Tour de France: Astana banned

Titanium
Titanium Posts: 2,056
edited February 2008 in Pro race
Also banned from any ASO organized race.

ASO says the team has damaged the standing of the Tour de France. It says it will monitor the team and if it behaves correctly in 2008, it will consider it for future events.
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Comments

  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    So, can you change teams during a season? Like could Levi and Bertie move teams?

    Wonder who else will be punished...
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Titanium
    Titanium Posts: 2,056
    Looks like the UCI will go krazy about this.

    As much as I think Astana is one of the worst teams out there, reputation and practices, its efforts to change should be rewarded. But these same efforts are being punished, it has simply been warned that it's rocked the sport again and again and so one year of good behavior and it's back to business.

    If the team is here for the long haul, as upset as they will be, they should aim to prove ASO wrong.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Nope. No one else.

    http://www.letour.fr/2008/PNC/COURSE/fr ... html#zone2
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    The problem for cycling is, why the F would anyone invest in a team when the organisers of the biggest race there is would exclude the 1'st and 3'rd place finisher from the previous year.

    I'm sure one of the other teams will step up and embarrass them.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • calvjones
    calvjones Posts: 3,850
    Courageous decision. High horse still in; must be by the skin of its teeth
    ___________________

    Strava is not Zen.
  • drewfromrisca
    drewfromrisca Posts: 1,165
    What I don't get is why are Astana out and High Road and even to some degree Cofidis and Rabobank in? It can't be one rule for one and another rule for others! Surely it should be equal over all teams!? :?
    There is never redemption, any fool can regret yesterday...

    Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave!
  • gumball3000
    gumball3000 Posts: 14
    This could really mean dark days for the sport!

    On the one hand, I applaud their decision. On the other, after seeing one of the larger sponsored teams fall apart and vanish at the end of last year, surely this will further distance any new sponsors. When several teams are going to be faced with negotiating new deals at the end of 08, this will make it even harder. The last thing we need is more teams dissapearing!
  • vbc
    vbc Posts: 1,104
    Still no chance of a Frenchman winning, whatever ASO does.
  • GroupOfOne MkII
    GroupOfOne MkII Posts: 1,289
    I don't think it's strictly fair to bracket Cofidis with HH, Astana & Rabobank, as it appears it was just the one rider (Moreni...or at least just the one who managed to get caught during the Tour) as opposed to larger 'scandals' (whether that be failed tests or just chronic/intentional mismanagement) in two of the other cases.

    I guess HH scrape through because again it was really just the one rider (Sinkewitz) during the Tour, with other things relating to past events/confessions.

    I guess Astana are an easy target too as they're the most obvious bad guys (in terms of if you asked a man on the street etc) from last summer.

    Uninviting Rabobank would have been a bigger message, but they're a long term sponsor and supporter of many ASO events, so they wouldn't want to go p*ssing them off would they :wink:
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    GroupOfOne MkII wrote:
    I guess Astana are an easy target too as they're the most obvious bad guys (in terms of if you asked a man on the street etc) from last summer.

    Uninviting Rabobank would have been a bigger message, but they're a long term sponsor and supporter of many ASO events, so they wouldn't want to go p*ssing them off would they :wink:

    I suspect you're on the money. It's all about perception - To Joe Public, Rabo look like the good guys for chucking the Chicken. The reality is they were dodgy as heck, knew and supported what was going on. And nothing had changed.

    Saunier - Ditto. Mayo got done but only after the event so the general public doesn't know they were scandal hit.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,718
    Great news, let's hope their place to goes to Rock&Republic







    !!
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • torico
    torico Posts: 67
    great to see slipstream chipostle in there - no real surprise but great none the less
  • drenkrom
    drenkrom Posts: 1,062
    Way to kick a persevering sponsor in the balls! The objection of ASO is not really with the team itself, it's with the name of the sponsor. What a good way to tell them they should've stopped investing in cycling. Great message!

    TdF betting will be booooooring this year.
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,718
    Is this not more of an attack on our friend Johan?

    He has made the TDF boring by being the winningest DS in recent times.

    I think it is right that they have done this, but share peoples concerns that other teams should also have been targetted (and for all we know may still be).

    I feel no sympathy for Levi and Conti though, the whiff of suspicion surrounding Disco is enough for me to make my own judgements on their character.
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • mm1
    mm1 Posts: 1,063
    Why no Barloworld?
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    mm1 wrote:
    Why no Barloworld?

    That's only the teams for Paris-Nice.

    Expect different selection for Le Tour.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    jimmythecuckoo wrote:

    He has made the TDF boring by being the winningest DS in recent times.

    The style of winning has been boring even before Johann got his mitts on the event. Big Mig wasn't exactly the most enthralling rider to watch. Conversely, the more exciting TdFs from the mid / late'90s were the result of the various contenders being so full of pills that they rattled when they walked.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • Titanium
    Titanium Posts: 2,056
    You can hear Cadel Evans, Alejandro Valverde and Dennis Menchov leaping for joy. Even Agritubel have a contender now in Moreau. And there's one skinny kid in Luxembourg who's going to be happy too.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Titanium wrote:
    You can hear Cadel Evans, Alejandro Valverde and Dennis Menchov leaping for joy. Even Agritubel have a contender now in Moreau. And there's one skinny kid in Luxembourg who's going to be happy too.

    At last! Heroes we can believe in!

    :roll:
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    I think that you will see a series of ASO decisions over the next few months desgined to ensure that their events and in particular the TdF have nothing but positive (no pun intended) coverage. Last years debacle must have hit their revenues quite significantly.
    In the last few weeks, ASO have had to cancel their other premier event - the Paris Dakar and refund the entry fees - 500 competitors at 20,000€ + each, not to mention the loss in TV exposure. Next years "Dakar" will now be run in South America which will mean a massive reduction in number of Eurpean entrants as well as depleted TV coverage in Europe due to the time difference. A controversy-stricken TdF on top of this would be a financial disaster and would certainly stump their plans to buy Unipublic and the Vuelta.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • Titanium
    Titanium Posts: 2,056
    True.

    Personally, if Astana are out, I would ban Rabobank. It appears they knew where the chicken was roosting. As for Valverde, some say he's going to be asked for a DNA test. We'll see how he reacts to this. Chris Moreau went to Switzerland, with Jalabert and Virenque. He says it was to avoid French taxes but he moved to a canton with relatively high taxes. He took out a Swiss race licence at the time the French required a blood passport with their race licence.

    etc etc
  • drewfromrisca
    drewfromrisca Posts: 1,165
    Someone mentioned earlier that this was just selected teams for Paris - Nice but looking on the letour site it say's that Astana have been banned from all ASO organised races.
    There is never redemption, any fool can regret yesterday...

    Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave!
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    edited February 2008
    iainf72 wrote:
    So, can you change teams during a season? Like could Levi and Bertie move teams?

    Wonder who else will be punished...

    Am sure Ronan Pensec did just so, signed with Seur in 1991 and then jumped ship for 3 weeks and rode with Amaya Seguros in the 1991 TDF. For a Frenchman ASO will do it...but not others. One remembers Leblanc totally ruled out Pantani appearing at the 03 TDF with T mobile...which was a rumour and one he said no to. I very much doubt ship jumping will be tolerated
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBacb2V ... ata_player
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    I agree with Astana being excluded by ASO. People like Johan Bruyneel are the past and he must be punished for the Basso signing. ASO must scare these team managers...force them to run clean teams even if the management of the teams don't passionately believe in clean racing...well done to ASO for making an example, punish 1 and you scare 100!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBacb2V ... ata_player
  • aurelio_-_banned
    aurelio_-_banned Posts: 1,317
    Fantastic news!

    Now that the shadow of Bruyneel will not be hanging over the 2008 Tour I might even go and watch a couple of stages! :D
  • pinarellodude
    pinarellodude Posts: 102
    Think this is brilliant it sending a clear message to the teams that have dopers. Contador as a lot to answer for after winning the Tour he didn't exactly slam the dopers and was a bit flaky when asked questions about doping. He was at the end off last year Tour the voice of Road biking and he looked as guilty as those sent home.
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    The sad thing is that if this is an effort to clean up the sport, it's so arbitrary. When ASO has to start drawing lines in the sand - no Astana, bonjour Rabobank - because the sport can't clean up, it's pathetic. The UCI is so absent.

    That's the problem with the sport, short of enforcing archaic rules on bike position and minimum weight, the UCI can't set anti-doping rules and all its efforts to launch the Pro Tour have proved a collosal waste of time, money and reputation.

    Cycling risks ending up like darts or boxing, with different and rival circuits. This should be unlikely though as ASO holds all the main cards in its hands, it runs the Tour de France but there's more. From Paris-Nice to Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Paris-Roubaix and even Qatar is an ASO event.

    Even the UCI's pet creation, the Eindhoven team TT has just been scrapped after the town's authorities realised they had a dud event.
  • ademort
    ademort Posts: 1,924
    Well the champion of last years fiasco will not be taking part, big disappointment IMO. but hey if they are going to make a clean break, they will have to think about changing the colour of the leaders jersey before long. After all how many riders have worn it over the last 10 to 15 years only to be found guilty or accused of drug taking. Any suggestions on colour? Ademort.
    ademort
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    Batavus Ventura
  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    BBC onto it as well
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_s ... 243229.stm

    It doesn't exactly say a lot about doping, just a 'poor Alberto Contador, can't defend his title' slant on it
    (- I, personally, feel it difficult to have much sympathy with him, or Bruyneel ... :evil: )

    Wonder what they'll say about it on the telly/radio news ?
    - yesterday's coverage was highly critical of Dwayn Chambers (admittedly as a +ve tested and admitted doper)
    - in rather a contrast to Christine Ohurogu ('just' having missed three tests) being put forward for Sports Personality of the Year
  • josd
    josd Posts: 107
    pinarellodude wrote:
    Think this is brilliant it sending a clear message to the teams that have dopers. Contador as a lot to answer for after winning the Tour he didn't exactly slam the dopers and was a bit flaky when asked questions about doping. He was at the end off last year Tour the voice of Road biking and he looked as guilty as those sent home.


    sending a clear message to the teams that have dopers?
    then why was caisse d'epargne invited?


    IMO i dont care who just got the short end of the stick; if there was no evidence to warrant the treatment, its wrong. cycling is so subjective in how it views riders/managers these days, its ridiculous to ban a rider/manager/team for being "obviously" dirty. Astana and Caisse d'Epargne should both ride. Everyonei s innocent until proven guilty.

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