It was the announcement by Lance Armstrong that he plans to return to the pro peloton and compete in cycling’s biggest event.

The summit of Mt. Ventoux

Armstrong’s return will generate significantly more interest to a pending Tour de France edition that appears rich with diverse appeal.

The grand departure of next year’s Tour will be in Monaco, and now in the past two days there has been strong speculation the race will visit Barcelona, Spain, as well as the mysterious mountain summit, Mt. Ventoux. There are event even rumors of perhaps a stage or two in Italy.

The probability of a Mt. Ventoux stage was reported in the French newspaper, La Provence. It reported Mt. Ventoux, known as
“Bald Mountain,” would likely be a time and could be held on the penultimate day of the race, July 25.

Other stage host towns, according to the newspaper, are rumored to be Torino, Italy, Sisteron, Aubenas, La Grande-Motte, Montpellier, Sète (for a possible first time trial) and Andorra.

The Tour de France hasn’t held a stage to Mt. Ventoux, also known as the “Tour of the Moon” because of its barren landscape, since 2002.

Amaury Sport Organization (AS0) annually announces the entire route of the following year’s race route each October.

This year, the presentation will occur Wednesday, Oct. 22 in its usual lavish presentation at the Palais des Congres in Paris.

Race director Christian Prudhomme is expected to present maps of the stages before a crowd scheduled to include Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Carlos Sastre, Alberto Contador and Oscar Pereiro, winners of the past three Tour de France editions, are scheduled to attend. Team directors, various cycling luminaries and the media en masse are also expected.

Lance Armstrong, who retired in 2005 after claiming the last of his seven Tour de France wins, was also planning to attend. He recently changed his mind when he said his pending participation in the event is now uncertain.

What will Tour de France organizers reveal?

Are rumors of a diverse course that will take the peloton into Barcelona, Spain, Torino, Italy, and to the mysterious perch at Mt. Ventoux true?

Will the route favor true climbers or long time trial specialists?

The presentation will begin at 11:30 a.m. (Paris time), 5:30 a.m. East Coast time in the United States and 2:30 a.m. West Coast time.