Madrid - Vuelta winner Alberto Contador has left it open whether he will stay with the Astana team after they signed seven- time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, Spanish media reported on Thursday. Armstrong, 37, announced in New York on Wednesday that he would return to cycling with Astana in 2009.
"I want to challenge for the Tour de France next year, with, or without Armstrong," Contador was quoted as saying.
"If obstacles are placed in my way en route to this goal, I will be forced to look elsewhere. I have already received a number of offers," the Astana captain said, without, however, dismissing the possibility of being in the same team as Armstrong.
"First I need to speak to Astana team director Johan Bruyneel and with Lance himself. I need to see what their plans are like," the 25- year-old told the Marca sports daily.
"People expect there to be problems. But I have nothing against Armstrong. To have him part of the Astana team would be a further motivating factor for me," he said, adding that in many other sports it is not unusual to have more than one leader.
Contador, who won the Tour in 2007 had earlier said that he deserved to remain team captain.
Armstrong in the past ride for the US Postal team which was later called Discovery, with Bruyneel a top official there as well.
