Seven-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will race in next year's Giro d'Italia for the first time as part of his cycling comeback, organisers announced today. The 37-year-old, who retired in 2005, will compete in the May 9-31 race before bidding for an eighth Tour title in July. "I will give my utmost, and not only to prepare for the Tour," Armstrong said in a statement from race organisers RCS Sport.
"Not having taken part in the Giro was one of my biggest regrets as a rider. Finally I will be able to do it." The American begins his comeback in January's Tour Down Under in Australia after being allowed to compete by the International Cycling Union (UCI) despite breaching the rules. Riders making comebacks have to be in the UCI's anti-doping programme for six months prior to racing but the governing body has made an exception for Armstrong, who announced he was returning to the sport only last month.
Armstrong, who fought off cancer and unproven doping allegations during his career, is partly making a comeback with the Astana team to promote a global cancer awareness campaign. The Giro will be celebrating its centenary next year, with the route as yet to be announced. * Reuters
