Armstrong cleared for Tour Down Under

The world govering body said it was satisfied that Armstrong could take part.

"The International Cycling Union (UCI) has decided to approve Lance Armstrong's participation in the forthcoming Tour Down Under in Australia, to be held 20-25 January, the first event of the 2009 UCI ProTour," said a UCI statement.

"According to Article 77 of the Anti-Doping Regulations introduced in 2004, a retired rider may only return to competition by informing the UCI six months in advance in order to allow him/her to be available for out-of-competition testing.

"Consequently, Lance Armstrong would only be able to return to the sport at international level from Feb 1, 2009, a week after the end of the Australian event.

NVDL: Good to see some sense and sense-of-sport emerging rather than a strict, legalistic, 'We're the boss spitefulness' that sport's body's so often impose. Welcome back Lance.

clipped from english.people.com.cn Seven-time Tour de France Lance Armstrong was on Wednesday cleared to race in the 2009 Tour Down Under in Australia, the International Cycling Union (UCI) announced. The American, who stunned cycling by announcing his intentions to take part in next year's Tour de France, targeted the event in Australia as the first step on his comeback after a three-year absence.