Lance

LANCE ARMSTRONG has confirmed he will return to professional cycling in Australia next year — and seek an EIGHTH Tour de France win while promoting a global cancer awareness campaign.

The American legend, 37, who retired in 2005, will ride for the Astana team.

A survivor of testicular cancer, he said: “I’ll race my bicycle again. I can’t guarantee a Tour victory but I can guarantee the Livestrong cancer awareness message will touch our society.”

The Astana Team comprises mainly of cyclists who were in Armstrong's former teams, the US Postal and the Discovery Channel team, and is managed by Johan Bruyneel, who was one of the key reasons that Armstrong won all of his 7 Tour De France.

The Astana Team was not invited by the ASO to contest the Tour De France this year, due to its chequered past. Click on the link here. It has been argued by Astana supporters that whatever had happened was with the previous members of the Astana Team- and that the current team, with the ex-US Postal/Discovery staff, had absolutely nothing to do with what had happened. It'll be interesting to see if the ASO will extend the invitation to the Astana Team for the Tour De France in 2009. Armstrong's ambition of an 8th Tour De France after all, hinges upon him riding for a team that is actually invited to compete.

Personally I would love to see him kick some major a$$ and show the cyclists that despite a 3 year absence, he is still King. Go Lance!