As the Tour de France ends, it seems there is little love lost between Lance Armstrong and 2009 champion-elect, Alberto Contador. That became clear when the Spaniard gave his winner’s press conference at the foot of Mont Ventoux, a couple of hours after sealing overall victory in this year’s race.

Contador arrived in the Tour’s media centre, olive skin darkened by the sun, clad in the bright yellow "maillot jaune," with only Astana press officer Philippe Maertens and a clutch of translators for company.

Three weeks ago, when the Tour began in Monaco, the 2007 champion met the press, his status as team leader confirmed by the presence of Astana team manager, Johan Bruyneel. This time - despite having sat alongside Armstrong during each and every one of his victorious press conferences - the Belgian was notable by his absence.

The message, despite Contador having been signed by Bruyneel as team leader long before an Armstrong comeback was thinkable, was clear: Contador’s success had not met with his approval.

Contador admitted as much during his sometimes evasive, often monosyllabic press conference. His toughest day, he said, had been the day after the Andorra Arcalis stage finish – when he had first challenged Armstrong’s dominion. As a result, the pair will part company, probably as soon as the final stage of this Tour is over.

Contador, now a double Tour champion, is much in demand. “It’s been difficult for me, mentally and physically,” he said. “Preparing for the Tour was difficult because there were elements working against me. I have some different options for next year and there may be a team built around me, but one thing’s for sure, I’ll be on a different team to Lance Armstrong.”

The Spaniard, celebrating a victory that he could only share with some, but not all of his teammates, gave the clearest insight to date of his resentments towards the Texan. “I had already signed my contract with Astana,” he said. “I didn’t know then that Lance Armstrong would come back to cycling. He was tough to cope with because he wanted to win the Tour too - that just doesn’t work, having two guys who want to win in the same team. But I prepared myself for that and it paid off.”

From now on, Contador expects his rivalry with the seven-time Tour winner to become more open. “He will be a serious rival,” Contador said. “He’s already shown that this year and he will be a candidate for overall victory next year.”

And what of Bruyneel, at his side when the Tour began, but now absent from his team leader’s celebrations? Whose side had he been on? “It’s a very good question,” Contador said before adding, “but in the end things worked out for me.”