Lance Armstrong will return to European cycling next week in a bid to relaunch his Tour de France preparations following an early setback at Paris-Nice earlier this month.

Armstrong dropped out of the French stage race, the first of the 27-race Pro Tour circuit, due to illness. However the 33-year-old will get his preparations back on track by racing Sunday's Fleche Brabanconne in Belgium, his Discovery Channel team announced Thursday.

Two days later the six-times Tour de France winner, who will bid for a seventh yellow jersey in July, will ride the popular one-day Paris-Camembert race, which takes place in Normandy.

Armstrong's team manager Johan Bruyneel confirmed he would take part in the Fleche Brabanconne.

"According to what he said on the telephone, he's been feeling really good while out training at the moment and he's motivated to race again," said Bruyneel.

"I think he'll come back with the same level of form he's had in previous years at around the same period."

After both races Armstrong is scheduled to race the Tour of Flanders, the fourth race of the Pro Tour circuit on April 3, before returning to the United States.