Armstrong Set for Supporting Role on Tour

Lance Armstrong may have to play second fiddle to his Astana team-mate Alberto Contador when he returns to the Tour de France next year.

"At the end of the day, the strongest rider will be supported, regardless of that person's name or what they've accomplished in the past," said Astana team director Johan Bruyneel. "Alberto has had a magnificent year and is currently the best professional cyclist in the world."

Contador, winner of the 2007 Tour, said he would leave Astana if he was given a supporting role to Armstrong and Bruyneel went on to confirm that the Spaniard would be with the team for some time.

"Alberto signed a contract with Team Astana through 2010," Bruyneel said. "I have invested a lot of my time into Alberto's development and he will remain with this team for the next two years. Actually it's pretty simple, there's a contract and there are no options to leave."

Meanwhile, Armstrong will refuse a request to test urine samples from his first Tour de France victory for traces of EPO.

Pierre Bordry, president of the French anti-doping agency (AFLD), said a retest of samples from the 1999 Tour would be "a chance to confirm that [Armstrong] never cheated in his brilliant career".

However, Armstrong's spokesman, Mark Higgins, said the matter was in the past. "He is not interested in discussing again results from samples taken in 1999," said Higgins. "I will refer the AFLD or whoever will ask the questions on this subject to the Vrijman report [which cleared Armstrong of doping in the 1999 Tour]."