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Contador Will Quit Astana Team if Joined by Lance Armstrong
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by Jon Azpiri | September 23, 2008 at 01:14 pm
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Apparently, the Astana cycling team isn't big enough for Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong. Spain's Contador--fresh off his history-making win at the Vuelta a España--has said that if Armstrong signs with the team, as has been rumoured, he will move on to greener pastures.
"I think I've earned the right to be the leader of a team without having to fight for my place," Contador said Tuesday in Spanish sports publication AS. "And with Armstrong some difficult situations could arise in which the team would put him first and that would hurt me."
Armstrong is expected to address the media on Wednesday regarding his future plans. Astana is Armstrong's likely destination since the team is coached by Johan Bruyneel, who coached Armstrong for all seven of his Tour de France victories.
Contador has also expressed displeasure over his lack of support from teammates during competition.
Contador said he got no help in his Vuelta victory from American teammate Levi Leipheimer, who finished 46 seconds behind the 25-year-old Spanish rider.
"It's not normal that someone working for you finishes less than a minute off in the general standings," Contador said. "If [the next-to-last stage time trial] had been 20 kilometers more, who knows what would have happened."
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at 08:07 on September 24th, 2008
For one, I think it would be interesting to see Contador and Lance go head to head on different teams. Rumours were that Patrick Lefevbre of the Belgian Quick Step team was given board approval to woo Lance with large sums of cash - I could never see that happening but it would have been a show. Maybe Contador can explore options from a Spanish team such as Caisse d'Epargne. But the peleton is small, and who knows how he is received within the tight knot circles of top european racers.