As Lance Armstrong was climbing steadily to the summit of professional cycling’s holiest of Ziggurats — reeling off seven straight wins in the Tour de France during his remarkable comeback from the cancer that nearly killed him — followers, fanatics and doubters struggled to find an apt historical comparison within the sport.

The handiest and most recent was that of Miguel Indurain, the impassive Spaniard whose five Tour wins were also consecutive. While the domination was similar, the riders were not.

Big Mig ground up the mountains with a massive engine and blew away the fields in time trials, but it was a day’s work and nothing personal. When he tired of the thing, he smiled and walked away.

Armstrong always rode angry. He was angry at the French team that cut him when he contracted cancer, angry at those who always believed that he was a doper, angry at the competitors who dared to challenge him, angry at the Tour organizers who designed the route to beat him (or so he thought).

The better comparison for the style of Armstrong — and a fascinating one this year as Armstrong comes back to attempt an eighth Tour win starting today — is with Bernard “The Badger” Hinault, a winner of five.

“I race to win, not to please people,” Hinault said famously.

Hinault’s last win came in 1985, when he was helped to the top step of the podium by young American teammate Greg LeMond. The following year, the 31-year-old Hinault pledged to return the favor and ride in support of LeMond.

It didn’t work out that way, however; at least in the view of LeMond, who believed that his teammate betrayed him and tried to break him. LeMond still won the race, with Hinault finishing second, three minutes behind. Hinault always maintained he was working to destroy the rest of the field, not LeMond. Whatever, but the two men are not friends to this day.

The circumstances aren’t exactly the same, but the dynamics are very similar on Armstrong’s Astana team this year. Theoretically, the team, including Armstrong, will ride in support of Alberto Contador, who, at 26, has become just the fifth rider in history to win all three of cycling’s grand tours.

The only real question is who will be riding for whom?

Contador wasn’t all that happy when Armstrong announced his comeback in September and joined team director Johan Bruyneel with Astana. Bruyneel assured Contador he was still the team leader, but everyone knows the title is only as good as the previous stage.

The Tour has drifted along since Armstrong’s retirement after his 2005 win. Oscar Pereiro became the default winner in 2006 when Floyd Landis tested positive for testosterone. Contador won in 2007, but only after race leader Michael Rasmussen was fired for suspicion of doping. Last year, the race was won by Carlos Sastre of Spain.

In all probability, the strongest challenge for the right to lead the winning team down the Champs-Elysees will come from within the ranks of Astana.

If Contador proves himself the better rider, there is little doubt Armstrong will become a gracious teammate. But there is also little doubt that Armstrong will make Contador prove it.

Therein lies the drama in a wonderful event that has been slightly lacking in drama for about four years. This one should be very interesting.