When I spoke with team Astana general manager Johan Bruyneel in April at the Tour de Georgia, he seemed pretty much resigned to Amaury Sports Organization sticking to its un-vitation for Astana to this year’s Tour de France.

He said he didn’t expect ASO to reverse its decision, and even if it did, he said Astana wouldn’t go anyway because it was too late for the team’s riders to properly prepare.

But that was before RCS reversed itself and invited Astana to the Giro d’Italia a week before the event. Bruyneel accepted the invite, juggled riders’ schedules and put together a winning team for Alberto Contador, who was on a beach in Spain when he got the call to perform in Italy.

After Contador claimed the maglia rosa on Sunday, Bruyneel met with the media and touted the team’s anti-doping program, described Contador as the next big phenom in cycling (following Lance Armstrong, of course) and made a not-so-veiled bid for a Tour de France invite (as quoted by Velonews.com):

“It is often said that actions speak louder than words. Today I hope that the ASO takes firm notice of the actions of the Astana professional cycling team, not just in our victory at the 2008 Giro d’Italia, but also how professionally we have conducted ourselves throughout the entire season.

“This is the proof. We have taken a team of riders and staff and, under the most arduous of situation, won one of the most important bike races in the world. I cannot be prouder of any of them, nor can I understand why we cannot be allowed to defend our title in the Tour de France. Alberto Contador is our champion, and he is supported by an amazing group of people. This is a victory for the ages, and we will continue to build upon it – that you can be sure of.”

So, WWJD (what would Johan do) if ASO came’a'callin’?

He’d accept their bid in a heartbeat, no question about it.

Of course, it’s purely a matter of conjecture whether ASO will do the right thing and invite cycling’s best team and hence the defending TdF champion in Contador. In fact, Christian Prudhomme, the director of the TdF, reiterated Wednesday that Astana was unwelcome this year and yadda yadda yadda. (Velonews.com John Wilcockson had a revealing interview with UCI Prez Pat McQuaid in response to the ASO’s latest maneuverings.)

But, look at it this way, it’s only June 4. The Tour de France is a month away. Prudhomme and Co. still have at least three weeks to come to their senses. And with Contador recuperating from the Giro by going back on vacation, Levi Leipheimer heading to the Dauphine Libere, and Andreas Kloden bound for the Tour de Suisse, Bruyneel could easily put together a squad that’s ready on short notice to rumble in July in France.

Make no mistake: Bruyneel and Astana will be there if ASO comes to its senses. But if ASO sticks to its guns and shoots itself in the foot by keeping Astana out, Bruyneel will take Contador and his team to the Vuelta a Espana, which like this year’s Giro will be a race for the ages — with Contador dancing up the climbs in his quest to become the first double grand-tour winner in 10 years, since the late Marco Pantani won the Giro and the TdF in 1998.

You’d think the Tour de France would want to be in the mix for Contador’s attempt at this rare and remarkable feat. (Only eight cyclists ever have won two grand tours in one year, and only two have done the Giro-Vuelta double — the great Eddy Merckx in 1973 and Giovanni Battaglin in 1981.)

As it stands now, the Giro and Vuelta are the IT races this year, not the Tour de France. Hmm, maybe Bruyneel would just say no if the ASO came’a'callin’. Is that what ASO is afraid of?

But it wouldn’t happen. Bruyneel would say yes, no doubt, and Contador could attempt to accomplish what no cyclist has ever done: a sweep of all three grand tours in the same year.

Cycling needs this type of quest to turn things around, to recapture the imagination of the public and hence the financial support of sponsors. Johan would be on-board with that.

The question is: Will the Tour de France?

Tomorrow: What Contador’s absence would mean to LCL (Le Crédit Lyonnais) Banque, sponsor the maillot jaune, and to other Tour de France sponsors.

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