Le Tour 2008

Can someone help me understand why the Tour de France organizers are so stupid? I'm actually thinking that they are not humans but a couple of banana-less chimps. I am SO UPSET that they are not letting Team Astana participate in this year's Tour. Such a mistake!! The reason they are not invited back is because last year's team leader and Tour leader, Alexander Vinokourov, was busted for blood doping. I can understand not allowing HIM back - EVER. But to bar the team from participating this year?

Check this out:

• The team isn't even the same!! Not only did they boot Vinokourov & the management, they hired Johan Bruyneel - the former direteur sportif of the Lance Armstrong's Team Discovery!!
• Bruyneel wanted to start fresh, so he hired a number of former Discovery riders including Alberto Contador (2008 Tour de France winner) and Levi Leipheimer (2008 Tour de France 3rd place).
• Bruyneel adopted anti-doping measurements that were first used by CSC's team in 2007 (It's actually a very very strict system).

Le Tour says that they won't invite Astana because of the team's links to "Operación Puerto" (ummm, Vinokourov???) and involvement in the 2007 Tour doping scandals (again, wasn't that Vinokourov???).

Okay so since the whole reason for the all the hubbub is gone along with the higher-ups, I'm not following their reasoning as to why the 2008 team is banned.

I'd like to say that I will be boycotting this year's coverage of Le Tour... but who in the world would not watch when George Hincapie has a chance to do something AMAZING!!!!

GO BIG GEORGE!!!!!