Astana To Miss the Tour de France in 2008? TDF Works To Keep All Dopers Away

With rumors circulating that the Astana team and others may be left off of the Tour de France's invite list for 2008, let's take time to consider the implications of such a decision.

First and foremost, last year's champion, Alberto Contador, would miss his chance at defending his title, which he won dubiously when multiple race leaders/contenders were kicked out of the Tour last year for doping related suspicions. Contador would like nothing more than to defend his title and put to rest any doubts about the worthiness of his 2007 win. With the exclusion of the Astana team, this would not be a possibility.

Contador (left) and Valverde (right) may not get a chance to contest the 2008 Tour de France

Levi Leipheimer, older by the day, also would miss what will probably be his last chance at overall victory in Le Tour. He would be co-leader at the Tour this year, but probably for the last time, perhaps being left to wonder what could have been in 2007.

Lost Dreams: Will Leipheimer (right) have to pay for his teammate's and title sponsor's mistakes in 2008?

Andreas Kloden too would be kept from contending the overall in the Tour. Kloden, like Leipheimer, is getting older (32 yrs old) and has only a few more years to ride in the world's biggest bike race. While he probably would ride in support of Leipheimer and Contador, he would also no doubt have a few chances at a stage victory.

Kloden, shown here pacing Vinokourov in the 2007 Tour before Vino's blood doping positive, may be punished for his former teammate's choices

While the lack of the "Big Three" in France for 2008 would be hard to take, the lack of the entire Astana team would change the race even more dramatically. Astana is one of the few teams strong enough to control the peloton, to set the pace for the day. If removed, the Tour could turn into a chaotic free-for-all each day, as teams jostle for superiority. While it would make for exciting racing, it could also lead to huge time gaps early on in the race, which would take the drama out of the later stages.

It's not only Astana that may not be tendered an invite to the Tour. Rumors are swirling out of France that no one is safe, Pro Tour team or not. With the recent news about CONI, the Italian Olympic Committee, wanting to question both Contador and Caisse d'Epargne's Alejandro Valverde, trouble could be on the way for the Spanish team as well. And while CONI can't suspend Valverde, they can bar him from competing on Italian soil. If he were sanctioned, his participation at the Tour would be impossible as the race makes a brief foray into Italy in 2008.

Nowadays, one person's poor choices can affect many in cycling, just ask the Caise d'Epargne boys. Valverde is shown fourth from right, front row

Add to the mix the fact that Tour director Christian Prudhomme has a very itchy trigger finger when it comes to protecting the Tour from suspected dopers, 2008 could see some of the world's biggest and best cycling outfits prevented from contesting the Grand Boucle.

Prudhomme will do his all to protect his beloved Tour from cheaters in 2008, even if it means judging riders based only on circumstantial evidence