Armstrong to quit after 2005 Tour
 |  Six-time Tour winner Armstrong will quit after this year's race |
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| | Lance Armstrong Fact Box | 1971 Born September 18 in Texas
1991 U.S amateur champion
1992 Finished 14th in individual road race at Barcelona Olympics. Turned professional
1993 Raced in the Tour de France, winning a stage at Verdum. Won the Triple Crown in the U.S and the World Championships in Norway
1996 12th in road race and sixth in individual time trial at Atlanta Olympics. Diagnosed with testicular cancer
1997 Declared free of cancer and after leaving Cofidis under a cloud joins the U.S. Postal team.
1998 Secured victory at Tour de Luxembourg, finished fourth in the Tour of Holland, fourth in the Tour of Spain and an overall fourth place finish at World Championships.
1999 Won the Tour de France for the first time
2000 Earned a second Tour victory. Won bronze for individual time trial at Sydney Olympics
2001 Became only the fifth man in 88 editions of the Tour to win three or more times in succession
2002 Took his fourth Tour title
2003 Named sportsman of the year at the Laureus World Sports Awards. Won a record equalling fifth Tour. Splits from wife.
2004 Starts relationship with singer Sheryl Crow. Wins record-breaking sixth Tour de France.
2005 Announces he will retire after this year's Tour.
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ATLANTA, Georgia -- Record six-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong said on Monday he would quit professional cycling after this year's Tour in July.
The 33-year-old American, addressing a news conference, said: "I have thought a lot about it. My time has come but I will definitely have the itch every now and again.
"My children are my biggest supporters but at the same time they are the ones who told me it's time to come home. After July 24, (continuing) is not an option."
Armstrong came back from being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996 to win a record six Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2004.
Three men -- Jacques Anquetil (1961-64), Eddy Merckx (1969-72) and Miguel Indurain (1991-95) -- won the event five times.
The announcement came on the eve of Armstrong's defense of his Tour de Georgia championship. The six-day, 648-mile event he uses as a training tool for the Tour de France begins Tuesday.
His new two-year contract to race for the Discovery Channel team requires he compete in just one more Tour de France.
"I hope to win one more Tour de France," he said.
He has said previously if he retires he would amplify his high-profile role as a cancer survivor.
Armstrong's relationship with rock star Sheryl Crow has also made him the focus of the tabloids and paparazzi.
"Sheryl, you've been an amazing woman. For someone who is the queen of rock n' roll, you've been a great cycling fan ... a great teammate," he said.
Armstrong says he is "100 percent committed" to his decision to retire and that he will not be participating in any other races after July 24 -- the scheduled end of the Tour de France.
He explained: "Ultimately, athletes have to retire. I have been doing this for 14 years, I have been a professional athlete for almost 20 years. The body does not just keep going and going and going."
Armstrong said he wanted to help groom a successor within the Discovery team. "If I step off the bike it does not mean I'm not involved in the team. I want to develop another American Tour de France winner."
