Humble Armstrong ready to work for Contador

VERBIER, Switzerland (Reuters) - Alberto Contador is the best rider in the world and showed on Sunday he has what it takes to win this year's Tour de France, his team mate and great rival Lance Armstrong said.

"Now you know who's the best rider in the world and the best rider in the race. In the past I was the best, now he's the best," he told journalists after the Spaniard's takeover in the Tour 15th stage in Verbier on Sunday.

Since Armstrong retired after a record seventh Tour victory four years ago, Contador had been peerless in big Tours, winning the Tour in 2007, the Giro d'Italia and the Spanish Vuelta in 2008.

But the bold return of the Texan at 37 had raised doubts that the Spaniard might now have to deal with his most serious challenger inside his own Astana team.

The Spaniard set the record straight in the last five kilometers of the short but steep climb to Verbier.

"Sure Alberto is the best rider. Sure he is the best climber. You know when everybody is to the limit and you can accelerate again, that's how you win the Tour. I have been there," conceded Armstrong.

Since the beginning of the Tour, the undeclared war between the two potential Astana leaders had kept the peloton and the media guessing who was really the stronger and Contador's reply was ruthless.

"I was under pressure and I'm proud to have been able to reply on the road not only to Lance but to all my rivals," he said.

And the Texan made it clear that, despite his second spot in the overall standings, 1:37 behind his Astana team-mate, he did not believe in his chances to make up the gap and be crowned once more in Paris in a week.

"I definitely suffered, it was very hard, I was at the limit, I no longer have the acceleration and the pace that Alberto has.

"Now, the race, for me that's not possible. When somebody has so much pressure on him and shows he is the best you can't deny it. It would be unfair," Armstrong said.

Contador said he believed the Texan's "professionalism" would lead him to work for him in the week ahead and Armstrong confirmed he would put himself to his service.

"As far as I'm concerned, I'm happy to be his domestique. I'm proud of him," he said.

(Editing by Nigel Hunt)