pd.read_excel parses rows as int if containing only numbers, even when marked as text or indicated string with e.g. '02
When loading an excel file with pandas that contains a row with integers that have preceding zeros such as 01, the number is automatically parsed as integer and results as 1. This even happens when the row is formatted as 'text' or the number is entered as '02 (second row). I believe it would be correct if the row was parsed as string in that case.

df=pd.read_excel(r'c:\temp\string.xlsx','Sheet1')
df['row1'][0]
df['row1'][1]
1
2
instead of 
01
02

example excel file:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/k7coyy8gnntl1hv/string.xlsx?dl=0

The issue was discussed here: 
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/35084022/load-xlsx-into-pandas-as-string?noredirect=1#comment57890144_35084022
