Lance gets unexpected visitor

Montargis - Defending Tour de France champion Alberto Contador paid a surprise visit to Lance Armstrong's team bus on Thursday to offer a watch commemorating last year's Tour success.

As riders prepared for Thursday's fifth stage from Epernay to Montargis, Contador climbed aboard the RadioShack bus carrying two small bags.

Contador's press officer, Jacinto Vidarte, told reporters that the Spanish rider handed over "commemorative watches from last year's Tour win for (Johan) Bruyneel and Lance Armstrong."

Bruyneel was manager of the 2009 Astana team, which counted Contador and Armstrong as its leading stars. While Contador won last year's Tour, Armstrong finished third.

Contador and the seven-time Tour winner Armstrong have since parted ways, with Armstrong moving to RadioShack, for whom Bruyneel is now team manager.