French rider Laurent Jalabert will retire from professional cycling at the end of next year, according to French press reports on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old is enjoying a renaissance in this year's Tour de France but says he will not renege on a promise made to his family.

"After such a good Tour campaign this year it's difficult for me to announce that I will definitely stop next year," Jalabert told French sports daily L'Equipe.

"But I will stop after next year's Tour. I have a family and I've made a promise.

"Even before the Tour started, I decided that I would aim to finish in 2002."

Jalabert is currently wearing the polka dot jersey as the best climber in this year's race.

The Frenchman, who is competing in his 10th Tour, has never finished higher than fourth, despite being the world number one between 1990 and 1995.

Wild card

His CSC team needed a wild card invitation from the organisers this year but Jalabert is poised to become only the third rider to have won both the green points and polka dot jerseys.

There were fears for his career in February when he fell off a ladder while working at home, fracturing several ribs.

But he returned in style and has won two stages in this year's Tour, including one on Bastille Day.

Before then, Jalabert had only ever won two stages in his nine previous appearances in cycling's premier event - in 1992 and in 1995, the year in which he came fourth.