Armstrong  will lead his RadioShack team at the Tour de France that starts in Rotterdam on Saturday for the final time after the 38 year-old Texan made the announcement on Twitter on Monday evening. "This will be final Tour de France. It's been a great ride. Looking forward to three great weeks," said the American. Armstrong, who already holds the record number of wins in the three-week stage race after he won seven successive Tours between 1999 and 2005, has retired from the sport once already.

Last year, however, he reunited with Johan Bruyneel, his long-time directeur sportif, at the Astana team alongside Alberto Contador, the eventual winner, after being out of the saddle for more than three years. In the close season Armstrong, backed by RadioShack, formed a new ProTour team taking with him several riders and backroom staff, including Bruyneel, and is now hoping to win an incredible eighth title when the race reaches Paris on July 25.

Despite his record and strong team of riders, that includes Levi Leipheimer, Andreas Klöden and Yaroslav Popovych, Armstrong will face strong opposition from Astana's reigning champion, Australian world champion Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck and, of course, Britain's own Bradley Wiggins.