FUTUROSCOPE, France—Lance Armstrong, recovered cancer patient, father, global businessman, corporate spokesperson, hero and reigning titlist, begins a quest July 1 only 11 cyclists have ever accomplished.

As leader of the U.S. Postal Service team—the only U.S.-based team entered in the Tour de France— Armstrong will begin his quest for two consecutive titles when the 86th edition of the sport's grand event commences on July 1.

"Some people thought I would retire after the '99 Tour," said the 28-year-old Armstrong, who was victorious by a stunning 7 1/2 minutes over Alez Zulle. "But I need to prove I can win again. A comeback is one thing. A repeat win is another thing."

Armstrong, diagnosed in 1996 with testicular cancer that metastasized to his stomach, lungs and brain, not only lived but returned to dominate the three-week event that taxes cycling's finest to extreme degrees.

With the support of his USPS team, Armstrong won both time trials, two mountain stages and held the race's yellow leader's jersey for the final two weeks.

Armstrong also battled the French press, who relentlessly questioned his ability to return from cancer without using illegal drugs.

This year, the Tour will offer components not included for several years. The traditional opening-day prologue (pre-stage to determine a race leader) has been scratched. The opening-day individual time trial will be held in the futuristic theme park that has hosted numerous stages since it opened in 1987. The team-time trial, scheduled July 4 from Nantes to St. Nazaire, will be contested for the first time since 1995.

In all, there will be 21 days of race covering 3630 kilometers (2,255 miles)— about 50 kilometers (31 miles) shorter than last year's course.

The race will progress north for three days and then starts to move south until July 10 in Lourdes Hautacam. For the next five days, the Tour will head west until July 15 in Draguignan, before following a coastal route with brief diversions in Switzerland and Germany.

Following the 19th stage in Mulhouse, Germany, the race moves inland for its final two-day journey toward the finishing stage July 23 in Paris. In all, the event will include 11 flat stages, 2 medium mountain stages, 5 high mountain stages, 2 individual time trials, 1 team time trial and two rest days.

Armstrong, whose team includes five U.S. riders who are all Tour de France veterans, will likely face the challenges of Zulle, Jan Ullrich of Germany (1997 winners; injured last year) Fernando Escartin of Spain (third last year), Marco Pantani of Italy (1998 winner) and some other key challengers.

"Physically, he (Armstrong) is at least as good as last year and mentally he is stronger than last year," said USPS team director Johan Bruyneel. "We started out last year with big motivation but with only a dream of winning it, without any evidence. Now, he has shown it is possible and that makes a difference in the approach to the Tour."

Armstrong will enter the Tour after recovering from a training crash May 2 in Europe. While descending at 47 mph, he hit a rock and tumbled face-first into a stone retaining wall. Luckily, he suffered only minor injuries. Earlier in June, Armstrong showed he is in good form, claiming the leader's jersey in the Dauphine Libiere in France. He relinquished his lead, worked for teammate Tyler Hamilton's overall victory and finished third. Sure of his form heading into the Tour de France, Armstrong withdrew from his scheduled race at the Route du Sud in France, June 17-20. Armstrong also enters the Tour as a businessman whose endorsements, television commercials, and public speaking engagements have nearly exponentially expanded since his victory last July in Paris.