ALMATY, Kazakhstan (AP) — Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will join Team Astana for his return to competitive cycling, the Kazakh Cycling Federation said today.

Federation deputy chief Nikolai Proskurin told The Associated Press that Armstrong agreed to ride for the Kazakhstan-based team for free the first year and has signed up to take part in five races, including the Tour de France.

Armstrong was to make a formal announcement at a news conference in New York later today.

“If people say that they want to join this team, it is a sign that they must hold Kazakhstan in great regard,” Proskurin told the AP. “He is coming to Team Astana, he’s doing it only so he can continue to win.”

Astana’s team leader is Johan Bruyneel, who was Armstrong’s team director for all of his Tour de France victories with the U.S. Postal and Discovery teams from 1999-2005. The two are close friends.

Armstrong’s first race will be the Tour of California from Feb. 14-22, Proskurin said. Australian officials announced earlier today that Armstrong would ride in the Tour Down Under from Jan. 20-25.

Armstrong announced on Sept. 9 that he would return to cycling after three years in retirement and would attempt to win the Tour de France an eighth time.

The deal is a coup for the Kazakh team, which was thrown out of last year’s Tour de France after Alexander Vinokourov tested positive for a blood transfusion.

There were reports on Tuesday that 2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador of Spain would leave if Armstrong joined Astana.