updated 3:47 p.m. ET Dec. 4, 2008

TENERIFE, Canary Islands - Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong says he’s happy to let Alberto Contador be Astana’s team leader.

Armstrong, who’s returning to cycling after a three-year retirement, said Thursday at the team’s training camp that 2007 Tour champion Contador is the world’s top rider at the moment and deserves to be the leader.

The decision will be up to Astana team director Johan Bruyneel.

“I’m going to be very fair about it and respect Johan’s orders and respect the team,” the 37-year-old Armstrong said. “If that means supporting Alberto or Levi (Leipheimer) or whoever it is, I’ll respect them.”

Armstrong and Contador took a moment Thursday to hold a handshake for the cameras and TV crews, both displaying a steady smile. Armstrong said there was no doubt — at this moment — about the team’s No. 1 rider.

“Going into 2008 and 2009 I think he’s the strongest cyclist in the world. Nobody can debate that,” Armstrong said. “I come in completely open to whatever happens, open to Alberto, open to the team. I’m not coming to take anybody’s job. I have a lot of respect for this man.”

Contador said he only will be satisfied with another Tour win next season.

“My objective for 2009 is to win the Tour de France,” the Spaniard said. “I’ve asked the team for that. All of my work will go to winning the Tour and to sacrificing for it.”

Bruyneel said Contador’s physical fitness left him as the team leader, but that things could always change.

“It’ll be the rider who arrives there the strongest,” Bruyneel said. “Right now we know that Alberto is the strongest rider, and Lance, we don’t know where he’s at. Those doubts will be resolved during the race anyway, so for the Tour I hope there are no surprises or problems.”

The two riders, who knew each other from the now-defunct Discovery Channel team, trained together for a second consecutive day and looked generally at ease.

“I am happy, the relation is good. He’s a great champion, a reference to me,” the 25-year-old Contador said. “It’s true we weren’t in the best shape, but we did well (in training). It was an honor to ride with him yesterday, and it’s always better to start the season riding together.”

Contador is recovering from nasal surgery while Armstrong is trying to find his bike legs after a lengthy absence, although Bruyneel already said that he was in the top three for the team’s fittest riders.

Armstrong won his seventh consecutive Tour title in 2005. He made the surprise announcement of a return in September after a mountain bike race near Aspen, Colo., where he has a home. He then backpedaled, expressing doubts about the idea.

On Thursday, the Texan played down his chances of winning an eighth title.

“I don’t know. I knew how to win it before. I have a good idea,” Armstrong said. “But honestly it’s been too long out of competition, and I haven’t tested myself against others.

“If the Tour de France was today I don’t have the power to win. But it’s months away, and I have time to prepare.”

Armstrong has decided to focus on winning the Giro d’Italia in May, and he admitted that participating in the May 9-31 Italian classic could leave him stretched to be at full strength in time for the Tour’s July 4 start.

“The only thing I can think of is that I have to be well-trained,” Armstrong said. “I come with no experience on how to do a Giro and then take five weeks off and do a Tour. Right now, I’m a little clueless.”

Armstrong was more excited about his first race, which will be January’s Tour Down Under in Australia.

“I’ll be nervous, because it’s my first race back. I’ll have butterflies,” Armstrong said. “I think it’s a healthy feeling because if I showed up and didn’t then maybe I shouldn’t be doing this.”

He said his comeback was going well, despite a couple of physical surprises such as a sore lower back.

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A passion and motivation for racing were key to Armstrong’s return, although he’s not sure how long it will last.

“It could be just one year, it could be more than one year. I won’t say more than two because age could be a factor,” Armstrong said. “That’s why I wanted to start racing early ... to accelerate the start of the season and get a better idea of what the reality will be.”

Armstrong maintained his global fight against cancer is the cornerstone to his comeback.

“I’ve got no obligation to Johan or the team, and I feel only a sense of obligation to my cancer survivors to be here,” said Armstrong, who is riding for free for Astana to spread his message. “If I wake up tomorrow morning and want to go home, they wouldn’t be disappointed.”

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