# Astana gets Specialized for 2010 !



## skygodmatt (May 24, 2005)

This news blew my mind--
http://files.e2ma.net/29087/assets/docs/pr_astana_sponsorship.pdf

Contador and Astana will be riding the Tarmac for 2010.
Looks like Specialized really wants the yellow in 2010 and won the bid.
Thoughts?


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

Apparently, Mike Sinyard really really wants the Tour. Specialized have multiple Flanders & Roubaix titles as well as the Worlds, but the Tour has eluded them. Contador is the best bet by a mile, but if Andy Schleck nips by him Specialized win too!


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## Dajianshan (Jul 15, 2007)

Good! I will have even more reason to root for Quick Step in 2010 on their new Merckx bikes.


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## iebobo (Jun 23, 2006)

I am so disappointed. Can't believe Specialized would sponsor a team with that a$$munch Contador. They may get the Tour, but is it worth it?


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## Hooben (Aug 22, 2004)

Really nice to see if anybody gets paid this year on the Astana team.


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## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

iebobo said:


> I am so disappointed. Can't believe Specialized would sponsor a team with that a$$munch Contador. They may get the Tour, but is it worth it?


IIRC, Specialized signed a deal specifically with Contador months ago. So Astana riding Specialized isn't a surprise.


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## MarvinK (Feb 12, 2002)

I wonder if Contador is looking for revenge against his old 'teammates' and his previous sponsor who went along with them. Specialized and Trek are becoming pretty fierce rivals. All this talk about needing the best bike and best equipment could really backfire if Astana turns out to be a disaster and Contador loses after winning easily every time with his old sponsor.

Frankly, I don't think it's the bike in either case, but it makes for good marketing.


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## Hand/of/Midas (Apr 15, 2008)

MarvinK said:


> I wonder if Contador is looking for revenge against his old 'teammates' and his previous sponsor who went along with them. Specialized and Trek are becoming pretty fierce rivals. All this talk about needing the best bike and best equipment could really backfire if Astana turns out to be a disaster and Contador loses after winning easily every time with his old sponsor.


Yea, and unfortunantly for marketing the average joe only knows about the TDF. Winning Paris-Roubaix, Worlds, that all means nothing to most people. So it's sad they want to sponsor a Jack @$$ like contador, when Boonen/Bettini did so much in the past few years.

But as a sales manager at a shop dealing specialized, It will bring in the average guy that doesn't follow cycling.


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## DMFT (Feb 3, 2005)

MarvinK said:


> I wonder if Contador is looking for revenge against his old 'teammates' and his previous sponsor who went along with them. Specialized and Trek are becoming pretty fierce rivals. All this talk about needing the best bike and best equipment could really backfire if Astana turns out to be a disaster and Contador loses after winning easily every time with his old sponsor.
> 
> Frankly, I don't think it's the bike in either case, but it makes for good marketing.



- We'll see if he learned anything from last year. Particularly about how to follow a wheel and not get caught out. It will be interesting to see what kind of TEAM they put together around Contador. THAT is the most important part IMO. 

Should be an interesting Tour at any rate......


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## emsf5 (Jun 2, 2008)

Any ideas about what groupo they will be using assuming SRAM is gone?


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## MarvinK (Feb 12, 2002)

Still on SRAM. SRAM is pretty good about picking teams that are going to win races. They totally dominated the cyclocross scene this year, too.


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## GerryR (Sep 3, 2008)

I can't believe the Specialized brand manager "Winning the Tour has been a dream of ours for many years, but even more important is the opportunity to work with riders like Contador and Vinokourov. . ."


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

Why all the the Contador hate?? LA was just as much of a jackass last year as Contador - it's just the way things go with such competitive guys.


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## alm80 (Nov 20, 2008)

*Am I the only 1...*

That is pumped up about this. Lance and Trek with Team Shack, Contador and the big red S with Astana.The personal lines had been drawn last year, now the corporate lines. I may take the entire TDF month off for this.


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

alm80 said:


> That is pumped up about this. Lance and Trek with Team Shack, Contador and the big red S with Astana.The personal lines had been drawn last year, now the corporate lines. I may take the entire TDF month off for this.


Except that Armstrong will be a non-factor after the first couple Pyrenean stages.


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

GerryR said:


> I can't believe the Specialized brand manager "Winning the Tour has been a dream of ours for many years, but even more important is the opportunity to work with riders like Contador and Vinokourov. . ."


Specialized is as dirty and unethical if not more as a bike company than Vino ever was as a rider if you ask me...

But it's a good move for Specialized as far as marketing is concerned with Alberto, the Schlecks, Fabian all riding their bikes, they are pretty much assured of being at the top in the 2010 Tour GC and get stage wins too... Like pretender, I don't see Lance being a factor, not anymore than last year and with no TTT, he will have a hard time hanging with Alberto and Andy....


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## skygodmatt (May 24, 2005)

Armstrong and Contador are both superstars. Both have their own personalities and are semi-domineering. They should have given Contador more authority but they did not because of his age. He knows he has the ability to win and wants recognition. His record at such a young age is stellar. 
People should not think poorly of either one -but when you bash other riders, you look like a real jerk. The Armstrong -Contador war could have been more professional.


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## bwhite_4 (Aug 29, 2006)

alm80 said:


> That is pumped up about this. Lance and Trek with Team Shack, Contador and the big red S with Astana.The personal lines had been drawn last year, now the corporate lines. I may take the entire TDF month off for this.


And what makes this year of rivalries different from any other year, especially when it comes to corporate warfare? 

Lemond/Hinault was a much bigger battle.


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## bwhite_4 (Aug 29, 2006)

Astana is also riding Zipp wheels. Should make most the locals here happy since they all prance around on their 404s and then ***** about 25mph crosswinds.


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## alm80 (Nov 20, 2008)

bwhite_4 said:


> And what makes this year of rivalries different from any other year, especially when it comes to corporate warfare?


I agree that there are battles every year, but this one is getting me going. Maybe its the lack of riding due to current weather, or maybe its that i hope we can overshadow some of the recent years of scandal in the sport. It cant be a bd thing for the sport in the long run...


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

MarvinK said:


> Still on SRAM. SRAM is pretty good about picking teams that are going to win races. They totally dominated the cyclocross scene this year, too.


Maybe American racing but Niels Albert and Sven Nys are still on Shimano, Di2 no less... Stybar is up there with them on SRAM though. Not taking anything away from the US racing scene, it was a great season and the Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com team were impressive. :thumbsup:


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## 2007TarmacSL (Nov 24, 2008)

Here is AC's first impressions about the SL3

http://iamspecialized.com/road/vide...ason-interview---tarmac-sl3-first-impressions


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## emsf5 (Jun 2, 2008)

My Spanish is a little spotty, but I swear he said that he liked how fat it made his wallet!


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## 2007TarmacSL (Nov 24, 2008)

and he threw in that jab about how much lighter it is than his last bike! Not sure how much that really matters with a UCI weight limit in races.


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

2007TarmacSL said:


> and he threw in that jab about how much lighter it is than his last bike! Not sure how much that really matters with a UCI weight limit in races.


It just shows the bs... He was probably asked to say it. If he was to switch bike sponsor next week, he would say that bike would be lighter, stiffer, and so on... Of course it wont happen, he's not on Rock Racing.


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## 2007TarmacSL (Nov 24, 2008)

Ya..that is probably true.


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## locobaylor (Mar 11, 2008)

MarvinK said:


> Still on SRAM. SRAM is pretty good about picking teams that are going to win races. They totally dominated the cyclocross scene this year, too.


I find it pretty funny how people are assuming that Contrador went with Spec just to spite Trek and Armstrong, while Armstrong is a large stockholder in the SRAM.


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## 2007TarmacSL (Nov 24, 2008)

I figured he new Trek was pulling out of Astana and Spec was going to sponsor them, they opened their wallet and he said..start the cameras rolling. I don't think it had anything personally to do with LA. I think he's doing his best to stay away from that crap. He recognizes that he is the best spokesman they have and that's what he is getting paid for.


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## locobaylor (Mar 11, 2008)

MarvinK said:


> Still on SRAM. SRAM is pretty good about picking teams that are going to win races. They totally dominated the cyclocross scene this year, too.


I find it pretty funny how people are assuming that Contrador went with Spec just to spite Trek and Armstrong, while Armstrong is a large stockholder in the SRAM.


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## emsf5 (Jun 2, 2008)

I winder if that was part of his negotiations with Astana, that he be the sole decision maker when it came to equipment.


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## 2007TarmacSL (Nov 24, 2008)

Not sure what this means...but his bars and seatpost are FSA. Wonder what is wrong with the SWORKS equipment and who makes that call.


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## emsf5 (Jun 2, 2008)

Good question. This side of the business of pro cycling is interestingly mysterious!


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## iebobo (Jun 23, 2006)

So the team had a plan and designated Lance as the one that others would support to win. Contador could not accept that and went rogue. This in itself is understandable. But when you figure in what would have been better for the sport of cycling and the greater influence that Lance would have had with global fight against cancer, it's a shame. I admit Lance already has clout and must get big bucks for endorsements, but his organization does great things.


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

iebobo said:


> So the team had a plan and designated Lance as the one that others would support to win. Contador could not accept that and went rogue. This in itself is understandable. But when you figure in what would have been better for the sport of cycling and the greater influence that Lance would have had with global fight against cancer, it's a shame. I admit Lance already has clout and must get big bucks for endorsements, but his organization does great things.


Even ignoring the revisionist history---Bruyneel stated before the Tour that "[w]hen we made selection of the team, we made it clear that the leader is Alberto"---it is still an awfully weak argument for why the best Grand Tour racer in the world is, in your own words, an "a$$munch".


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## HIMEHEEM (Sep 25, 2009)

I agree with you on your previous post and personally believe contador to munch a$$. Not from a position of "he's not a good rider" but more in a "he plays for the Raiders" kind of way.



iebobo said:


> But when you figure in what would have been better for the sport of cycling and the greater influence that Lance would have had with global fight against cancer, it's a shame..


On this, I'm not following you. I take you to mean that Lance could have done more for the sport had he won. if Lance could have beaten Contador, team or not, he would have.


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

Contador is a total meany who loves cancer and beats up old men.


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## HIMEHEEM (Sep 25, 2009)

You forgot "hates his team". And I think he actually invented cancer (anyone that would wear that stupid hat should at least get the credit).


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## pretender (Sep 18, 2007)

It's a shame Contador couldn't have _literally_ towed Kloden up Colombiere.


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## HIMEHEEM (Sep 25, 2009)

pretender said:


> It's a shame Contador couldn't have _literally_ towed Kloden up Colombiere.


Yep, it's too bad, I don't think you are allowed to carry tow straps in grand tours( although I can't find any official ruling on it either way).


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## jcr7u (May 11, 2009)

I looked at an S-Works SL3 with SRAM Red today at the LBS... it is quite the bike.


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## jcr7u (May 11, 2009)

I looked at an S-Works SL3 with SRAM Red today at the LBS... it is quite the bike.


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## HIMEHEEM (Sep 25, 2009)

jcr7u said:


> I looked at an S-Works SL3 with SRAM Red today at the LBS... it is quite the bike.


There seems to be an echo in here....hello....hello...hello


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## jcr7u (May 11, 2009)

Hmm... now how did that happen?


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