PARIS - LANCE Armstrong caught the cycling world off guard this week in the way he used to puzzle his rivals in the Tour de France when on Tuesday he announced his intention to return to competitive racing.

The seven times Tour champion's statement came too late for most of the world's top riders to react, most of whom were in bed resting from the day's efforts in the Spanish Vuelta.

But the news could have got through to Spaniards Carlos Sastre and Alberto Contador, the last two Tour winners, who like the rest of the peloton will be wondering if the American can still be a threat at almost 37-years-old.

'...I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden,' Armstrong said on his website.

In an interview posted earlier on Vanity Fair magazine's website, the Texan cancer survivor made his intentions clear, saying: 'I'm going back to professional cycling. I'm going to try and win an eighth Tour de France.'

Armstrong has a knack for achieving the seemingly impossible, having returned from a near-fatal cancer battle in 1999 to claim seven Tour victories.

Yet cycling has changed since he decided to call it quits three years ago and the American must overcome a number of hurdles to achieve his dream of a second, or third, career.

Which team
His decision to return was apparently made rather quickly since his mentor and long-time friend Johan Bruyneel, currently in charge of the Astana team, said he had not been in touch.

But Bruyneel hinted Armstrong could join up with him by adding: 'We have a close relationship and if he were to resume competing I can't imagine him going to CSC or Rabobank...'

Team Astana, built around part of the staff that helped Armstrong win his record seven Tours, would be an ideal but challenging choice.

In the Kazakh-sponsored outfit, he would be reunited with Bruyneel and fellow American and former team mate Levi Leipheimer.

However, he would probably have to share top billing with Contador, the 2007 Tour de France and 2008 Giro champion, who would certainly not accept playing second fiddle.

The team is currently dominating the Spanish Vuelta after winning the Giro d'Italia but it was not accepted on the Tour because of its past doping record.

There were no signs that Tour organisers planned to change their stance towards Astana even though cycling magazine Velo News said on Tuesday that Armstrong planned to take part in a number of other races they organise like Paris-Nice.

Asked on Tuesday about Armstrong's return from retirement the Tour organisers declined to comment.

Bit strange
Armstrong could also be a perfect recruit for ambitious and wealthy Russian team Katyusha but no contact has yet been made.

'I find it all a bit strange,' said Buryneel. 'He stopped competing three years ago and that's a long time.

'He doesn't have anything to prove and he doesn't have to worry about anything financially.'

But he seems to have been inspired by some of the older athletes at the Olympics and in his Vanity Fair interview talked about successful older competitors, like 41-year-old American swimmer Dara Torres who won three silver medals in Beijing.

Armstrong turns 37 on Sept 18 and will be returning to a sport that has been in constant turmoil since he retired.

Big Tour organisers have been at war with the International Cycling Union (UCI) while most riders seen as his potential successors, like his former team mates Floyd Landis, Tyler Hamilton or Ivan Basso, have been sidelined by doping offences.

Most will be back in action in 2009 aware doping controls have become more effective and organisers are not ready to accept riders who could tarnish the reputation of their events.

The question is can they challenge the young generation of Contador, Alejandro Valverde or the Schleck brothers? Armstrong has shown in the past that nothing is impossible by becoming world champion in 1993 before beating cancer and then deleting the names of greats Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil and Miguel Indurain from the record books.

However, this time the American survivor probably faces an even tougher challenge to recapture past glories. -- REUTERS