Monaco (Reuters) - Alberto Contador lost an early battle in the Tour de France when he finished behind Fabian Cancellara in the opening stage in Monaco, but he won another by beating all other aspiring leaders in the Astana team. "I'm not disappointed... I'm really satisfied with the result," said the Spanish rider, who lost 18 seconds to Swiss Cancellara in the 15.5 km individual time trial. "Fabian is a great champion and this eases the tension a bit," he added. While Cancellara was the favorite to be crowned in the principality, everyone was keeping an eye on the big names in the Astana team, where four riders could at least claim to be potential winners. For now, Contador has taken the lead. Kloeden placed fourth, four seconds behind him, Leipheimer sixth, drifting 12 seconds back, while Armstrong lost 22 seconds in tenth place. But Contador, who won the Tour in 2007, refused to get involved in suggestions of internal rivalry within the team. "I really couldn't care less. The media are playing this up and talking about a conflict, but the atmosphere inside the team is and will remain good," he told reporters. "With Levi, with Lance, we're all going to work hard for Astana to win the Tour." Faster in the opening, the course's mid-climb suited Contador, who claimed the first King of the Mountains polka dot jersey in the Tour. "But I hope I can trade it for another one soon," he said. (Compiled by Alison Wildey)
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