Astana announces Tour de France roster around Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong

Astana team announces Tour de France lineup

PARIS — Astana announced its lineup for the Tour de France on Thursday, with its challenge built around 2007 winner Alberto Contador as its leader and seven-time champion Lance Armstrong.

In a glitzy presentation on its Web site, the Kazakh team said the two stars will be backed by past Tour podium finishers including Andreas Kloeden of Germany and American Levi Leipheimer.

The selection has been widely awaited by many cycling fans because it suggests who team manager Johan Bruyneel believes Astana should build its team around for this year’s Tour. Bruyneel coached both Armstrong and Contador during their Tour wins.

Six riders were already almost certain to be selected, including Russian Yaroslav Popovych and Spain’s Haimar Zubeldia.

Astana also selected Kazakh rider Dmitriy Muravyev, Portuguese rider Sergio Paulinho — a strong Contador ally — and Gregory Rast of Switzerland.