PARIS — Lance Armstrong’s kids were dressed in yellow. He was not.
When the seven-time Tour de France champion returned to the Tour podium Sunday, his family was there. His fans were there. And so was rival and teammate Alberto Contador — wearing the coveted and hard-won yellow jersey.
Four years after his seventh Tour win, Armstrong capped his return with an impressive third-place finish.
But it was Contador who cruised down the Champs-Elysees to win the Tour for a second time after 2,141 miles of racing over three weeks. He repelled challenges in the mountains, excelled in the two time trials — winning a pivotal race against the clock in the 18th stage — and won the first Alpine stage.
Andy Schleck of Luxembourg, Contador’s toughest rival in the mountains, was second overall.
Contador said his biggest battle, however, was against his own Astana team.
“It has been an especially difficult Tour for me, but I savor it, and it is more special because of it,” he said after the prize ceremony.
The body language on the winner’s podium said it all.
As the 37-year-old Armstrong climbed onto the stage, he gave a perfunctory handshake to his teammate Contador, then heartily grabbed Schleck’s hand with both hands.
And as Contador took the victor’s bowl, Armstrong cast a long sideways glance at what had long been his spoils; he gave only a cursory glance to his own crystal trophy.
Asked on French TV what the hardest moment in this race was, Contador replied, without elaborating, “It was in the (team) hotel.”
Only 26 years old, Contador already is one of cycling’s greats, having won all three Grand Tours of France, Italy and Spain.
Armstrong’s comeback after 3 1/2 years of retirement raised questions about who would lead Astana during cycling’s most prestigious race. Those questions remained through much of the Tour as tensions mounted over who was the No. 1 rider.
On Sunday, Armstrong and Contador shared glasses of champagne on the ride into Paris. But it seemed to be more about keeping up appearances than a genuine celebration: After a few sips, they tossed away their glasses, half-drunk.
For the first time since 2000, the Tour got through three weeks with no positive doping cases. But the leader of France’s anti-doping agency says not all results are in, and more tests still could be done.
