Leadership row still unresolved in Armstrong's team

MONACO (Reuters) - Astana manager Johan Bruyneel faces a dilemma over which of his men to back for victory after four of the team's riders, including Lance Armstrong, were in the top 10 of the Tour de France after the first stage.

"There are eight riders who can win the Tour and four are in my team," Bruyneel told reporters at the start of the 187-km second stage to Brignoles on Sunday.

The results of Saturday's opening time trial were scrutinized by many experts as an indication of the hierarchy within the outfit.

Spaniard Alberto Contador, the 2007 winner, strengthened his position as official Astana leader by finishing second behind Swiss Fabian Cancellara. Andreas Kloeden was fourth, Levi Leipheimer sixth and seven-times champion Armstrong 10th.

Belgian Bruyneel, who led Armstrong to his record number of victories between 1999 and 2005, said he held a meeting with his nine riders to tell them the team should be the priority over personal ambitions, at least for now.

"I told them that with four riders capable of winning the Tour, it would be a shame if Astana did not make it," he said.

"The controversy between Alberto and Lance on who is the leader in the team is irrelevant to us. Our real concern for now is the other teams. We showed our strength and from now on, everybody's against us."

Armstrong, back after a three-and-a-half year break, made it clear he had not given up hope of being the one to lead Astana to victory and denied a hierarchy had emerged after the time trial in Monaco.

"We're keeping it open, Levi's obviously good. Right now we have four guys who can win the Tour, and there's eight guys in the whole race that can win the Tour. We're trying to keep it open a little bit," he said.

The Texan hinted someone else could take over the team's reins from Contador as the Tour unfolds.

"You look at the last week, the last four days of this Tour de France with the Alps and the final time trial, and Ventoux - it's just so hard for a team to say, 'okay, this is what we're going to do'," he said.

(Editing by Sonia Oxley)