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SAINT GAUDENS, France – Lance Armstrong has finally admitted that tension exists in his Astana team as both he and Spanish teammate Alberto Contador bid to win the Tour de France.

Armstrong finished the ninth stage here Sunday still only eight seconds off the leading pace of Rinaldo Nocentini, an Italian riding for AG2R who is not considered a yellow jersey contender.

Contador, the 2007 champion who started as the yellow jersey favourite, is second overall only six seconds off the pace ahead of Monday's rest day and a crucial spell of racing towards the end of this week.

As their rivals look for ways to close deficits incurred in a thrilling first week, it seems the real battle for supremacy is taking place in one team.

Speculation has been rife since Armstrong joined Astana last year that he and Contador would end up duelling each other, and not their rivals, for the yellow jersey.

And although Astana have so far tried to play down talk of tension, Armstrong admitted on French television Sunday: "The honest truth is that there's a little tension.

"Alberto is strong, and he's very ambitious."

Cancer-survivor Armstrong won the race a record seven times in succession between 1999-2005 and is returning to the Tour after ending a threee-and-a-half-year retirement.

He said if 26-year-old Contador, who last year won the Tour of Italy and the Tour of Spain, proved his worth he would accept having to play second fiddle in the team.

"If he proves to be the strongest in the race, there's nothing I can do," added Armstrong.

However, the 37-year-old, who has not ruled out a return to the Tour de France in 2010, has shown little evidence of only wanting to supprt Contador.

The American last week prompted some early race drama when he took advantage of a wind-aided echelon on the third stage to distance Contador, and many other rivals, by 41secs.

After the following day's team time trial, won by Astana, Armstrong moved up to second place overall, only 0.22sec off Fabian Cancellara's leading pace.

But on the first day in the high mountains on Friday, Contador got his own back.

As Frenchman Brice Feillu raced to victory at Arcalis ski station, Contador attacked Armstrong's group to finish 19secs ahead of the American.

It put the Spaniard into second place overall, and back in the spotlight.

Armstrong added that if Contador gave a repeat performance in the climbing stages of next week, he would have to abide by the team's rules - although they, for now, seem to be unfathomable.

"If that happens on the way to Verbier (on stage 15), there's nothing I can do about that. I have to follow the (team) rules," Armstrong added.

In theory that would mean Armstrong sitting back, as he did at Arcalis, and helping Contador by only attacking himself if their yellow jersey rivals made moves to counter the Spaniard.

Earlier Sunday, however, the American told reporters that a "very difficult" six-day spell next week would show who deserved to be given the team's full support.

"We'll have more moments, we'll see who's truly the strongest," said Armstrong.

He later added on television: "The Tour is only 25 percent done. Maybe we're halfway done, but in terms of selection (elimination) we're only 25 percent done."