2008 Tour Teams - Update

Tour de France organiser ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation) on Thursday, March 20, 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.

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) have 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, nine less than in 2007. "These are, I believe, the best teams in the world," Tour director Christian Prudhomme told AFP, insisting that there would be no going back on the decision taken on Astana.

ASO made only one change from the recent Paris-Nice line-up, calling up Barloworld in the place of Dutch outfit Skil.

Prudhomme described Skil, for whom French climber Clement Lhotellerie was a revelation on the Paris-Nice, as a "team for the future" but lacking in the maturity needed to tackle the Tour.

The Tour director also defended the choice of the three Continental Pro teams: "Barloworld were there last year and won two stages and the king of the mountains jersey.

"As for Agritubel, there is a slight national preference and Christophe Moreau, French champion, has joined the team. Slipstream is an American team whose philosophy (of anti-doping) suits us."

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)