Champion Alberto Contador has conceded that he has only a limited chance of defending his Tour de France title next year.
Spaniard gloomy about chances because of weakened Astana team
Champion Alberto Contador has conceded that he has only a limited chance of defending his Tour de France title next year.
The Spaniard has opted to honour his contract with the Kazakh-funded Astana outfit, but acknowledges they will be a considerably weaker team in 2010.
Contador endured a turbulent 2009 and had a strained relationship with seven-times Tour winner Lance Armstrong during his time at Astana.
Armstrong has since departed the team and Contador is aware he will not enjoy the same kind of support he had in last year's Tour.
"I am realistic and I know that I have a weaker team than in previous years and for that reason we'll have to work hard on motivation in training so that we know what we can achieve and how to do it," the 27-year-old told
Marca.
"I know that it will be a difficult year and it's possible I won't be able to win the Tour even if I am in good shape.
"People will be focusing a lot on me but my rivals know that the team I will have is not the same as before."
Contador went on to admit he did not see eye-to-eye with Armstrong who, along with Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel, is forming a new team, RadioShack.
"That's nothing new," Contador said of his problems with Armstrong. "I am thinking about the 2010 Tour, not the 2009 one, even though I admit he pushed me to the limit in all areas, psychologically and physically.
"But it helped me a lot to mature and I hope to exploit that experience next year."
