Oh boy.

First, Alberto Contador basically press-slapped Lance Armstrong, saying at a press conference in Madrid today: “My relationship with Lance is non-existent. Even if he is a great champion, I have never had admiration for him and I never will.”

Well, I sincerely hope he wasn’t holding back. Lance certainly did not, responding with his own thoughts.

(via Twitter: lancearmstrong)

“Seeing these comments from AC. If I were him I’d drop this drivel and start thanking his team. w/o them, he doesn’t win.”

He then continued.

“hey pistolero, there is no “i” in “team”. what did i say in March? Lots to learn. Restated.”

Setting aside the hilarious audio I have running through my head of Johan Bruyneel calling Alberto Contador “peestolahroh,” it appears well and truly on.

The cycling world — at least this part of it over here — tuned into the last three weeks of the Tour hoping to see two things: Lance vs. Contador on the bike, and Lance vs. Contador off the bike, with the rest of Astana playing the part of the dysfunctional teammates, like those old Yankee teams of the 1970s.

They got their wish on the first, with the spindly Spaniard besting America’s favored son of cycling, along with everyone else. With a few small exceptions, however, part deux would have to wait.

Not for long, it would appear.

There will be naysayers and detractors, most likely within the ProTour community, who will condemn this, saying that cycling is a gentleman’s sport and trash talking isn’t befitting men of such stature.

But sport needs rivals, it needs enemies, it needs this kind of storyline. Tell me you can wait for next year’s Tour right now. I can’t.

Lance had his adversaries during his historic run — Zulle, Pantani, Ullrich. But those relationships were always professional and courteous. We never saw Armstrong ride against someone he truly wanted to beat just to watch them lose.

Now we will. In 49 weeks. And counting.