American cycling legend Lance Armstrong announced Monday he will ride his first-ever Giro d'Italia in his comeback year in 2009.
Next year is also the centennial year for the round-Italy race, the world's second greatest stage race after the Tour de France.
Armstrong announced his participation in a video message from his Texan home posted on the website of organiser La Gazzetta dello Sport (Gazzetta.it).
''I'm very happy to tell you I will take part in the Giro d'Italia in 2009,'' said the seven-time-straight Tour winner.
''I never took part in a Giro and it has been one of my greatest regrets. I want to fill this gap. This is the Centennial Giro and I know how meaningful it is to Italian people,'' he said.
''Italy is the country that welcomed me when I was a boy and I know I have many fans there''.
The US cyclist, who beat testicular cancer to become one of cycling's all-time greats, hinted that the Giro might be ''my real three-week race (next) year'', instead of just being a prelude to the Tour.
Armstrong, 37, used to skip the Giro to prepare his Tour campaigns in relative isolation. He was sometimes accused of ''snubbing'' the Italian race.
Armstrong retired in 2005 but recently announced a comeback for the Astana Team, partly to promote his cancer and wellness foundation Livestrong.
Astana is now managed by the Belgian who masterminded Armstrong's successful Tour bids from 1999 to 2005, Johan Brunyeel.
The Texan will follow his appearance at the 2009 centennial Giro with his bid for further Tour glory, as announced at the end of last month.
The announcement of the Tour bid prompted renewed mutterings in some quarters of the French cycling world who raised doubts about Armstrong's performances even though he passed every dope test he took.
Tour 'patron' Christian Prudhomme said: ''The important thing is that he and his team respect the rules on doping which have changed over the last few years and become stricter''.
Prudhomme said his concern was linked to the ''suspicions'' which dogged Armstrong's record run.
Armstrong kicks off his comeback campaign in the Tour Down Under in Australia from January 18 to 25.
