Paris  - Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong said his first priority in this year's race is to work for his Astana team and that he would be happy just to finish among the first five in the final standings.

"If Alberto (Contador) is super, I will ride for him. My ranking in the standings will have no importance," Armstrong said in an interview published Friday in the daily L'Equipe. "I'm in good condition, but you have to respect the team. I would be happy to finish in the top 3 or the top 5."

He added: "I don't necessarily have to win... I'm doing this for pleasure. I don't have to prove anything any more."

Contador, who at 27 is 10 years younger that Armstrong, is widely considered the favourite to win the 2009 Tour de France, which begins Saturday in Monaco with a 15.5km individual time trial.

Armstrong said he was looking forward to the first stage of the race in Monaco.

"In 2005, on this course, I would have destroyed the race... It's a good course for me, hard and technical. I lived here. I know the streets like the back of my hand. But it's not
2005 any more."

Armstrong returned to cycling this year after a retirement of more than three years. Asked if his comeback was more difficult than he had imagined, he replied, "It's harder than I thought it would be, that's for sure. And that has more to do with the time I spent away from racing than my age."

Age, he said, was not important. And he threw down the gauntlet to his rivals for 2010. "Next year, I'll be stronger," Armstrong said.(dpa)