrong said the situation had improved significantly.

"Cycling is under the microscope but I am convinced that if you look closely at soccer, tennis, athletics and rugby you would find the same things," he said. "I am convinced that cycling is now cleaner than ever and we have done much more than other sports," he added.

Armstrong also said he is totally focused on winning his fifth Tour next season.

"I am thinking only about winning that race. Ever since I have been on a bike I have been riding only for success in the Tour.

"I will be a cyclist as long as I enjoy it and at this moment my love for this sport is stronger than ever," he said.