Austin, Texas - Lance Armstrong remains upbeat about his chances of being to race in May's Giro d'Italia despite suffering a broken collarbone in a racing accident on Monday.

The seven-time Tour de France winner crashed on stage one of the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon and will undergo surgery in the United States to insert a metal plate to strengthen the bone.

"I think that the Giro is still very doable. Even if I went into the Giro underprepared and was riding it as preparation for other events, I would still be excited to go and do that," Armstrong said during a teleconference call.

Armstrong, 37, said the latest scan had shown a more serious injury than first thought, with broken bone fragmented into "multiple pieces," but that a plate would be used to repair the bone.

"This is definitely a setback, no doubt. It's the biggest setback I've ever had in my cycling career, so it's a new experience for me," he said.

Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel said he was also confident Armstrong would take part in both the Giro and the Tour de France in July. (dpa)