Cycling-Armstrong coming out of retirement

Seven-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is coming out of retirement, his website confirmed Tuesday.

"Lance Armstrong has confirmed he will return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden," his website (http://www.lancearmstrong.com/) said.

The return of one of cycling's most dynamic figures had been rumoured in recent weeks but the 36-year-old American had remained silent until the Web posting.

Armstrong will compete in the Tour de France, the Amgen Tour of California, the Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia, and the Dauphine-Libere, the cycling magazine Velonews reported Monday, citing anonymous sources.

Velonews said he would race for the Astana cycling team but its manager, Johan Bruyneel, told Reuters earlier Tuesday there had been no contact between Armstrong and the team.

Armstrong, who survived testicular cancer, won the Tour de France, cycling's most prestigious race, a record-breaking seven consecutive years from 1999-2005.