Report: Lance Armstrong to end retirement

BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Cyclist Lance Armstrong, who retired in 2005 after winning his seventh consecutive Tour de France, reportedly is staging a comeback.

Velo News, a cycling publication, cited unnamed sources as saying Armstrong, who will turn 37 Sept. 18, would ride for the Astana Team in five races next year, including the Tour de France.

The Astana Team features Armstrong's former team manager Johan Bruyneel and recently signed former Discovery Channel team director Dick Demol. Armstrong rode for Discovery in his most recent Tour de France wins.

While Armstrong's manager didn't respond to questions about the sources' statements, Velo News said the story would be confirmed in a Vanity Fair article this month.

The publication said Armstrong, to prove he is free of performance-enhancing drugs, would post his internally tested blood work online. He's also enrolled with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's out-of-competition testing program, a necessary step ahead of leaving retirement, Velo News said.