Paris, July 27 (DPA) The 2009 Tour de France was not yet over and talk had already begun about next year's race.

The reasons were many: a dominating champion, a talented young challenger and the return of the aging king.

The champion, Alberto Contador, proved this year that he was head and shoulders above his rivals. His margin of victory over second-place Andy Schleck, 4 minutes 11 seconds, is the rough equivalent of a 4-0 football score.

Not only did he dominate in the mountains, but Contador won one of two individual time trials and finished second in the other.

And he had to contend with a rivalry within his own Astana team, that of the returning king, seven-time Tour champion Lance Armstrong.

'It was a very difficult Tour de France for me,' Contador said on more than one occasion.

Many people wondered how the race would have been run if Armstrong and Contador had not been teammates.

In 2010, they won't be. Armstrong has already announced the formation of a new team, sponsored by the Texas-based electronics retail giant Radio Shack.

He said his preparations for this year's Tour had not been ideal. There was a fall and a broken collarbone in spring. He also suggested that the high-altitude training he had done in winter in Colorado was not the best way to get in shape for the Tour.

On Sunday he said, 'I hope to be stronger next year. Maybe, I'll win.'

He will, as usual, have the best team surrounding him. According to rumours, he has offered places on the team to Andy Schleck and his older brother, Frank.