Berlin - Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, who last month said he was returning to competitive cycling, remains doubtful for the Tour de France.

The American, who will be riding for the Astana team, was not at the official presentation of next year's Tour stages on Wednesday, but said he would be holding talks with Tour organizers.

Tour director Christian Prudhomme remains neutral whether Armstrong would be competing next year. "The invited teams nominate their own cyclists. Armstrong said that he regards the Giro d'Italia as his main race. It is his decision if he competes in the Tour thereafter.

Prudhomme said it was neither positive nor negative if Armstrong entered the race, but added that he would have to undergo the same doping tests as everybody else.

"I know that there will be a new leadership at the organizers. I am looking forward to forthcoming discussions with them and toward the future. I am looking forward to next year," Armstrong said.

Many experts doubt that Armstrong, who will compete at the Giro for the first time next year, will also race in the Tour. "I do not think so," cycling legend Eddy Merckx said.

The Belgian also believes that Armstrong's team-mate Alberto Contador had a moral right to be team leader.

Milram's Gerry van Gerwen said that Armstrong was simply looking for coverage and PR for his cancer foundation. "He has had plenty of both simply by announcing that he was coming back. I do not think that he will come back."

Armstrong said that he thought it was too early to decide on the different roles within the Astana team. "It makes no sense to decide in October who will be the captain.

"We are blessed with the strongest team and I am looking forward to cycling with them. I have been around for a long time and I know that cycling is a team sport and the strongest cyclist is supported by the rest of the team, regardless of who that person is, whether it is me, Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer or Andreas Kloeden."

Contador is regarded as the best stage cyclist in the world and won the Tour de France, the Giro and the Vuelta in the last 15 months. He decided last week to stay with the team even though they had hired Armstrong.