Alberto Contador will share leadership of Astana with Lance Armstrong for the 2009 Tour de France, the Kazakh-backed squad announced on Friday.
What happened?
Alberto Contador, the 2007 Tour de France champion, and seven-time winner Lance Armstrong will jointly lead Astana’s nine-man squad at cycling’s biggest race. The announcement came as the team confirmed its full Tour roster would be finalized based on form and team spirit, with the squad set to race from Monaco on July 4.
Armstrong, 37, returned to racing in 2009 after a three-year break and finished 12th in the Giro d’Italia in May. His preparation was disrupted by a collarbone fracture sustained at a minor stage race in Spain in March. Contador, meanwhile, arrives as the bookmakers’ favorite for the yellow jersey after winning the 2008 Vuelta a España and the 2009 Giro d’Italia.
Why it matters for Alberto Contador
For Contador, the Tour represents a chance to defend his 2007 title and become the first rider since Miguel Indurain to win back-to-back Tours. His form in May’s Giro—where he outsprinted Danilo Di Luca in the final kilometers of the decisive stage—suggested he’s in peak condition. But the presence of Armstrong, who finished third in the 2009 Tour of California in May, adds pressure on Contador to justify his status as the team’s top hope.
Astana’s squad is stacked with climbing specialists. Andreas Klöden and Levi Leipheimer have both finished on the Tour podium, while Haimar Zubeldia and Yaroslav Popovych bring mountain-stage experience. The team’s depth in the high mountains could prove decisive in a race where Contador’s climbing rivals—Andy Schleck, Cadel Evans, and Carlos Sastre—will be watching closely.
The road ahead
The final nine riders will be selected from a group including Jani Brajkovič, Chris Horner, and Sergio Paulinho. Astana’s participation was in doubt until the Kazakh government guaranteed riders’ salaries, clearing the way for their return after a two-year ban tied to doping violations by former squad members.
Organizers also confirmed that Tom Boonen, the 2005 world champion, would be barred from the 2009 Tour after testing positive for cocaine in April. His Quick Step team vowed to challenge the decision legally, but the absence removes one of Contador’s key rivals in the cobbled classics.
What’s at stake
Contador’s bid for a second Tour win comes amid scrutiny over Astana’s past. The team’s 2008 exclusion followed doping cases involving Alexander Vinokourov and Andrey Kashechkin. A clean ride in 2009 could help restore its credibility—and Contador’s reputation as a rider who thrives under pressure.
The Tour de France starts on July 4 in Monaco. For Contador, the yellow jersey remains within reach. But with Armstrong by his side and a squad built for the mountains, the question isn’t whether Astana can win—it’s which of its leaders will wear the maillot jaune on the Champs-Élysées.