Cash Strapped Astana to Fold?
blazing_saddles
Posts: 22,725
Picked this up from elsewhere. Bit of a shock, if true.
http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... u&ie=UTF-8
I can think of a couple of rescue package sources/options.
I wonder if now might be a good time for Pat McQuaid to announce a lifting of Vino's ban?
http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... u&ie=UTF-8
I can think of a couple of rescue package sources/options.
I wonder if now might be a good time for Pat McQuaid to announce a lifting of Vino's ban?
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
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Interesting. I wondered earlier in the year if the Russian team would get off the ground. The Kazak economy is suffering a lot too at the moment.
Maybe they can just hire more people who will ride for free?Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
Miss 'em like a hole in the head.___________________
Strava is not Zen.0 -
Makes sense. Its a loss leader to promote Kazakhstan, but only works if the guys winning the races are actually Kazakhs.It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.0
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Interesting title " This time the carcasses, a cold shower!" sounds like a lyric from some Kazakh death metal...0
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Armstrong could probably see them through to the end of the season...0
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Perhaps Bruyneel can tap up some other dodgy regime, maybe Bielorussia, even Burma or North Korea? But with the Tour coming up and Contador on board, frankly a lot of sponsors would be interested.0
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Only if he donates those big fat fees, he's been banking.
Kind of defeats the object, if, of course, it was his real reason for returning and not to "raise cancer awareness".
We'll see.
I did say months ago, the Kazakhs would use just such a ploy to get Vino's suspension reduced.
They weren't going to float "Team America" forever.
The team's biggest non-Kazakh sponsors are Nike and Trek. Nike and Trek are both undergoing layoffs and Trek workers have been taking unpaid weeks off to save the company money. Armstrong owns part of SRAM but I'm not sure what the SRAM situation is since they sold a large interest in the company to a section of Lehman Brothers, which is now attempting to make it's way independent of the bankrupt Lehmen parent."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Rockmount, the best riders could easily join another team, there is plenty of precedent for that.0
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rockmount wrote:
...Yeah ! cycling would be so much better without the world's best :roll: :roll:calvjones wrote:Miss 'em like a hole in the head.
Cycling would be much better off without a team that formed from the ashes of Sainz' systematic dopers, suffered numerous doping scandals almost from inception, and is funded by an unholy mess of ex-nationally owned 'private' sector commodity and utility companies with the fulsome backing of an autocratic, borderline despotic regime with a questionable human rights record.
Oh, and the guy in charge is an inveterate wheelsucker . ___________________
Strava is not Zen.0 -
Saiz! Not Sainz.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0
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Bla bla bla bla ..... ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzcalvjones wrote:rockmount wrote:
...Yeah ! cycling would be so much better without the world's best :roll: :roll:calvjones wrote:Miss 'em like a hole in the head.
Cycling would be much better off without a team that formed from the ashes of Sainz' systematic dopers, suffered numerous doping scandals almost from inception, and is funded by an unholy mess of ex-nationally owned 'private' sector commodity and utility companies with the fulsome backing of an autocratic, borderline despotic regime with a questionable human rights record.
Oh, and the guy in charge is an inveterate wheelsucker ... who said that, internet forum people ?0 -
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Rockmount - Which part of Calv's comment was boring exactly?
He may not be able to tell the difference between Manolo and Dr Mabuse but we'll forgive him being from Welsh wales and all....Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
iainf72 wrote:Rockmount - Which part of Calv's comment was boring exactly?
He may not be able to tell the difference between Manolo and Dr Mabuse but we'll forgive him being from Welsh wales and all....
True. If Sai(n)z was Basque I would have supplied exactly the right number of Xs tho.___________________
Strava is not Zen.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:Only if he donates those big fat fees, he's been banking.
Kind of defeats the object, if, of course, it was his real reason for returning and not to "raise cancer awareness".
We'll see.
I did say months ago, the Kazakhs would use just such a ploy to get Vino's suspension reduced.
They weren't going to float "Team America" forever.
The team's biggest non-Kazakh sponsors are Nike and Trek. Nike and Trek are both undergoing layoffs and Trek workers have been taking unpaid weeks off to save the company money. Armstrong owns part of SRAM but I'm not sure what the SRAM situation is since they sold a large interest in the company to a section of Lehman Brothers, which is now attempting to make it's way independent of the bankrupt Lehmen parent.
To be fair, Armstrong has stated that all of his appearance fees will go to the Livestrong Foundation.
On the plus side, it would be nice to see the back of that hideous Astana kit.0 -
sward29 wrote:
To be fair, Armstrong has stated that all of his appearance fees will go to the Livestrong Foundation.
On the plus side, it would be nice to see the back of that hideous Astana kit.
Except that was a lie. His TdU fee went into his pocket.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
The user and all related content has been deleted.0
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phips wrote:Armstrong also dismissed reports that the appearance fee he has been paid to contest Tour Down Under will go to the charity. Earlier in the week South Australian Premier Mike Rann's media department told Cyclingnews that any monies which may have been paid to Armstrong will go to the Livestrong charity.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/ja ... conf_jan090 -
The user and all related content has been deleted.0
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+1 on the sh*t kit.sward29 wrote:To be fair, Armstrong has stated that all of his appearance fees will go to the Livestrong Foundation.
On the plus side, it would be nice to see the back of that hideous Astana kit.
The other point being, if Astana fold, there'll be no fee, either to pocket or donate.
While I could see few teams eyes light up, at the prospect of getting a cut price Bertie, Levi or Kloden, I don't see a queue forming to let his lordship ride, free or otherwise.
Unless of course, they are a team with no GT potential.
Cue those lovely French!
"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0
