Tour de France reborn??

Last year I got so pissed at what was happening in the Tour and to TEAM ASTANA, I quit this blog and thought about deleting it entirely. Maybe I should have, but many events started to occur that made me start believing that a rebirth of the Tour de Farce will take place in 2009.
It began with the news that Lance will be back and that TEAM ASTANA (not official yet) will also return to the Tour.
The list of favorites will be long and impressive. Let's just hope that they all stay drug free.
It is going to be an interesting 8 months leading up to the race. The drug issue will always be there and now you have the return of Lance and Alberto, winners of 8 of the last 10 races. We may even see a return of Tyler Hamilton, the new USA Road Champion. A very long shot that he will be there, but who knows. It's early yet.
I know it's too soon to jump on anybody's band wagon yet, but I will. This year's race will be very close and I'm predicting that Levi Leipheimer will win the stage 20 individual time trial and snatch the yellow jersey from Alberto Contador. Podium finishers will be 1. Leipheimer - 2. Contador - 3. Andy Schleck.

EDIT: Article written on 10-22-08. Same day Team Astana invited to Tour de France (now official)