When Lance Armstrong climbs onto a bicycle next weekend in a French coastal village for the start of the Tour de France, it will be the beginning of the end of an era.
All eyes will be on the 33-year-old American for his final lap around France, which ends an illustrious -- some would say miraculous -- career in a sport that will bear his mark for years to come.
But will he go out with another victory, or will rivals long eager to dethrone him have the last word?
Armstrong, whose return from a bout with cancer is the stuff of legend, already has rewritten cycling's record book with six straight Tour wins. A seventh would cement his iconic status in the cycling world.
Even though last year's victory elevated him above four other five-time champions, Armstrong says he still wants to finish in style.
"This year my main motivation is that I want to end on a high note. In that way it could be more motivating than a big bonus or making history," Armstrong said during this month's Dauphine Libere tuneup race in which he finished fourth.
The three-week, 21-stage Tour begins with a July 2 time-trial prologue along the Atlantic coast. The race then heads eastward and dips into Germany, enters the Alps, moves to the Pyrenees, briefly crosses into Spain and then into the Massif Central mountain range before heading to Paris for the July 24 finish.
Then, Armstrong hangs it up for good. He'll have time to focus on raising his children, hanging out with girlfriend Sheryl Crow -- and, he says, drinking some beer.
In the Armstrong era, fans have wondered each year what horrendous mountain climbs, time trials or other surprises Tour organizers would plot to challenge him. Organizers reply that the course is never designed around one rider.
"If it's the Armstrong we knew in 2004 and there is as much difference between him and his rivals, it won't matter what course it is," assistant Tour director Christian Prudhomme said this week. "I hope Armstrong will have the rivalry he deserves and come up against people who take risks."
Though the 3,607km course is less physically challenging than in recent years, expect a shakeout in stage 11, featuring a one-two punch of the Col de la Madeleine and the Col du Galibier -- two climbs so punishing they are beyond categorization.
Three straight days of punishment await riders in the Pyrenees, with a roller coaster profile of six mountain climbs in stage 15 that finishes with a grueling ascent into the Pla d'Adet ski station.
One curve ball from race planners this year is that the two individual time trials nearly bookend the Tour -- the prologue and the penultimate stage.
Armstrong has ridden little this year, but is confident he can peak in time. But there are questions about his fitness.
Armstrong didn't win the time trial in the Dauphine Libere, as he had hoped, and started training late because he committed to the Tour only in February, said John Wilcockson, co-author of a book on Armstrong's victory last year, "23 Days in July."
"He hasn't won a single race this year, which is something that's never happened going into one of his Tour victories," said Wilcockson. "Psychologically, that is something which could affect his performance at the Tour."
Armstrong will be backed on the Discovery Channel team by longtime comrade George Hincapie, plus rising Ukrainian star Yaroslav Popovych and Giro d'Italia winner Paolo Savoldelli. But one traditional Armstrong workhorse -- Russian veteran Vyacheslav Ekimov -- is out with an injury.
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