ARMSTRONG - File

AUSTIN, Texas (AP):

IS LANCE Armstrong coming back to cycling? A report in a prominent cycling journal suggests that may be the case. And the seven-time Tour de France champion has put himself forward for drug testing - a necessary step for any return to the highest level of the sport he once dominated.

But any Armstrong comeback won't take place with the Astana cycling team, as cycling journal VeloNews reported. Citing anonymous sources, its website said on Monday that the 36-year-old would compete with Astana in the 2009 Tour de France and four other road races - the Amgen Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia and the Dauphine-Libere.

Report denied

Team press officer Philippe Maertens denied that report yesterday.

"There are no contacts or plans of Team Astana to take Lance Armstrong," he told The Associated Press by phone from Belgium. "As far as I know, Lance Armstrong doesn't have plans to do road cycling.

"But that's a question you have to ask Armstrong," Maertens added. "We have no plans."

Astana team director Johan Bruyneel, who was with Armstrong for all seven Tour wins from 1999-2005, told cyclingnews.com that he was unaware of any Armstrong comeback.

"I don't know where the rumours come from," the website quoted him as saying.

Maertens said rumours that Armstrong might come out of retirement had been circulating for a few weeks.

"If it would be true that Armstrong wants to come back it would be stupid for us to say no," Maertens said, "but it's not the case".

Submit to drug testing

Armstrong at least appears willing to submit to drug testing.

The US Anti-Doping Agency confirmed Armstrong is part of its out-of-competition testing pool and would be eligible for elite competition on February 1, 2009. The Amgen Tour of California begins on February 14.

Pat McQuaid, the head of cycling's governing body, told The AP that he learned a couple of weeks ago that Armstrong was in the testing system in the US.

"So, if he wants to come back to racing, he's every right to come back. Good luck to him," said McQuaid, president of the International Cycling Union.

Armstrong did not respond to a text message or voice mails left by the AP. His manager, Mark Higgins, and Bruyneel, also did not respond to voice mails left by the AP.