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Armstrong return would upset Astana apple cart
Johan Bruyneel's new star Alberto Contador has admitted the return of former favourite Lance...
Johan Bruyneel's new star Alberto Contador has admitted the return of former favourite Lance Armstrong to the Astana fold could hurt him. While Armstrong never rode for the current Astana squad, he was the major player in Bruyneel's US Postal and Discovery Channel teams, with the latter winding up its involvement at the end of last season.
"I think I've earned the right to be the leader of a team without having to fight for my place," Contador told AS. "And with Armstrong some difficult situations could arise in which the team would put him first and that would hurt me."
While Bruyneel's squad is remaining quiet on any future involvement with Armstrong, until he outlines details on his return to the sport, the team director has admitted it would be hard to imagine the former Tour de France champion returning to the sport with anyone else.
"The team will say nothing before Armstrong explains himself," Astana spokesman Philippe Maertens said.
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Related riders
Alberto Contador Velasco
Key wins
Tour de France 2007, 2009, 2010
Giro d’Italia 2008, 2011
Vuelta a España2008
Paris-Nice 2007, 2010
Spanish TT Champ 2009
UCI World Ranking 2009
Lance Armstrong
Lance Amstrong retired in 2011. Before that he had one of the most successful but controversial careers in professional cycling. He won 7 Tour de France from 1999 to 2005, after coming back from cancer.
Lance Armstrong retired from the sport in 2005 only to announce a comeback in 2008. He rode for Astana in 2009, finishing third in the Tour de France. The following season he again rode the Tour but failed to challenge for the yellow jersey. He made his last professional outing at the 2011 Tour Down Under.
