Teams
For a more comprehensive list, see List of teams and cyclists in the 2008 Tour de France.Long running disputes between the event organisers, the ASO and the UCI reached a head when the race organisers insisted upon the right to invite, or exclude, whichever teams it chose for the event. Under UCI rules, any ProTour event must be open to all member teams of the UCI's top level. The ASO made it clear that, despite changes in team management and personnel, it intended to exclude Astana from the event as a result its involvement in the doping scandals that marred the 2007 Tour and its links to the 2006 Operación Puerto doping case. This meant that the champion (Alberto Contador) and third-place finisher (Levi Leipheimer) from 2007, both of whom had since signed with Astana, could not compete in the 2008 Tour.
The ASO announced on 20 March 2008 that all ProTour teams except Astana would be invited, along with three "wildcard" teams: Agritubel, Barloworld, and Slipstream-Chipotle (subsequently renamed as Garmin-Chipotle-H30). With each team consisting of nine riders, 180 riders started the Tour.
The 20 teams invited to the race were:
- Ag2r-La Mondiale
- Agritubel
- Barloworld
- Bouygues Télécom
- Caisse d'Epargne
- Cofidis
- Crédit Agricole
- Euskaltel-Euskadi
- Française des Jeux
- Garmin-Chipotle-H30
- Gerolsteiner
- Lampre
- Liquigas
- Quick Step
- Rabobank
- Saunier Duval-Scott
- Silence-Lotto
- Team CSC Saxo Bank
- Team Milram
- Team Columbia
Read more about this topic: 2008 Tour De France
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