Race officials don’t want Astaná-Würth to take Saturday’s start of the 93rd Tour de France following damning reports this weekend in a Spanish newspaper that linked as many as 15 of the team’s riders to a Spanish doctor under investigation on doping charges. Astaná-Würth team manager Pablo Anton confirmed to Spanish sports daily AS late Monday evening that officials from Tour organizer ASO faxed the team a letter saying it is no longer welcome to participate in the race despite a guaranteed start position as part of the 20-team ProTour league. Anton is preparing to challenge the decision to the Court of Arbitration in Sport, AS reported. While no official statement has yet been issued by ASO, officials said the organizer will also seek to settle the issue at CAS if the team tries to attend the race. Tour officials apparently made the decision late Monday in the wake of newspaper reports in the Spanish newspaper El País, which linked as many as 15 Astaná-Würth riders to an alleged blood doping ring in Spain supposedly headed up by Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes. Fuentes and former Astaná-Würth team manager Manolo Saíz were among five people arrested May 23 in Spain following a lengthy police investigation. Reporters from El País gained access to a secret court dossier and have published a string of damaging articles in Sunday’s and Monday’s editions. On Sunday, the paper reported that as many as 58 names of cyclists are said to be in the court documents. Without printing the names, the paper reported that 15 riders from Astaná-Würth were allegedly implicated. No riders have been charged or the documents officially released, but even the hint of scandal was enough to force Tour officials’ hands. On June 13, the Tour revoked the wild-card initiation to Spanish continental team, Comunidad Valenciana, after one of its assistant sports directors was among five people detained by questioning by Spanish authorities. The decision to kick out Astaná-Würth could ultimately lie with the UCI, however, which last week re-upped the team’s ProTour license following the departure of former sponsor Liberty Seguros. Under ProTour rules, all 20 teams in the league are guaranteed start positions in the Tour and other major races. Astaná-Würth’s team captain, Kazakh rider Alexandre Vinokourov, is one of the favorites to win the Tour following the retirement of seven-time champion Lance Armstrong. There is already speculation brewing that Vinokourov could attempt a last-minute switch to another team if Astaná-Würth is left out of the Tour.