Lance Armstrong is hopping back on his bike - and returning to professional cycling, the athlete officially confirmed in a video blog posted on Tuesday.

"After long talks with my kids, the rest of my family and a close group of friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in 2009," Armstrong, 36, said in his video announcement.

The announcement comes after speculation that Armstrong would return to the Tour de France.

According to the athlete, who is a cancer survivor, he's making his professional comeback in conjunction with a new effort to raise awareness of the "global cancer burden." "It's now time to address cancer on a global level," he said in a statement.