American cycling star Lance Armstrong has ended speculation, announcing he will race in this year's Tour de France.

Armstrong broke the record last year when he won his sixth Tour. That bettered the mark of five victories in the prestigious multi-stage classic that he shared with Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx of Belgian and Miguel Indurain of Spain.

The 33-year-old Armstrong plans to start his season early next month in the Paris-Nice seven-day stage race. He will then compete in the Tour of Flanders on April 3, before returning to the United States to defend his title at the Tour de Georgia that month.

Armstrong says he is excited to get back on the bike and start racing, though he said his condition is far from perfect. This year's Tour de France, where he will aim for a seventh straight victory, begins on July 2 and features 21 stages covering nearly 3,600 kilometers.