First off I am not necessarily pro or anti- Lance This response leans toward the Facts.
To Fulcrum: You're entitled to your opinion but try not to confuse it with the facts. If you look at the original Astana press release of lances return to cycling dated 9/24/09 it clearly states his intentions to race in the TDF. He did not sneak in after people got used to his presence.
http://www.astana-cyclingteam.com/news_press/teamarmstrongpressrelease.html
"Bruyneel and Armstrong will meet in the next few weeks to discuss the 2009 schedule. As of today, Armstrong plans to ride in the Tour Down Under and the Tour de France."
His so called negative comment was a statement of fact. The young,cocky, inexperienced (albeit talented) team member went against team instructions and acted more like teen aged kid who knows better than his parents. I'm sure he did it because he felt threatened by lance and his relationship with Johan but it was a risky move that he got called on.
Finally if you look back at footage of th tour and photos ( I have ones I took at Ventoux) you will see lance Consistently in front of Alberto protecting him (oh except when Alberto attacked when he wasn't supposed to.)