updated 12:35 a.m. ET Dec. 14, 2003

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Lance Armstrong has his eyes on cycling history next year: a record sixth straight Tour de France title, with an elusive Olympic gold medal thrown in.

“I’m more motivated and I feel I have a point to prove,” he said Friday. “If I win again, it will make up for the last Tour. I was just not happy with my performance in 2003 and that’s a big motivating factor.”

The only other five-time winners are Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain, Bernard Hinault and Jacques Anquetil.

“The legends, like Merckx and Indurain wanted to win six. It’s not like they suddenly stopped at five,” Armstrong said. “They all tried and I intend to do the same. I’m excited about it and I’d be very upset if I lost.”

He also is looking toward next summer’s Athens Games. In his three Olympics, he has won only a bronze medal, a time trial in 2000, and come up empty in 1992 and 1996.

“I want gold, specifically in the time trial,” he said. “That is ... if they select me, of course.”

The 32-year-old rider acknowledges he is “exiting” his peak years while rival Jan Ullrich at 29 might be at the height of his powers.

“Jan is right back to his best,” Armstrong said. “He has the capacity to win this race (the Tour) and, on paper, he has a very strong team.”

Ullrich, a Tour winner in 1997 and five-time runner-up, pushed the Texan all the way in 2003, finishing 62 seconds behind. Armstrong was hindered by crashes, dehydration, technical problems, poor riding in the Alps and moments of self-doubt.

Ullrich will race for the German-owned T-Mobile team next year, alongside Kazak rider Alexander Vinokourov, who was third in the last Tour.

Armstrong’s U.S. Postal Service team will be without Roberto Heras, an excellent mountain climber and tactician. Postal officials confirmed Friday that Heras has quit to join the Spanish Liberty Seguros. Portugal’s Jose Azevedo will replace Heras from Once-Eroski.

“We’ve lost riders before,” Armstrong said. “It’s a free-agent market. These things happen and there are no hard feelings. Besides, I’m perfectly happy with the team I have.”

Armstrong is unsure when he will stop racing.

“First of all, I have a hard job imagining I’ll be a retired athlete in eight months time,” he said. “Another factor is whether the U.S. Postal team continues. The contract is up in 2004 and I don’t have a lot of interest going anywhere else.”

“Then it comes down to what the heart says and what the legs say,” he added. “I’ll have to decide if I’m still strong enough. You can’t win forever.”

MORE FROM CYCLING

Armstrong’s new team announces lineup

Armstrong’s new team announces lineup Kazakhs pledge $22 million for Astana Contador agrees to finish contract with Astana Landis says Tour de France ‘not possible’ Timeline: The Lance Armstrong story   2009 Tour de France   Life of Lance   Sacré bleu!   Tour de fans   Add Cycling headlines to your news reader: