Bertie to quit Astana......

moray_gub

micron wrote:

Hey, MG, let's not make this all about me - then I might seem as egotistical and male menopausal as the Second Coming

Wasn't the rumour that Bruyneel had tied up Contador then told him about the deal with Armstrong. Contador was loyal to the team when he could have walked for his own glory - instead he has won Bruyneel the hat trick of Tours. He must be getting one almighty buy off to be the Texan's water carrier for next season - his credibility may now stand or fall by whether he remains loyal/stupid or walks out/does the sensible thing

Without knowing the ins and outs of Berties contract i think its a given he will be leaving and i predict he will go to Quickstep

cheers
MG

cycleNoodle

I think he will have to go and probably go to either columbia or maybe slipstream as a cheeky but if LA joins which looks odds on then he will go.

timoid.

Quick step has Devolder for GTs. Rabo has Gesink. CSC has Schleck. SL has Evans and Kohl. Cervelo has Sastre. Liquigas has Basso and Nibali. Lampre has Cunego. CE can't pay him and Valverde. The French, Milram, Columbia and Garmin don't have enough dope and Barloworld and American Beef are fooked.

How about the new Russian superteam?

Moomaloid

Devolder?? ha ha well poor old Stijn proved he's no tour winner and i think Quickstep would jump at the chance to have him.

What about Euskatel? I know he's not a catalan but then neither is Sanchez. Caisse would be a great team for him and Valverde would be the ultimate right hand man. Valverde can go for the Vuelta and bertie for the tour....

donrhummy

I think Cervelo's the perfect team for him. Sastre joining that team shows he's not trying 100% to win the TDF next year as there's no way they'll have a strong enough team to support him, he has to know that. However, if Contador joins Cervelo, suddenly you have Sastre + Contador for GC. THAT's a strong team in the mountains!

(Granted, you still need more protection in the transition stages but they'd be contenders with those two for sure)

aarw

i think Caisse would be ideal, but doubt they have the money that he would now demand. The russians could well afford to buy him and some helpers for the GT's.

Quickstep said they were interested in LA, but think that was for his 'celebrity' status. He'd bring in a lot of media attention and both quickstep and specialized would have a big interest in th US market (although i don't Lance would be allowed to ride a spesh!). I don't think quickstep will go for Contador, they could afford him alone, maybe, but he'll need support too.

my money's on the russians..

....but caisse....man that would make a good TdF next year, them against saxo and LA.

blazing_saddles

I can't see QS having the finances, have bought in a 4 to 1, on Bettini.
All of whom are potential classics winners, none of whom (DeVolder , Schumacher:? ) are ideally suited to supporting a GT challenger.

Surely, it must be Katyusha? For all their financial riches, they are yet to sign a rider who can offer a genuine challenge at GT level, sufficient to guarrantee an invite.
They don't want to waste millions, sitting on the sidelines, when Tinkoff have already riden two GT's, this season.

secretsqirrel

I do recall a year ago, that Contador was not keen to sign for Astana as it may stain his image (forgetting that he was an original Astana-Wurth boy that could not take part in the 2006 TDF!).

Teams such as Caisse d'Epargne were keen but could not afford him, so he ended up at Astana because they had the dosh.

He must be worth more now, he will either stay at Astana, or go to Katyusha, can't see anywhere else for him.

moray_gub

Timoid. wrote:

Quick step has Devolder for GTs. Rabo has Gesink. CSC has Schleck. SL has Evans and Kohl. Cervelo has Sastre. Liquigas has Basso and Nibali. Lampre has Cunego. CE can't pay him and Valverde. The French, Milram, Columbia and Garmin don't have enough dope and Barloworld and American Beef are fooked.

How about the new Russian superteam?

Timoid

Stijn Divolder maybe a decent enough rider but he aint in the same class as Bertie, he is Huddersfield Town to Berties Man Utd. QS would have Bertie in a minute even though Lefevere said he wouldnt pay big bucks for any more GT riders. In fact Bertie is a class above all those riders you mentioned and most if not all teams would have him if they could afford it.

cheers
MG

Kléber

He's just said he's happy and will find the Ego's presence an extra motivation. Presumably to crush him.

aarw

where was that?

I would think he's been told to mind his mouth after his little outbursts this week.

allaction

Is it not a possibility Alberto will try and defend the Giro and Vuelta and skip Le Tour?Allowing Lance a free reign and giving him the chance to win 2 further Grand Tours? Astana could theoretically win all 3! Someone will be upset if it's defending champ doesn't show because he has other commitments (all be it The Tour).

feersumendjinn

Contador is ,arguably, the best stage racer around & will be for a while yet, & the fact that he's won all the grand tours rather than just the tour de France & in such a short time makes him a better bet than LA if Bruyneel & Astana want more than just a quick pay off & one years worth of publicity.
If they put LA above Contador then their judgement is impaired & somehow I doubt Bruyneel is that dumb.
If Contador was truly unhappy with LA coming into the team he would have left already, I doubt this comeback of Armstrong & his riding with Astana is as spontaneous as its been painted, & there are plenty of teams out there that would gladly pay the buy out fee for a rider of Contadors obvious talent given his future prospects

FJS

allaction wrote:

Is it not a possibility Alberto will try and defend the Giro and Vuelta and skip Le Tour?Allowing Lance a free reign and giving him the chance to win 2 further Grand Tours? Astana could theoretically win all 3! Someone will be upset if it's defending champ doesn't show because he has other commitments (all be it The Tour).

The Vuelta and Giro are pretty much used to missing their defending champ, little they can do about that.