Contador can only count on his legs

By Julien Pretot

LIMOGES, France (Reuters) - While Lance Armstrong can rely on long-time friendships within his Astana team, Alberto Contador will have only his legs to carry him as a Tour de France champion to the Champs Elysees.

Armstrong, third overall after nine days only two seconds adrift of Spaniard Contador, has secured his seven victories with team manager Johan Bruyneel, his mentor at US Postal and Discovery Channel from 1999 to 2005.

He is also very close to fellow American Levi Leipheimer and Ukraine's Yaroslav Popovych, a lieutenant in his last French triumph.

Contador, on the other hand, has a close relationship with sports director Alain Gallopin, who has been grooming him this season, and with Portuguese team mate Sergio Paulinho.

With almost two weeks of racing, the Spaniard, only one of five men with wins in all three big Tours (France, Giro, Vuelta), knows that he will have to stay focussed.

"My legs cannot betray me even once," Contador told Reuters on Sunday in the plane taking him and Tour riders to Limoges for the race's first rest day.

"If I have a bad day, they (his rivals) are likely to take advantage of that to make the difference."

In the plane taking the riders to Limoges, Armstrong had a reserved line of seats -- the first one -- where he sat with Astana manager Johan Bruyneel.