MADRID, July 26, 2009 (AFP) – Lance Armstrong will have to work hard if he wants to win the Tour de France next year, Astana’s Belgian manager Johan Bruyneel said Sunday after the US rider finished the 2009 Tour in third place.

“It is too early to talk about it but if Armstrong wants to win, he must work hard,” Bruyneel told Spanish public television TVE when asked what the 37-year-old’s chances would be for the 2010 Tour.

Armstrong, a seven-time winner, finished third overall after Sunday’s 21st and final stage at 5:24 behind his Astana team-mate and the winner of the Tour, Spain’s Alberto Contador.

He is set to return to next year’s race with Team Radioshack, which Bruyneel is expected to manage.

Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck of Team Saxo Bank was the runner-up at 4min 11sec.

Bruyneel, 44, said it was “impossible to do better” for Astana, which he took over in 2008. At the time the Kazakh team was in shambles after having
been kicked out of the 2007 Tour de France for doping violations.

“We dreamt of having three riders on the podium, but that was not very realistic,” he said.

Bruyneel said “it was not easy” to lead Astana to victory at the Tour, especially due to the strong rivalry between Contador and Armstrong.

He said the “worst moment” for Astana came during the 17th stage when Contador attacked during a final climb, causing his German team-mate Andreas Kloden to fall behind. Kloden finished the Tour in sixth place.