PARIS (AP)-Astana, the team of defending champion Alberto Contador, was
among those not invited to compete in the Tour de France.
The Amaury Sport Organization announced Thursday the 20 teams invited to the
premier race. Last month, ASO excluded Astana from its races this year
because of doping violations in the last two years. As a result, the Tour de
France in July will start without Contador.
"This selection is subject to the respect by each of the teams for ethics
and honesty that must prevail in cycling," ASO said in a statement.
Alexandre Vinokourov of Astana was caught blood doping at the Tour de France
last year and Andrey Kashechkin tested positive several weeks later in an
out-of-competition test.
Rabobank was invited to compete by ASO. Last year, the Netherlands-based
team kicked out Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen before the race
ended because he lied about his whereabouts when missing pre-Tour doping
tests.
On the eve of the 2006 Tour, Astana-then called Liberty Seguros-was thrown
out because several of its riders had been linked to the Operation Puerto
blood-doping scandal in Spain. That decision left Vinokourov unable to ride
in the 2006 Tour because he did not have enough teammates.
The 2006 winner, Floyd Landis, was stripped of the title for failing a
doping test.
The 19 other teams for the July 5-27 event are: Gerolsteiner, Team Milram,
Quick Step, Silence-Lotto, Team CSC, Caisse dEpargne, Euskatel-Euskadi,
Saunier Duval-Scott, High Road, Slipstream Chipotle, Bouygues Telecom,
Credit Agricole, Cofidis, Francaise Des Jeux, AG2R-La Mondiale, Agritubel,
Barloworld, Lampre and Liquigas.
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