HUESCA, Spain (AP) — Alberto Contador has declined to comment on the possibility of Lance Armstrong being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, instead paying tribute to his former teammate’s skill on the bike.
Armstrong won’t pursue arbitration in the case brought against him by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which says his Tour titles will be stripped and he will be banned for life for doping.
Contador, who hesitantly partnered Armstrong during the American’s comeback in 2009, says he has not followed the case and “I’m not thinking about it.”
The Spanish cyclist, speaking before the start of Friday’s seventh stage of the Spanish Vuelta, says Armstrong “always showed such strength, great intelligence and spectacular physical conditioning.”
