Armstrong and Contador have unresolved issues ahead of Grand Depart

By Richard Moore in Monaco

ALBERTO Contador will lead Astana at the Tour de France, according to the team manager, Johan Bruyneel.

LEADER OF THE PACK: Controversy surrounds who will lead Astana team, but manager Johan Bruyneel gives Contador (r) the nod over Armstrong (l)

But Lance Armstrong, who also rides for Astana, had earlier seemed to contradict his manager, telling L'Equipe "this discussion never took place."

Speaking on the eve of the Grand Départ in Monaco, Bruyneel and Contador appeared for the Astana press conference, with Armstrong a notable absentee.

The reason, implied Bruyneel, was that Contador is the undisputed team leader, as indicated by the fact he has been allocated the number 21 - it is the tradition for team leaders to wear a number ending in one.

"When we made the selection of the team we made it clear the leader is Alberto," said Bruyneel. "The reason is simple: he has won the last three big Tours he has ridden (the 2007 Tour de France, and the 2008 Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España.)

"I know there will be a lot of questions of our team, but we don't have any rivals within the team. The rivals are the other teams."

Armstrong, on the eve of his return to the Tour four years after his record breaking seventh consecutive victory, has been keeping a low profile so far in Monaco.

The 37-year old told L'Equipe that his comeback is for more than one year - and pledged: "I'll come back stronger next year."

But the questions over this year continue - with rumours of a potential rift between him and Contador becoming more persistent as the countdown to the first stage, a 16km time trial in Monaco, gathers pace.

"I've asked Johan to explain (the leadership issue) to me because if there's going to be a leader then everybody should know it," said Armstrong.

"It would be better to be open and honest. If you say that there's a leader, that's it. Then everybody works for him. But this discussion never took place. Most people consider Alberto as the favourite and I think that he is the best stage race rider. But you shouldn't forget (Levi) Leipheimer."

Yet later, Bruyneel said: "At this moment Alberto is the leader, and we respect him as the leader - it is why he is (number) 21. There's no reason for doing that, because he didn't win the Tour last year.

"Just to avoid any polemics we could have done it alphabetically but then Lance would have been 21. I discussed it with Lance and we decided that (issuing Contador with number 21) would show him how we value and respect him.

"There have not been a lot of opportunities for (Armstrong and Contador) to race together," continued Bruyneel. "Only one day, at the Vuelta Castilla y Leon, but Lance crashed and had to go home. There is a language barrier and cultural differences between them, but it's same as with others on team.

"I have no doubts at all that we'll be here as a team, that we'll function very well as a team and that team morale will be very high.

"I think we'll have a good indication after the first time trial [who is in form]. From what we know, and the last three years, I would say the biggest favourite for the race is Alberto.

"But everyone is focused on him and Lance, and let's not forget there are other riders, other teams - even riders on our team."

Bruyneel also spoke about another controversy surrounding his team, which is sponsored by a consortium of Kazakhstan businesses.

On Thursday, the team's former star rider, Alexandre Vinokourov, who is currently serving a doping ban, held his own press conference in Monaco, claiming he would make a comeback with the Astana team, which he described as "my baby."

"I listened to the press conference," said Bruyneel, who distanced himself from Vinokourov's claims, and said he hadn't spoken to him. "It's just a distraction to our team.

We are focused on the race. If someone [from the Kazakhstan sponsors] doesn't want me to run the team, I'll leave. But no one has told me to leave, so we'll carry on working hard."

* Richard Moore is the author of Heroes, Villains & Velodromes: Chris Hoy and Britain's Track Cycling Revolution (HarperCollins), £15.99