Tour De France

Lance Eclipsed by Teammate

Rival Alberto Contador takes the lead.

Despite moving up from fourth to second on the leader board, Lance Armstrong all but conceded his run at an eighth Tour de France win this afternoon after his teammate, 26-year-old Alberto Contador, ended the 15th stage with the leader’s yellow jersey. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m happy to be a domestique [backup rider]” said Armstrong. “I’m proud of him.” Contador also rides for Astana, and the two have been rivals throughout the race, with Armstrong trailing today by 1 minute, 37 seconds. “Lance Armstrong was my idol, but dropping him today wasn’t important—he was just like any other rider….It’s an honor for me to have him working for me,” Contador told reporters through a translator. The tour ends next Sunday in Paris.