Before July 4th, 2009, nobody outside of the cycling world had ever heard of Alberto Contador, the 26-year old Spaniard who is the official “leader” of the Astana team for which Lance Armstrong rides. But in the span of a very short week, the entire sports world knows his name. He has entered Lance Armstrong’s supernova-sized sphere of influence. Lance is a true champion and a natural, inspirational leader of men. Lance actually motivated and led Contador to go all-out for the Team Time Trials in order to wipe out the rest of the competitive riders. Lance is the bright light to which all others are drawn. Contador should realize that this is Lance’s comeback event horizon. Lance is experienced and had the razor-sharp instinct to stay at the head of the pack when the split happened in Stage 3. Lance has also shown that he has the power to compete with the young-guns. Contador has true talent and power, and is destined for a great future with many podium appearances, but he got caught in a mid-day siesta and it cost him 40 seconds and a lifetime of second-guessing. No team leader should ever be caught napping. Contador should let Lance take the reins of this team and lead it to victory. The riders protect and follow Contador because the team manager named him the “leader.” But the riders are already following Lance’s lead. And they see clearly that all of the energy and excitement about the Tour this year is because of Lance enormous wattage. Contador can benefit enormously from watching and learning from Lance on how to lead a team, how to anticipate pitfalls and opportunities, and most important, how to mentally dominate other top riders. By letting Lance have his natural position as team leader, Contador will benefit enormously, personally and professionally. He can do it now, early, when the move will be respected and considered gallant, or he will be forced to do it later after Lance finalizes his total transformation of the Astana team into his own. The transformation has begun, the question is when will Contador see it. The riders want to ride for Lance, they just can’t say it. They fear Contador’s fragility, and they need him. By heading them off at the pass, and handing Lance the leadership, Contador can go down in history as “Lance’s right-hand man”, as the man who made it all possible, or he can go down in history as the man that Lance emasculated…and Lance, this once-in- a-lifetime phenomenon, who put professional cycling on the front page, who fought for his life and beat cancer, who so dominated the Tour de France during his 7 wins that the French hated him for being too cold and business-like about it, who has beaten all skeptics to come back at 37 years-old and after almost 4 years off, who has devastated the field of contenders and is now a quarter of a pedal stroke away from the overall lead will eventually emasculate him, just like he has all of his previous challengers. If Contador where to step aside now, and Lance where to win the Tour, he would be the greatest beneficiary of Lance’s gratitude –and, as in cycling, when Lance pulls away from the peloton and goes back home, the energy created will catapult this young, powerful Spaniard to his own greatness.