Lance Armstrong starts riding in the Tour de France Saturday, his first since announcing his retirement in 2005. Wait, if he’s retired doesn’t that mean no more cycling? Most people would think so, but most people don’t beat cancer and then win the Tour a record-breaking seven consecutive times. Allegations that Armstrong used EPO, a performance-enhancing drug, are still haunting him and in a new biography, Lance: The Making of the World’s Greatest Champion, coincidentally out this week, Armstrong talks about those allegations — made in the book L.A. Confidential: Les Secrets de Lance Armstrong published in 2004 by two European sportswriters. “Extraordinary accusations must be followed up by extraordinary proof,” says Armstrong, who denies doping. “Mr. Walsh and Mr. Ballester worked four or five years and they have not come up with extraordinary proof.”

Lance also gives readers an intimate look into Armstrong’s relationships, including his friendship with Matthew McConaughey  and his engagement to Sheryl Crow. Armstrong says, “The relationship was kind of a struggle for a while,” but also says Crow wanted to get married and have children, and he wasn’t ready to do that again. Armstrong has three children with first wife Kristin Armstrong and, although he has yet to remarry, girlfriend Anna Hansen gave birth to a son, Max, in June. (Oddly, all three women look remarkably similar). But Armstrong does seem to have something to prove in the 2009 Tour. “I’m doing this for my kids,” he says. “I don’t want them growing up and reading all of these things about me and doping.”