Lance Armstrong admits he may have to wave goodbye to his bid for an eighth Tour de France yellow jersey after being left for dust by teammate Alberto Contador.Armstrong suffered early on the 8.8-kilometer climb to Verbier, on which Contador launched his attack on the way to victory in the 15th stage that singled him out as Astana's best chance of winning the race.
The 37-year-old American said Contador had proved he is the "strongest rider in the race."
"He showed he is the best rider, showed he is the best climber. You know when everybody is on their limits and you can accelerate again, that's how you win the Tour," said Armstrong.
"He demonstrated he is the strongest in the race ... There is no point messing around. I gave everything I had and I wasn't the best.
"There has been a lot of drama about Alberto and me, but at the end of the day we all sit around the table and the last thing we can do is to lose the Tour. I'm gonna do my best and be a solid teammate."
Now with a lead of one minute 37 seconds on Armstrong, who is second overall, Contador would be expected to have Astana's full commitment as he bids to win the race for the second time. However the 26year-old Spaniard stopped short of making those demands.
"We've taken a big step but I expect there will be a lot more to come from the rivals who were there today," said Contador. "For me it's an honor that he (Armstrong) said what he did. He's a big professional."
As Contador flew toward victory,
