No Returns

Alberto Contador will not be riding in this years tour.
His team - Astana - was banned from competition due to a postive doping test in the 2007 Tour by Alexander Vinokourov, the team leader.
In the past year the team has replaced the team director with Johan Bruyneel, former director of the Discovery Channel Cycling Team, who cleaned house of former riders and hired several former Discovery Riders including Contador.
Last year several of my cycling friends boycotted watching the race due to the doping alligations. This year they plan on watching. Why - perhaps its because of the stance the Tour is taking with teams associated with drug use. Bruyneel and Contador are trying to clean up Astana, but unfortunately that are starting with a name that has a history. And that history should keep them from racing this year.