US cyclist Lance Armstrong will return to professional road racing in January at the Tour Down Under in Australia, organizers of the Adelaide stage race said Wednesday.

Armstrong announced his retirement after winning the Tour de France a record seven times in 2005 but has said he will try for an eighth triumph in the world's most prestigious road race.

The Tour Down Under, the first stage race outside Europe to be accorded the cherished ProTour status, attracts some of the world's top teams.

Professional cyclists like it because it's a warm change from grueling training in the Northern Hemisphere winter. The six-day race, won this year by up-and-coming German rider Andre Greipel, circles the picturesque Barossa Valley wine-growing region.

Past attempts to bring Armstrong to Australia have failed because of cost and scheduling issues.