Former top Australian cyclist Pat Jonker knew about a month ago that Lance Armstrong would make this year's Tour de France his last.

Jonker had been continuing the five-year long campaign by Adelaide's Tour Down Under to bring out his former team-mate for the race.

"I've known for more than a month now - we were trying to get him to race (here), we've been negotiating and last month we were coming reasonably close," Jonker said.

"All of a sudden he said `It's not going to be possible, it's going to be impossible to ride in 2006 because I won't be riding a bike any more'.

"But you never know until it was confirmed today."

Jonker added the Tour Down Under would still try to bring Armstrong out as a guest speaker.

Jonker, himself a five-year Tour finisher and 12th overall in 1996, was part of the famous "Blue Train" when he rode under Armstrong at the then-US Postal team in 2000.

It became the greatest disappointment of Jonker's career, thanks to an Achilles tendon injury only three weeks before the great race.

Jonker was short-listed to be one of Armstrong's Tour lieutenants, but the injury forced him out and he was off the team by the end of the year.

His career never recovered, although he rounded out his time in pro cycling by winning the 2003 Tour Down Under.

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