After a nasty stomach virus hit 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong earlier this month, the cancer survivor admitted at the Tour of the Gila on Thursday that he is behind in his Tour de France preparation.

“I’m definitely missing race days,” Armstrong told Velonews on Thursday. “(The Tour of the Gila) is an opportunity not only for race days but also to do some work and compensate for the days that I’ve missed. We can look back at the year so far, and just between bad luck and illnesses I’ve pulled out of a few races. Now is the time to make up for that.”

According to Armstrong, the virus, which he contracted at the Tour of Flanders in early April, was the worst of his cycling career.

After being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996, Armstrong returned to cycling late in the 1998 season and promptly took fourth at the Tour of Spain. Armstrong would later go on to win the 1999 Tour de France – his first of seven consecutive victories in the month-long race around France.

After his seventh victory in succession in 2005, Lance retired from professional cycling, only to return for the 2009 Tour. Despite a broken collarbone in March of last year, Armstrong finished with a third-place showing in the 2,300-mile race. After almost four years out of competition, his podium finish was remarkable in itself against riders 15 years younger.

Armstrong will look to hone his form in the upcoming AMGEN Tour of California in May, before either participating in the Tour of Switzerland or Dauphine Libere in June before the Tour de France begins July 3rd in Rotterdam.

Even though slightly behind in his Tour preparation, you can bet that Armstrong will arrive at the 2010 Tour de France in top form and racing for overall victory.

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