No Astana team in TDF
2008-03-20 16:44
Paris - Tour de France organiser ASO on Thursday named the 20 teams it has selected for this year's race.
The line-up comprises all teams holding a ProTour licence, with the exception of the Kazakh-backed, Swiss-based Astana team, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) said.
ASO ruled in February that reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador and his Astana team would be barred from competing in this year's race as a result of doping scandals over the past two years.
Three teams from the second division of world cycling (Continental Pro) - Agritubel (FRA), Slipstream (USA) and Barloworld (GBR) - also received invitations to compete in the Tour, which this year starts in the Britanny port city of Brest on July 5.
Each team will comprise nine riders for a total peloton of 180.
The 20 Tour de France teams for this year's July 5-27 race:
Teams
Quick Step (BEL), Silence - Lotto (BEL), Team CSC (DEN), Caisse d'Epargne (ESP), Euskatel - Euskadi (ESP), Saunier Duval - Scott (ESP), Bouygues Telecom (FRA), Credit Agricole (FRA), Cofidis credit par telephone (FRA), Francaise Des Jeux (FRA), AG2R - La Mondiale (FRA), Agritubel (FRA), Gerolsteiner (GER), Team Milram (GER), Barloworld (GBR), Lampre (ITA), Liquigas (ITA), Rabobank (NED), High Road (USA), Slipstream Chipotle (USA)
Note: All teams have ProTour licences apart from Agritubel (FRA), Slipstream (USA) and Barloworld (GBR), which race on the Continental Pro circuit