High Road Sports announced its nine-man Team Columbia team for the Tour yesterday, omitting Rogers, who is recovering from the Epstein-Barr virus.

Team director Rolf Aldag said it was decided this week not to risk Rogers in the 3500km race, but said he would be fully fit for the Olympics.

''If we take him under the current circumstances, it can definitely go both ways, meaning he might ride himself into Tour conditions during the Tour and everything would be fine or he might suffer, struggle and lose his confidence and his chances for the Olympics or even damage his positive image in public,'' Aldag told The Canberra Times.

''Michael is OK with the team decision, even if it's hard for him to miss the Tour. He also sees the risk of riding the Tour and not knowing whether he can perform well enough to be satisfied himself.''

Rogers was the virtual Tour leader before crashing out in the Alps last year.

With Rogers out, Luxembourger Kim Kirchen will be the team's top general classification hope.

Aldag said the professional team would help Cycling Australia and the AIS prepare Rogers for Beijing, where he predicted the fourth-place time-trial finisher at the 2004 Olympics would be a gold medal contender in the road race and/or time trial.

''He has such a great experience in preparing for a one-day event and proved that with three world [time trial] titles.

''He is one of the few riders who already raced on the course and that's why he has a good view on things that need to be done.''