IS THE TOUR de FRANCE STILL "THE" TOUR? (part 1)

OK, I have to admit, when I first heard Astana was banned from riding this years Tour de France, I swore I would boycott. There was NO way I was going to watch. What would the point be? Yes, there would still be riders to watch and cheer for (George, Popo, Triki, Stijn, Christian, Trent, Egoi........................). But MY TEAM would not be there. Alberto wouldn't be there to defend his title and Levi wouldn't be there to try to move one or two steps up on the podium in what would probably be his last Tour de France. We talked about it on the forum---boycott the Tour, boycott the sponsors. I haven't had a gummy bear in I don't know how long. But, as the Tour got closer, I got a "little"excited. It is the Tour after all.