(Leading absentees from this year's Tour de France)

Laurent Jalabert (Fra): World number one - withdrew in protest at exclusion of his ONCE team director Manolo Saiz.

Michele Bartoli (Ita): World number two - withdrew voluntarily.

Marco Pantani (Ita): Reigning Tour de France champion - thrown out of Tour of Italy after failing blood test. Says he will not defend title. Tour organisers say they will review his case if he changes his mind.

Frank Vandenbroucke (Bel): World number seven - currently suspended by his team after being implicated in Paris police doping inquiry. Says he does not want to compete in Tour this year.

Andrea Tafi (Ita): World number eight - says he is resting in July.

Peter Van Petegem (Bel): World number 10 - withdrew voluntarily.

Jeroen Blijlevens (Ned): World number 12 - member of TVM team that has been excluded by Tour de France organisers.

Richard Virenque (Fra): 1997 Tour de France runner-up and four times King of the Mountains - excluded by Tour de France organisers. Has been charged by magistrates investigating 1998 Tour scandal and quizzed by police probing a separate doping affair. Fined by his own Polti team this season for using a quack doctor unapproved by his team.

Laurent Roux (Fra): excluded after failing dope test.

Philippe Gaumont (Fra): excluded after failing dope test.