Contador to continue with Astana

Former Tour de France winner Alberto Contador will remain with the Astana team after agreeing to race alongside Lance Armstrong next year.

The Spaniard had expressed doubts about co-leading the team with the American, who will make his professional comeback with the Luxembourg-based team.

"I've met with (team manager) Johan Bruyneel and we've sorted out any possible tension," said Contador.

"I've decided to continue in the team because I can count on a great squad."

Contador, who signed for Astana in January, is regarded by many as the best stage racer in the world.

He became only the fifth rider in history, and the first-ever Spaniard, to win all three of cycling's three major Tours after winning the Tour of Spain in August.

"We'll be two more riders in the team roster and I won't be stressed about anything"
Alberto Contador

But after Armstrong's decision to come out of retirement to work again with Bruyneel, the man who guided him to his record seven Tour de France victories, Contador expressed doubts about his future at Astana.

"If I am not happy I will change teams," the 2007 Tour winner warned at the time.

But the Spaniard, whose contract expires at the end of the 2010 season, now believes a team meeting planned for November will help erase any potential tension within the team.

"I think everything will resolve itself much better than seemed possible at first," said Contador.

606: DEBATE
Do think Contador and Armstrong can work together?
"It's true that I'm ambitious and when it was proposed that he win his eighth Tour, I thought it would be difficult for us to race together.

"But with good management, there shouldn't be problems in the Tour.

"We will have a meeting in Tenerife at the end of November and we'll talk with the management to avoid any type of controversy.

"We'll be two more riders in the team roster and I won't be stressed about anything."

Armstrong will make his racing comeback in Australia in January, but it is unclear yet whether he will compete in next year's Tour.

Contador's first event of the new season will probably be the Tour of Valencia in early February.

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