Dear Lance

Welcome to South Africa! We really are truly honoured to have a cyclist of your calibre in our country participating in the Argus.

But last night you were wrong, and you owe all South Africans an apology after your posts on Twitter.

@LanceArmstrong 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. #really?

@LanceArmstrong Well, made it in to SA. Not the friendliest welcome I've ever received but we've all seen immigration officers like that. #posterboymaterial

Your passport was not up to date, and you clearly did not have sufficient empty pages available for a stamp from South African Immigration.

These rules apply all over the world and are not unique in any way to South Africa.

Some countries require 2 blank pages in your passport before you enter the country. If you are running low on blank pages, contact your nearest passport office, embassy, or consulate and they should be able to add extra pages for free or a fee depending on issuing country. http://wikitravel.org/en/Passport

What disappoints me even more are the comments below made by South Africans that have been made as a result of your posts.

  Comments made on Twitter

  “Someone please go down to the airport, find the doos who gave @lancearmstrong a hard time entering SA and kick his #posterboymaterial bum

 welcome to Cape Town pitty about the welcome but plz don't judge us on that it's great to have u here!

 welcome to SA: promise there will be friendlier faces than immigration, paolo, hear hear! See you on the ride!

  SA customs you're getting a bad rep. Sort it out we have a World Cup remember..

  welcome to SA! Sorry about our passport goons, promise the rest of us will be more friendly!

  Sorry for the way they treated you at the airport. We are glad you made it in. Welcome from the remaining 42mil S Africans

  that sucks get outta there soon for heavens sake you ate Lance Armstrong!!!! Don't these clowns know who you are!!!

  I'm South African and appologise on our nations behalf for your rude welcome. I'm sure the rest will be great though. Bokke!

  well done South African immegration. Go ahead and be rude to the most accomplished cyclist in the world. Muppets.

  What a fantastic advert for our country. Well done immigration morons! RT @lancearmstrong: Well, made it in

  on behalf of the pathetic south african government I would like to appologise for such an embarrassing welcome! You deserve

  Well, made it in to SA. Not the friendliest welcome I've ever received < Well done Immigration you wankers” 

Lance we are proud South Africans and we are excited to have you here. But rules are rules and every person from any country needs to abide by them and respect them.

Regards

Aki Anastasiou