Astana's TDF invite is

dave_1
dave_1 Posts: 9,512
edited January 2008 in Pro race
in doubt. Bruyneel may well get this as a form of punishment for the PR he gave cycling via his signing in winter 06... Basso. I hope Astana are excluded...hopefully this will scare others in management. make and example of 1 to scare a 100 into line

Should pro teams break contracts with all the old school directors...do a proper clean out? Any experienced amatuer can be a DS as it is not rocket science...as Robert Millar noted when at BCF...glorified car drivers they are

http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/13954.0.html

Comments

  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    Surely it is more to do with the embarrassment of Vino and the whiff around Astana for the past 12 months.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Timoid. wrote:
    Surely it is more to do with the embarrassment of Vino and the whiff around Astana for the past 12 months.

    Does that mean High Horses invite could be in doubt?

    After all it was one of their riders who got the German TV coverage canned...
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    But Astana is only a name eh...the 'managment' and main culprits from 07 are gone...therefore only the name remains...nothing else from what i see. I reckon it's to curtail Bruyneel's influence
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Dave_1 wrote:
    But Astana is only a name eh...the 'managment' and main culprits from 07 are gone...therefore only the name remains...nothing else from what i see. I reckon it's to curtail Bruyneel's influence

    Do ASO really care? To the layman it would look like "they don't like you winning their race"
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    iainf72 wrote:
    Dave_1 wrote:
    But Astana is only a name eh...the 'managment' and main culprits from 07 are gone...therefore only the name remains...nothing else from what i see. I reckon it's to curtail Bruyneel's influence

    Do ASO really care? To the layman it would look like "they don't like you winning their race"

    Astana is a word linked todoping. Was walking down the street last summer and saw a festina advert...did I think about watches? No. So, perhaps a tarnished brand name?
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    Dave_1 wrote:
    So, perhaps a tarnished brand name?
    Like Cofidis...............but I bet they'll be offered a start.
  • Dave_1 wrote:
    But Astana is only a name eh...the 'managment' and main culprits from 07 are gone...therefore only the name remains...nothing else from what i see. I reckon it's to curtail Bruyneel's influence

    Andreas Kloeden anyone? Do you think NONE of the previous riders are still there? There's loads of them still there from last year....
  • Dave_1 wrote:
    [ Astana is a word linked todoping. Was walking down the street last summer and saw a festina advert...did I think about watches? No. So, perhaps a tarnished brand name?

    Astana is a place, not a brand name. The team is a PR exercise in attracting business to a former Soviet run country.
  • BAZAYEV, Assan Kazakhstan 22 February 1981
    BRAJKOVIC, Jani Slovenia 18 December 1983
    COLOM, Antonio Spain 11 May 1978
    CONTADOR, Alberto Spain 6 December 1982
    DE KORT, Koen Netherlands 8 September 1982
    FREI, Thomas Switzerland 19 January 1985
    GUSEV, Vladimir Russia 4 July 1982
    HASELBACHER, René Austria 15 September 1977
    HORNER, Chris USA 23 October 1971
    IGLINSKY, Maxim Kazakhstan 18 April 1981
    IVANOV, Sergey Russia 5 March 1975
    JOACHIM, Benoit Luxembourg 4 January 1976
    KEMPS, Aaron Australia 10 September 1983
    KIREYEV, Roman Kazakhstan 14 February 1987
    KLODEN, Andreas Germany 22 June 1975
    KUPESHOV, Berik Kazakhstan 30 January 1987
    LEIPHEIMER, Levi USA 24 October 1973
    MAZET, Julien France 19 March 1981
    MIZUROV, Andrey Kazakhstan 16 March 1973
    MORABITO, Steve Switzerland 30 January 1983
    MURAVYEV, Dmitriy Kazakhstan 2 November 1979
    NAVARRO, Daniel Spain 8 July 1983
    NOVAL, Benjamin Spain 23 January 1979
    PAULINHO, Sérgio Portugal 26 March 1980
    RAST, Grégory Switzerland 17 January 1980
    RUBIERA, José Luis Spain 27 January 1973
    SCHÄR, Michael Switzerland 29 May 1986
    VAITKUS, Tomas Lithuania 4 February 1982
    YAKOVLEV, Sergey Kazakhstan 21 April 1976
    ZEITS, Andrey Kazakhstan 14 December 1986


    Looks like PLENTY of 2007 Astana riders in this pre-season shot
    astana-main.jpg
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    Dave_1 wrote:
    [ Astana is a word linked todoping. Was walking down the street last summer and saw a festina advert...did I think about watches? No. So, perhaps a tarnished brand name?

    Astana is a place, not a brand name. The team is a PR exercise in attracting business to a former Soviet run country.

    place or thingis not the issue...it's a word associated in some people's mind with another word
  • BAZAYEV, Assan Kazakhstan 22 February 1981
    BRAJKOVIC, Jani Slovenia 18 December 1983
    COLOM, Antonio Spain 11 May 1978
    CONTADOR, Alberto Spain 6 December 1982
    DE KORT, Koen Netherlands 8 September 1982
    FREI, Thomas Switzerland 19 January 1985
    GUSEV, Vladimir Russia 4 July 1982
    HASELBACHER, René Austria 15 September 1977
    HORNER, Chris USA 23 October 1971
    IGLINSKY, Maxim Kazakhstan 18 April 1981
    IVANOV, Sergey Russia 5 March 1975
    JOACHIM, Benoit Luxembourg 4 January 1976
    KEMPS, Aaron Australia 10 September 1983
    KIREYEV, Roman Kazakhstan 14 February 1987
    KLODEN, Andreas Germany 22 June 1975
    KUPESHOV, Berik Kazakhstan 30 January 1987
    LEIPHEIMER, Levi USA 24 October 1973
    MAZET, Julien France 19 March 1981
    MIZUROV, Andrey Kazakhstan 16 March 1973
    MORABITO, Steve Switzerland 30 January 1983
    MURAVYEV, Dmitriy Kazakhstan 2 November 1979
    NAVARRO, Daniel Spain 8 July 1983
    NOVAL, Benjamin Spain 23 January 1979
    PAULINHO, Sérgio Portugal 26 March 1980
    RAST, Grégory Switzerland 17 January 1980
    RUBIERA, José Luis Spain 27 January 1973
    SCHÄR, Michael Switzerland 29 May 1986
    VAITKUS, Tomas Lithuania 4 February 1982
    YAKOVLEV, Sergey Kazakhstan 21 April 1976
    ZEITS, Andrey Kazakhstan 14 December 1986

    Might be a more complete list of Astana 2007 riders. You could also add Contador (Astana 2006) and Paulinho (ex Liberty Seguros) and maybe more?
    ASO would be mad to exclude them, as it would devalue their race, as 2 of the 2007 podium placings would be out. It would be a PR disaster for them if, as Iain pointed out, they let High Road take part with their less than admirable record.
  • ricadus
    ricadus Posts: 2,379
    Heh, payback time from ASO: Astana as this year's Unibet. 8)
  • BAZAYEV, Assan Kazakhstan 22 February 1981
    BRAJKOVIC, Jani Slovenia 18 December 1983
    COLOM, Antonio Spain 11 May 1978
    CONTADOR, Alberto Spain 6 December 1982
    DE KORT, Koen Netherlands 8 September 1982
    FREI, Thomas Switzerland 19 January 1985
    GUSEV, Vladimir Russia 4 July 1982
    HASELBACHER, René Austria 15 September 1977
    HORNER, Chris USA 23 October 1971
    IGLINSKY, Maxim Kazakhstan 18 April 1981
    IVANOV, Sergey Russia 5 March 1975
    JOACHIM, Benoit Luxembourg 4 January 1976
    KEMPS, Aaron Australia 10 September 1983
    KIREYEV, Roman Kazakhstan 14 February 1987
    KLODEN, Andreas Germany 22 June 1975
    KUPESHOV, Berik Kazakhstan 30 January 1987
    LEIPHEIMER, Levi USA 24 October 1973
    MAZET, Julien France 19 March 1981
    MIZUROV, Andrey Kazakhstan 16 March 1973
    MORABITO, Steve Switzerland 30 January 1983
    MURAVYEV, Dmitriy Kazakhstan 2 November 1979
    NAVARRO, Daniel Spain 8 July 1983
    NOVAL, Benjamin Spain 23 January 1979
    PAULINHO, Sérgio Portugal 26 March 1980
    RAST, Grégory Switzerland 17 January 1980
    RUBIERA, José Luis Spain 27 January 1973
    SCHÄR, Michael Switzerland 29 May 1986
    VAITKUS, Tomas Lithuania 4 February 1982
    YAKOVLEV, Sergey Kazakhstan 21 April 1976
    ZEITS, Andrey Kazakhstan 14 December 1986

    Might be a more complete list of Astana 2007 riders. You could also add Contador (Astana 2006) and Paulinho (ex Liberty Seguros) and maybe more?.

    You could try reading :roll: Look closer and you'll see this is the 2008 roster with CHris Horner etc.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    If they don't invite Astana, you'd have to ask some serious questions if they invited Rabobank or Silence-Lotto.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • drenkrom
    drenkrom Posts: 1,062
    If you think having a team with a name that's tarnished is a problem for an organizer (it's the team's problem if you ask me), try excluding the winner and 3rd place from your last race with no more justification than "the name of the team is linked to bad memories". See how that goes down in the world press. By those standards, no more Rabobank or Cofidis. If, like ASO, you have an ambition of running cycling races without dealing with the UCI, you're going to need the teams on your side. Sending the message they can be excluded at your whim will not help your case there.

    I wouldn't be that surprised if this went through, but it would be a very bad move on ASO's part, AFAIC. Time will tell...
  • You could try reading :roll: Look closer and you'll see this is the 2008 roster with CHris Horner etc.

    Sorry Matchstick, maybe a misinterpretation. I thought you had highlighted the names to demonstrate the number of Astana 2007 riders, I copied your list and highlighted some more, as most of the riders from last year have stayed with Astana. I was fully aware that it was the 2008 roster.
  • I seem to recall that when Astana were booted out of the TDF last year (maybe they have suffered enough already!) Patrice le Clerc said that he hadn't wanted to invite them in the first place but felt he had to because of the quality if their riders.

    So, if invited on merit, Astana should be at the 2008 TDF.

    If, however, ASO wish to show that they are learning by previous mistakes, and prove that they can throw their weight around, then they will make a big show of not inviting Astana. I think that would be a big mistake, that they are quite capable of making.
  • The decision would be vindictive and arbitrary. If they are excluding them due to lingering issues of *oping, then they'd pretty well have to exclude every other team as well. Look at High Road - they were a mess before last season - should they be excluded? What about CSC? - Riis certainly doesn't have the shine he once did. Cofidis, Caisse dePargne, Euskatel... C'mon, they all have a history. No, this is personal and it's strictly about Bruyneel. Like him or not, the TdF discredits itself by foolish decisions like this IMO. And, they're in town this week for training camp so maybe I'll go meet them this week and pose the question to the them directly!! :o
  • My gut feeling is that it has little to do with Bruyneel. After all if Discovery hung on another year, I doubt very much if there would be any question over an invite for the Discovery team under Bruyneel.
    I think that this has more to do with the Astana set up.
  • timoid.
    timoid. Posts: 3,133
    iainf72 wrote:
    Timoid. wrote:
    Surely it is more to do with the embarrassment of Vino and the whiff around Astana for the past 12 months.

    Does that mean High Horses invite could be in doubt?

    After all it was one of their riders who got the German TV coverage canned...


    Just trying to explain why; not to agree with the decision.

    ASO needs to set its rules of conduct and then refuse entry to anyone who doesn’t conform to those rules. Simple as.
    It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.
  • nick hanson
    nick hanson Posts: 1,655
    redbicycle wrote:
    And, they're in town this week for training camp so maybe I'll go meet them this week and pose the question to the them directly!! :o
    I'm sure you'll get a nice,friendly reception.....NOT :shock:
    so many cols,so little time!
  • girofan
    girofan Posts: 137
    ricadus wrote:
    Heh, payback time from ASO: Astana as this year's Unibet. 8)


    Astana/Disco, you couldn't get a more deserving case for exclusion!
    I say what I like and I like what I say!