Lance Armstrong grows rabbit ears

Lance Armstrong fans could be forgiven for wondering whether the seven-times Tour de France winner is having some kind of identity crisis right now.

Following last week’s revelation that Armstrong is to be played on stage by a woman, we now bring you the possibly more disturbing news that the Texan appears to have grown rabbit ears.

Armstrong appeared in the children’s cartoon Arthur on US TV as an animated rabbit, becoming the latest in a series of celebrity guest stars on the show in the paw prints – sorry, footsteps – of Bill Clinton, Matt Damon and Joan Rivers.

The plot of the new episode sees Arthur’s friend, a bulldog called Binky, push for bicycle lanes to be introduced in Elwood City, where they live, attempting to get voters to back the plan in the town’s election.

But Binky is not exactly an expert in these matters, and engages the help of Lance, in town to take part in a race, who explains how to run a campaign in support of a good cause, as well as passing on bike safety advice.

If this all sounds a bit more high-brow than your average kids’ cartoon nowadays, there’s a reason for that – Arthur, a US/Canadian co-production, airs on PBS in the US, which is known for its educational content, such as Sesame Street.

Arthur is also a regular feature on BBC One/CBBC, although it may be a while before this episode, which is part of season 13, hits these shores, since the BBC seems to still be on season 11.