Here's the problem, it's really simple.
Levi is, like Lance, Floyd, & Greg are AMERICANS.
Is is after all, The Tour de France, and frankly they are tired of the USA winning.
Sad but true.

I have it from realiable sourses that ASO do not have a problem with Astana or the Astana riders but have a problem with Bruyneel and its because of him that the invited to ride did not come.

What grates me the most is the riders are made to suffer the political whims of the sport. As long as the current regimes stay in control, we'll see more of this garbage.

Hey Ben, they want a Frenchman to actually have an outside chance to win the Tour in 2008, so they naturally needed to leave the most talented team in the world off the roster! I just love how Team Highroad, CSC, and others are allowed in, since they have NEVER had any doping issues!

At one level I feel for the guys, at another Astana and pro cycling need to a hell of a lot more to restore faith.

For the good of the sport at all levels, the pro teams cannot continue the way the have been operating.

STOP DRUGS IN CYCLING!

As a fan of this sport I am very disappointed that true athletes are being cheated of their chance to win again. Further more this shows that doping is not the only issue in this sport, the actual governing authority has major issues also.

blucat, Your missing the point. If this was about "drugs" 8 of the 20 teams would be banned for all having some sort of doping past. Something else is going on and it's killing cycling. I though cycling hit the bottom last year and was hopeful it would now be making it's way back. Unfortunately it appears organizations like the ASO want to keep cycling at the bottom due to their greed of wanting complete control. Frustrated and sad to see Astana not in the Tour.

I do not understand what Bruyneel has done that would cause Astana from being invited to any of the ASO Tours. Hasn't he been with the Teams since it was the USPS Team? All of the teams he has been with have been very clean teams. The stubborness of Prudhome is really the problem but one thing that could have been changed to assure that the World's best would be back competing this year would have been to change the name from Astana to almost anything else since the Astana team from last year was in it's beginning years and all the Team tested positive although the Sponser Astana has fired all the riders that tested positive and replaced them all with great and clean athletes. It is confusing that the team cannot ride at any ASO events yet as long as those same Riders can qualify in the Coutries they are from they can go to the Olympics, but I don't know with the pollution in China that I would want to be there if I had that opportunity.

Sour grapes from the French I reckon? Leave Astana out because they had a positive in the Tour last year but invite Cofides who had a positive in the Tour last year?
I won't watch the Tour or any race without Astana which is fairly futile I know but makes me feel better. My passion for cycling isn't born of pro bike racing anyway...it's about riding a bike, better still riding a Trek :-)

I continued to watch the Tour after the Lance years. I continued to watch after the Floyd Landis episode. I continued to watch after the Spanish doctor/doping thing and problems with Rasmussen and Vino last year. But this is soo way over the top - the heck with the Tour 2008. I'm going to watch my Lance DVD's and see some REAL TdF Racing! and spend lots of time riding my 2008 Trek Madone 5.5 (got it in November and LOVE IT!)

I think its the whole doping scandal that Astana had last year with Vino getting a win under influence that 'boiled' the ASO into NOT inviting them. They won't stand another set of wins by what I can see as a great team line up. How does Alberto feel, I bet he wants to sink his teeth into another Maillot Jaune this year...but hey, thats the ASO. Like the previous post says...they invited Cofidis back...so why not Astana...the directors and riders will themselves NOT take enhancing drugs anymore as its putting the sport to great shame. Got my new 5.2 2weeks ago...how cool, positive and a great ride. I too Love it

This year's Tour de France will be forgettable. Whoever comes out the champion might as well wear a question mark on his forehead.

Everyone has really said it all, but I just want to add my conviction that I will not watch the TDF, nor Versus, given their willingness to broadcast this non-event. The ASO decision flies in the face of courage, honor, sportsmanship and athleticism, all of which, France, apparently, knows little about, either in the current moment or, seemingly, ever. A little child has more ability to adjust to and accept the transgressions that are a part of life than does this organization. If I was a French Man/Woman, I would be mortified, embarrassed. I would not be able to look others in the eye. I could not wear the crown! The greatest injustice to man is the exercise of his own personal self felt sense of Justice. I will not watch. I will not watch. I will not watch. I can do this. It is just another hill to climb. Let Levi Ride!

Oh, Yes! While we are at it. Is it the Tour de Georgia? or the Tour of Georgia? And how about us folk getting behind some leaders and having a Tour Day World! Right here in America. O.K. So, we start in Alaska and finish in Argentinia. This is a really stupid idea, but think about it.

Looks good now since Astana has been invited to The Tour of Italy and Spain now how Stupid would the ASO and the Tour de France look to try to not invite them now especially with everyone knowing all of the teams and individuals they have invited.

I love the tour De France - it just will not be the same without the top competitors like Levi Leipheimer and Alberto Contador. My God Alberto won last year fair and square- Johann Bryneel doesn't even ride - what is the matter with those people???

Way to go Astana! You've clearly shown that you are the team to beat this year. I hope Levi's legs have one more year in them.

I'll be boycotting the tour as well this year. Enough is enough. This year's winner will not be the undisputed champion of years past. I'd rather ride than watch a fixed race!

Love my Madone. Getting a 2.1 for my wife's first road bike. Keep up the great work TREK.

Here's a great idea, guys, let's boycott watching the Tour on Versus because ASO decided not to let in Astana!

That way they will get low ratings and Versus will decide that nobody in the US likes cycling and that they should show more people punching each other in the head (who doesn't like "Mixed Martial Arts?" That's good TV, not like "those stupid bikes," as some of my co-workers call Le Tour when I have it on all day.)

Boycotting the Tour on Versus will not have any effect on Astana being allowed in, it will only decrease the already low amount of cycling that we get on US TV.

Yes, it sucks that last year's champion, Levi, and Johann will not be at the tour this year, but getting cycling removed from US TV altogether will not improve the situation.

jon

For years, Lance and his teams had support of TREK and NIKE. At the TdeF the podium winners wear a "NIKE maillot". I look at the two "USA teams" and neither are using NIKE or TREK. I now see that TREK got stuck with a team that was denied by the ASO; and it seems that NIKE is quiting cycling, except for the LAF. I wonder if NIKE will be returning as a TdeF shirt sponsor?

Hi, interesting comments. I miss real TdF cycling so much. Please, send me the info where and how obtain any DVD with Lance fighting for the victory.