Armstrong set for shock comeback
Lance Armstrong of the USA has a glass of champagne on his way to winning a seventh consecutive Tour de France in 2005
Lance Armstrong won seven consecutive Tours from 1999-2005
Lance Armstrong is coming out of retirement to try to win an eighth Tour de France in 2009.
The American, who will be 37 on 18 September, recovered from cancer and claimed victory in the Tour a record seven times before retiring in 2005.
He said: "I'm happy to announce that after talking with my children, family and closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling...
"...in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden."
He added: "This year alone, nearly eight million people will die of cancer worldwide. It's now time to address cancer on a global level."
Armstrong beat testicular cancer before embarking on his remarkable run of Tour de France victories.
Since his retirement in 2005, he has run twice in the New York City Marathon and also the Boston Marathon.
Talk of his comeback was fuelled when the US anti-doping agency (USADA) confirmed he had reinstated himself in its out-of-competition testing pool.
BBC Radio 5 Live's Phil Sheehan said Armstrong had to return to USADA's testing programme to compete in last month's Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race in Colorado.
He finished a creditable second in the tough event, proving he remains in good shape.
Armstrong's spokesman Mark Higgins said it was undecided which team he would ride for and in what other races, apart from the Tour de France, he would compete.
from bbc
i didnt see that one coming i wonder if he can win it again 
