AUGUSTA — One of the last legs in Lance Armstrong's unparalleled career will wind through Georgia, beginning today. The six-time Tour de France champion announced Monday that he will retire in July.

News of his retirement, made in Augusta before worldwide news media, caused Tour de Georgia officials to brace for an onslaught of spectators for what may be Armstrong's final professional race in the United States. Today he begins the six-day stage race that will take him from Macon to Rome, finishing in Alpharetta on Sunday before a crushing crowd of cycling enthusiasts.

JOEY IVANSCO / AJC (ENLARGE)
Lance Armstrong announced just hours ahead of the start of the 2005 Dodge Tour de Georgia that he would be retiring after the 2005 Tour de France.
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"From the start of the race to the end, it will increase tenfold over what we saw last year," Tour de Georgia race director Jim Birrell said. "When he won the stage into Rome [last year], we got phone calls and e-mails for accommodations and route information. It was a huge success.

"With the comment that this will be his final race [in the U.S.], it will blow Georgia out of the world."

Last year 748,000 people attended the six-day race, with 48 percent from out of state.

In announcing his retirement, Armstrong, whose personal story as a cancer survivor transcended his sport of cycling and captured the imagination of Americans everywhere, invoked the image of the champion going out on top.

He hopes to see that dream come to fruition on July 24 with a record seventh Tour de France victory.

"What's important is that I still love what I do. I'll still go out and kill myself on six-hour bike rides, come back wasted, tired and say, 'That was a great bike ride.' "

Armstrong, who turns 34 in September, talked about spending more time with his children, a 5-year-old son and twin 3-year-old daughters.

Pro cycling, with few exceptions, such as this week's race, requires the riders to live in Europe for eight months of the year.

"This year was something like I had never experienced. My kids are at an age where they change daily, if not hourly. To be away for a month, it's grueling. I'm blown away by their independence and their intelligence. It's time for me not to miss key moments in their lives."

In discussing his decision , Armstrong recounted a conversation with his girlfriend, singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow.

"I was watching Milan-San Remo. It's a big race in cycling. I couldn't sit down the entire race. I was standing in front of the TV with Sheryl. She said, 'Look at you, you can't even sit down, how are you going to retire?' So it's a great question. But I can tell you I'm 100 percent, and the decision's final. It's hard to separate being a pro cyclist from being a fan of cycling, but I'll always be a fan."

Armstrong said his involvement with the sport would continue through his sponsor, the Discovery Channel. He will work as an advisor to the team

Armstrong said he might race again in the United States before his final Tour de France if he finds a race he likes.

Even so, Georgia boosters are "incredibly thrilled" that one of his last U.S. appearances will "take place in Alpharetta," said Nancy McAllister, Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau spokeswoman.

"I wouldn't even want to venture a guess [how many will come]. . . . We will be watching the other stages and see how much they grow," McAllister said.

If Tuesday and Wednesday's stages draw considerably more than expected, McAllister said police and vendors will have to adjust.

Standing to gain are Milton High School's booster club and Alpharetta High School's tennis team, which have the beverage concessions in Alpharetta.

Alpharetta was the most well-attended stage last year, when 75,000 people watched Armstrong win. Organizers had already warned Alpharetta officials to expect 120,000 spectators for the final stage on Sunday.

If Armstrong is in contention, there's no doubt those expectations will be met.

-- Staff writer Marcia Langhenry contributed to this report.