Alberto Contador looks like a Tour de France shoo-in now

It would take something very unusual -- crash, illness -- for wraithlike Alberto Contador to lose the Tour de France now.

But that doesn't mean the next three days will be boring.

Expect Lance Armstrong to fight extra hard in today's 25-mile time trial in Annecy, France, and even more so on Saturday when the tour takes riders up the rocky, steep, brutally hot and desolate Mt. Ventoux. Armstrong probably can't win, but he can aim for the podium when the race ends Sunday in Paris.

Considering his age (37) and his three-year absence from the tour, second or third place could be considered a triumph for Armstrong. It also will be a constant push at Armstrong's back because the seven-time tour winner has decided to race again next year.

Armstrong said Tuesday that he would have an announcement today about a new American-based team in which he would be the featured rider. It is presumed his longtime collaborator, Johan Bruyneel, will be the director.

And Contador, Spain's newest star, will be on his own and should easily find a team devoted solely to his goals.

After Wednesday's stage, won by Frank Schleck of the Saxo Bank team, it seemed Contador already was riding only for himself. He nonchalantly made a climbing attack, and in the process he dropped Astana teammate Andreas Kloeden. Ultimately, Contador didn't win the stage and allowed Schleck and Schleck's brother Andy to move ahead of fellow Astana riders Armstrong and Kloeden.

It seemed, though, that Contador's move was not approved by team director Bruyneel.

Armstrong is now in fourth place, 3 minutes 55 seconds behind Contador, 1:29 behind second-place rider Andy Schleck and 30 seconds behind third-place rider Frank Schleck. Kloeden is fifth, and Garmin-Slipstream rider Bradley Wiggins is sixth, 4:53 behind Contador.

After the stage, Contador told Velonews that his attack "was a tactic we thought about before the stage, to attack and distance the Schlecks. I spoke with Bruyneel; he told me to attack if I wanted. I attacked and I saw that the brothers were strong," Contador said. "I saw that Andreas stayed back. I was constantly looking back to see if he was coming back, but he suffered a bonk behind, and he couldn't regain the wheel. For that, I am pretty sad."

Bruyneel had a different view, however.