CONTADOR SAYS RIDING WITH LANCE COULD BE DIFFICULT

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper ?AS?, Vuelta winner Alberto Contador has warned that team-life with Lance Armstrong in 2009 - if it happens - could be difficult. And in the same interview Contador also hints that team-mate Levi Leipheimer may have ridden in his own interests during the Spanish race.

During the interview, Contador was asked whether Leipheimer, who finished the Tour of Spain 46 seconds behind the Spaniard, worked for himself or for Contador.

?I?ll only say it?s not normal that somebody who?s worked for you finishes the race less than a minute down,? Contador argued.

?If the final time trial [won by Leipheimer] had been 20 kilometres longer, I don?t know what would have happened.?

When it was pointed out that Leipheimer did work for Contador on the Angliru, the Spaniard responded: ?yes, but only a little, before [rival Alejandro] Valverde (Caisse d?Epargne) attacked and he got dropped.

?At Fuentes de Invierno [the next summit finish, where Contador and Leipheimer followed rival Ezequiel Mosquera (Xacobeo-Galicia) up the road], it was complicated.?

?If I?d been there alone with Ezequiel I?d have let him win, but it was important to get the time bonus.?

Contador and Leipheimer completed the Vuelta in exactly the same time, but Contador?s time bonuses clinched him the overall win.

Then asked about Armstrong?s comeback, Contador said he?d been pleased to hear the news, and that he was waiting for more details from the Texan.

However, in the interview he did not seem overly optimistic about the prospects fo co-leading Astana with the Texan - one possibility that is definitely amongst Armstrong?s options - in 2009.

?It would be difficult to share a team with him,? Contador says in the interview.

?I?ve earned the right to be a leader, without having to work for it. And if Armstrong was there, the team might have to work in his favour, and that might prejudice me.?

Asked if he will quit Astana if Armstrong signed, Contador refused to give a straight answer, saying ?I won?t sacrifice my palmares. My intention is to stay with the team until 2010, which is when my contract ends, although I?ve received a big number of offers from other squads.?

Contador's observations means Lance Armstrong's comeback strategy will be even more closely studied than before. The consequences for the Spaniard will be unpredictable, to say the least.

Lance Armstrong will be announcing details of his intended comeback to professional cycling tomorrow (Wednesday). We will be covering the announcement in full on www.cyclingweekly.com

STAGE REPORTS

Stage 21: Contador wins 2008 Tour of Spain

Stage 20: Contador sets up overall win

Stage 19: Arroyo denies sprinters with seconds to spare

Stage 18: Roche loses stage by inches

Stage 17: Weylandt takes Quick Step's fifth stage

Stage 16: Boonen wins second sprint

Stage 15: Garcia Dapena takes solo win

Stage 14: Contador takes second mountain-top stage win

Stage 13: Contador wins on Angliru to take lead

Stage 12: Bettini wins, Valverde out of contention

Stage 11: Freire wins stage

Stage 10: Hinault wins, Martinez retains lead

Stage nine: Van Avermaet takes stage, Martinez new leader

Stage eight: Moncoutie triumphs in Vuelta's second Pyrenean stage

Stage seven: Ballan takes surprise win in mountains

Stage six: Bettini wins, Chavanel leads

Stage five: time trial win for Leipheimer

Stage four: Bennati takes crash-strewn stage

Stage three: Boonen bounces back

Stage two: Valverde powers into lead

Stage one: Liquigas are surprise winners

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PHOTOS

Stage 21

Stage 20

Stage 19

Stage 18

Stage 17

Stage 16

Stage 15

Stage 14

Stage 13

Stage 12

Stage 11

Stage 10

Stage nine

Stage eight

Stage seven

Stage six

Stage five

Stage four

Stage three

Stage two

Stage one