Sports

Lance Armstrong might have to accept a supporting role to Astana teammate Alberto Contador in next year's Tour de France, the team cycling director said Thursday.

Johan Bruyneel ruled out a departure from Astana by Spain's Contador, who won the Tour de France, the Tour of Italy and the Tour of Spain in little over a year. The two will have to cooperate, he said.

"At the end of the day, the strongest rider will be supported, regardless of that person's name or what they've accomplished in the past," Bruyneel said in a news release.

And he left no doubt who was strongest now.

"Alberto has had a magnificent year and is currently the best professional cyclist in the world," Bruyneel said.

After leading Armstrong to seven Tour victories before his initial retirement in 2005, Bruyneel took Contador to victory in the 2007 Tour, and after Astana was denied entry this year, Contador won the Tour of Italy and Tour of Spain instead.

"Lance must prove that he has the physical ability to win big races," Bruyneel said.

"This is not the first time that big names have all been on the same team. It has worked out in the past, and I'm confident for the same in 2009."

More cycling

Cyclist Riccardo Ricco was banned for two years by the Italian Olympic Committee after admitting to doping during the Tour de France. Ricco tested positive for CERA, an advanced version of the blood booster EPO, after winning two stages of this year's Tour. He admitted taking the banned substance and was hoping for a reduced ban. . . . Operation Puerto, cycling's biggest doping investigation, has been shut down without a single conviction. Spanish media reported that a judge officially sealed Operation Puerto, a civil-guard investigation that had implicated more than 50 riders. Raids in Madrid and Zaragoza in May 2006 turned up steroids, hormones and the endurance-boosting substance EPO, nearly 100 bags of frozen blood and equipment for treating blood.

Tennis

Venus Williams reached the Porsche Grand Prix quarterfinals in Stuttgart, Germany, by defeating Kateryna Bondarenko 6-4, 6-2 Thursday, one day after sister Serena was beaten and lost her No. 1 ranking. Jelena Jankovic won her first match since learning that she will regain the top ranking, defeating Alona Bondarenko 6-2, 6-0. . . . Andy Roddick and David Ferrer advanced to the quarterfinals of the Japan Open in Tokyo. Top-seeded Ferrer recovered from a slow start to defeat wild-card Takao Suzuki 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, and second-seeded Roddick downed Jurgen Melzer 7-6 (2), 6-2. . . . Seventh-seeded Radek Stepanek rallied to defeat Michael Llodra 6-7 (5), 6-1, 7-6 (0) and reach the quarterfinals of the Open de Moselle in Metz, France. . . . Top-seeded Peng Shuai defeated qualifier Arantxa Rus 6-1, 7-5 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Tashkent (Uzbekistan) Open.

Olympics

The U.S. Olympic Committee has elected Larry Probst as its new chairman, to replace Peter Ueberroth on the board next month. The 58-year-old Probst, a longtime executive at the entertainment company Electronic Arts, was elected to the four-year term during a meeting Thursday. . . . Former Olympic hurdles champion Anier Garcia is retiring from the sport after battling a series of injuries.

- Wire services