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Saiz was innocent he was set up by the French
I reckon the french are clean... or absolutely sh*tE... the french national champ was tipped as one of the faves last year and he came absolutely nowhere...
That is in fact a very valid point, the French teams have been saying for years they are the only clean teams competing at the Pro Level.
If one looks at the French teams, they really do appear to be clean in general (obviously there are exceptions like last year with Cofidis) simply because they are unable to sustain their performances over an entire season.
The same could be said for teams like Slipstream (Garmin) - already Vaughters has said they are finding it difficult to rest the riders and hense they dont expect anything much at the Tour.
I think this is a good sign, and I do believe things are getting better.
As for the argument of inviting one team / rider over another when they both have a bit of a "history" also rests somewhat in the organisers hands.
I am sure personalities and actions of certain people also play a part in their decision, Astana last year would not leave the tour after the Vino debacle, they had to almost be forcibly removed by the organisers, that will certainly leave a rather sour taste in any organisers mouth, even if there is a new manager, the backers and sponsors remain the same and they were the most voiceferous about staying.
Other teams like Cofidis, left immediately and of their own accord, this reduces the poor exposure the organisers are keen to limit so they have no issue about them returning.
