PARIS: Lance Armstrong knows his aging legs are not as strong as they used to be. But he still feels capable of clinching an eighth Tour de France even though - if necessary - he would put his own ambitions on hold if it means helping his teammate Alberto Contador win.

Contador, the 2007 winner, and Armstrong will ride for the Astana team in the three-week race that starts with a timetrial in Monaco on Saturday - sparking speculation as to whether the two Tour champions can ride together, or whether they will be divided by their own fierce ambitions.

The 37-year-old Armstrong won the last of his record seven straight Tours in 2005, and his surprise comeback has cycling fans across the world eager to see whether he can add an eighth win to his already gleaming cycling legend.