Astana banned from more races
campagchris
Posts: 773
Looks like Astana are going to find it hard to race this year.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id= ... /feb20news
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id= ... /feb20news
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Not Invited
Its a bit like bolting the stable door after the horse has gone though. How son yee divent need gaan doon the Pit,coz thas plenty coal in the coal hoose0 -
Still, let's keep them coming. Beat down Johan.0
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Astana are this year's Unibet. Though the exclusions are easier to justify.0
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Excellent !
Keep them out !0 -
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I don't think people really realize what this all means for pro cycling. While you may all agree with Astana/Johan being denied entry, it opens the door (VERY wide) for pro-cycling race organizers to deny entry to any team they want in the future. We'd be looking at a sport where if an organizer wants someone to win a race, or perhaps disagrees with the religious beliefs of a team's leader, they can deny them entry to the race. We would no longer be guaranteed of seeing the best face off against the best. NOT a good situation.
And really, what's the point of having drug tests and biological passports if you're going to say that passing them doesn't mean you're drug-free and therefore we can kick you out of races because we assume you will or are doping? Again, NOT good.0 -
It's just like it used to be, before UCI invented the ProTour
- are we saying that was an unqualified success then ?
The Tour, Giro, Vuelta, classics will still invite the best teams.0 -
donrhummy wrote:I don't think people really realize what this all means for pro cycling. While you may all agree with Astana/Johan being denied entry, it opens the door (VERY wide) for pro-cycling race organizers to deny entry to any team they want in the future. We'd be looking at a sport where if an organizer wants someone to win a race, or perhaps disagrees with the religious beliefs of a team's leader, they can deny them entry to the race. We would no longer be guaranteed of seeing the best face off against the best. NOT a good situation.
And really, what's the point of having drug tests and biological passports if you're going to say that passing them doesn't mean you're drug-free and therefore we can kick you out of races because we assume you will or are doping? Again, NOT good.
Well said, this is worrying for cycllings future. Cycling is struggling to attract sponsors without encouraging another major sponsor walk away.What must be galling for them is that the ASO and RCS policy does not seem to be even handed, we could all name another three of four teams who have had several positive drug tests recently.Also lets not forget tthat JB never had a rider test positive in 8/9 years .
cheers
MGGasping - but somehow still alive !0 -
I'm with donrhummy and Moray Gub.
ASO and RCS are not being rational, and do not appear to be consistant with their invitations. In the end it will be their own events that will lose credibility. The treatment of Unibet last year was prettty shocking to be honest. Grand Tours are becoming a travelling circus, rather than sport.
And while I'm not that really that bothered whether Contador or Leipheimer ride the TDF or not, I do feel for the existing young Astana riders (yeah I know a bunch of Kazakh's mostly) who would not have been aware of the risks of signing their contracts for Astana, as AC and LL would have been. They are now being denied a chance to gain experience and race. It would be pretty tough for them to choose to sign for an alternative team to get a race.0 -
Maybe if the team had a different sponsor this year, the attitude would be different? It was Astana, sponsored by the Kazakh government last year with riders being caught and the Kazakh federation defending them; this year the public will see the Astana team, sponsored by the Kazakh government and supported by the Kazakh federation. To the public/non-afficionado it is the same team with the same stigma. ASO, RCS, etc. don't want to associate themeselves with that. If Astana was now Team Low Road or something similar this year it might have been different, who knows.
I have a certain level of sympathy with Astana and some of the younger riders, but as for the big names who signed (yes, you, Alberto and Levi) they should have seen this coming. By signing for different teams they would have been sending their own message. And although I don't like the idea of teams being chosen/excluded by organisers on their own whims I can fully understand organisers wanting to distance themselves from Astana.I was only joking when I said
by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed0 -
andy_wrx wrote:It's just like it used to be, before UCI invented the ProTour
The Tour, Giro, Vuelta, classics will still invite the best teams.
Yup thats about right I think, for 100 years or so......well not all, but you get the drift.
Maybe Johan thought he would have some "clout" by moving in and bringing his old chums along.
No son you've lost it and had your day, now you are just a political football so bugger off to some beach and count your money. They can see through you and it's pay back time. bye-bye. you will earn a lot of money with your team riding in the US A. and you might even win their Grand Tour and get more invites there.Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 19720 -
No sympathy for Johan Bruyneel...he should quietly leave the sport ...he is of a generation of the past. That does not mean he should name and shame on his way out the door and put everyone on the dole...just go Johan...the Basso signing means he should not be part of the future of professional cycling and he should be an example to others as his team is suffering from his unprofessional decisions in 06 re Basso0
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i think if astana are left out of many more big races contador might leave as quickly as he came0
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:idea: Here's a challenge for Alberto:
1) Post your DNA make-up online for all to view
2) Take out a jumbo loan
3) Buy yourself out of your contract with Astana
4) Sign up for a spotlessly clean team like Bouygues or FDJ for a modest salary
5) For a month before, during and after Le Tour, get Anne Gripper to post your blood and endrocrinal values online every day
6) Win the Tour de France
7) Collect millions in winnings and endorsements since you're the undisputed clean winner of Le Tour
8 ) Pay back your loan with some of the winnings and endorsements
Easy, eh?
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Even the one or two of those would satisfy most people, but he won't do a single one of them.0
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Contador must get out of the club as soon as possible if they are going to miss a lot of races. Terrible dicision to join them.0
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Are Astana 'a major sponsor' as some have suggested ?
No, they're a group of businessmen from a former SovBloc republic and probably equate more to the mafia.
They're perhaps as dodgy as the team management and riders !0 -
Pro cycling doesn't deserve major sponsorship at the moment. The more big sponsors go the better IMO. As long as there is big money, more people will cheat. If it goes back to a semi professional sport, so be it. The riders won't be able to afford the 40,000 euros a year for a thorough doping programme, the cheats are less likely to do it properly and more likely to get caught. The peleton may slow down but who cares?Dan0
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andy_wrx wrote:Are Astana 'a major sponsor' as some have suggested ?
No, they're a group of businessmen from a former SovBloc republic and probably equate more to the mafia.
They're perhaps as dodgy as the team management and riders !
How exactly is this not racism? (or anti-nationalism, though that has less impact as an accusation :roll: )0 -
drenkrom wrote:andy_wrx wrote:Are Astana 'a major sponsor' as some have suggested ?
No, they're a group of businessmen from a former SovBloc republic and probably equate more to the mafia.
They're perhaps as dodgy as the team management and riders !
How exactly is this not racism? (or anti-nationalism, though that has less impact as an accusation :roll: )
A team full of multi-national riders, then I don't understand the quote.Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 19720 -
andy_wrx wrote:Are Astana 'a major sponsor' as some have suggested ?
No, they're a group of businessmen from a former SovBloc republic and probably equate more to the mafia.
They're perhaps as dodgy as the team management and riders !
Yeah, they are a real sinister bunch, forget protection racketts, drugs & gun running, they fund a team of blokes on bikes, who are forced to wear their flag.
They a bunch of psychos! :roll:0 -
He has a PR problem. As much as that step is technically useless, it helps put things into the open. My redemption plan was meant in irony, but he's welcome to copy it...0
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Kléber wrote:He has a PR problem. As much as that step is technically useless, it helps put things into the open. My redemption plan was meant in irony, but he's welcome to copy it...
Ahhh, I see. Useless PR gestures. Fair enough. Maybe Bertie should ring up Stapleton for a bit of consultancy - I mean, he's got something special being able to fool the media / world at large while having a BEARD!Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
z000m wrote:if he joined slipstream we could all request testing results on their website, maybe this is a step in the right direction.Kléber wrote::idea: Here's a challenge for Alberto:
1) Post your DNA make-up online for all to view
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How many of us are qualified to discuss test results? I know we've got a few doctors in our midst but the rest of us are really lay people and I don't know what we could say.
I'm not keen on test results being made available to the public. To an independant authority yes, but really, it's none of our business.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
What about the other steps, Iain, care to shoot them down too? 0
