# Astana out of Giro?



## Mosovich (Feb 3, 2004)

If they don't get the $2million this week, with UCI not let them start? Ck out cyclingnews article..


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## loudog (Jul 22, 2008)

looks like they will make the giro but are pretty much cooked after that. my guess is that the big pockets - lance, trek, and sram will make a new team. lance has already made mention of running his own team... bye Astana.


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## SlowBikeRacer (Nov 7, 2005)

Team Livestrong p/b Shrek


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## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

I bet Contador is $***ting his pants.


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## peter1 (Apr 10, 2002)

Yeah, no mention of Contador at all from LA lately, so I assume the TdF Livestrong team will be Lance, Levi, Horner and whoever else from Astana wants a quick paycheck...

I'm surprised the Kazakh govt. wouldn't dig into some of their secret oil slush funds and keep the team going for the rest of the year, if only for pride's sake.

Sadly, I think we'll see a few other teams fold in the next year, and/or salaries cut sharply across the board.


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## enac (Aug 24, 2007)

Conspiracy........................CONTADOR OUT OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE 2009. He should switch teams now.


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## loudog (Jul 22, 2008)

lance should start a publicly owned team a la green bay packers. you could buy shares or when you buy a certain bike or product you get a few shares etc.


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## moabbiker (Sep 11, 2002)

I can see LA not wanting Contador, even if he could afford to pay him. Levi, sure, he's a schmuck who will take ordering around. Horner's days are numbered so best to stick with what he can get.


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## ProRoad (Oct 13, 2008)

LOL, Oh my god, what ever dude.

Lance is going to buy the team, Johan owns the Pro Tour license, all is good...


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## pianopiano (Jun 4, 2005)

*fuuuuuugly*

If (when?) this all comes down, we can only hope that the new team kit is an improvement over the Astana patchwork monstrousities. Btw, Colombia should pick up Contador. They have no team leader, and it could provide an interesting rivalry to Team Livestrong/Nike as well. :thumbsup:


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

piano said:


> Btw, Colombia should pick up Contador.



I think Garmin would be better able to support him if they have the money or can get it but even better would be Caisse d'Epargne. He's the perfect dominant grand tour threat to fit Caisse d'Epargne... Spanish team... Spanish star rider... and I'm pretty sure Caisse d'Epargne has the deepest pockets. He should get out ASAP/while the Giro is on if he can.


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## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

Neither Giro or Tour are ProTour, they're on the historical calendar. I forgot that little tidbit until I read something on Bicycling. They're also reporting that the Kazahks, not Bruyneel, own the license.

So, not having a ProTour license (if it's revoked) will not alone keep Astana out of either race.

Could put a crimp in Contador's training plans as the Dauphine is ProTour.


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

and CN says vino wants to race the vuelta. with which team, now that astana is, for all intents and purposes, gone? nobody would touch him, right?

conti, on the other hand... if LA can afford him, it would better his chances by keeping him on theteam. the entire "friends close, enemies closer" thing. not meaning they are enemies, but conti is a HUGE threat to LA. keep him on the team where you can have control. if he goes to saxo, highroad, garmin, caisse, or even euskatel it could be bad.

what about lotto? they have lost faith in evans.

EDIT: you dont think italy/giro organizers would help bail out astana/livestrong, do you?


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

what do you mean contador is a 'huge threat to LA'

lance is not going to be a factor in any GT this year


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

rocco said:


> I think Garmin would be better able to support him if they have the money or can get it but even better would be Caisse d'Epargne. He's the perfect dominant grand tour threat to fit Caisse d'Epargne... Spanish team... Spanish star rider... and I'm pretty sure Caisse d'Epargne has the deepest pockets. He should get out ASAP/while the Giro is on if he can.


Garmin maybe.

Caisse, no way. Why? Caisse is all about Don Alejandro.


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

weltyed said:


> and CN says vino wants to race the vuelta. with which team, now that astana is, for all intents and purposes, gone? nobody would touch him, right?
> 
> conti, on the other hand... if LA can afford him, it would better his chances by keeping him on theteam. the entire "friends close, enemies closer" thing. not meaning they are enemies, but conti is a HUGE threat to LA. keep him on the team where you can have control. if he goes to saxo, highroad, garmin, caisse, or even euskatel it could be bad.
> 
> ...


Yeah but Evans would then wheel suck Contador.


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

piano said:


> If (when?) this all comes down, we can only hope that the new team kit is an improvement over the Astana patchwork monstrousities. Btw, Colombia should pick up Contador. They have no team leader, and it could provide an interesting rivalry to Team Livestrong/Nike as well. :thumbsup:


They have Michael Rogers. Colombia that is.


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

uzziefly said:


> Yeah but Evans would then wheel suck Contador.


Not that he actually COULD, mind you, but he would try.

My guess is Cadel will be falling out of the picture in favor of some of the younger guys like Van den Brouck.


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

robdamanii said:


> Not that he actually COULD, mind you, but he would try.
> 
> My guess is Cadel will be falling out of the picture in favor of some of the younger guys like Van den Brouck.


He could suck it before Contador dances away.

Then he'd complain that Contador is too fast and beyotch about his other teammates again.

Oh, classic.


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

alexb618 said:


> what do you mean contador is a 'huge threat to LA'
> 
> lance is not going to be a factor in any GT this year


If Lance owns a team, Contador would be a threat to said team if he was on another.


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

jd3 said:


> If Lance owns a team, Contador would be a threat to said team if he was on another.


Yeap. That's the whole point.


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

uzziefly said:


> Garmin maybe.
> 
> Caisse, no way. Why? Caisse is all about Don Alejandro.


Why? How many grand tours has AVB won? Mmmkay... if you say so.


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

uzziefly said:


> They have Michael Rogers. Colombia that is.



Hmmm... I see it differently. I don't count Rogers as a bona fide GT GC contender yet. Does Colombia have the supporting cast counting MR to provide AC with solid helpers in the mountains? Granted they've got guys like GH but who do they have that can set tempo for and stay with AC almost all the way up until the elites start the fireworks and blow the race apart? Furthermore, aren't MC's points/green jersey ambitions too much of a distraction? I'm not so convinced that Columbia is the best team for AC.


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## waldo425 (Sep 22, 2008)

Does this mean that the team will have better kits now? 


We wont be able to get the Lamond/Hinault grand battle. I was really looking forward to that. I'm almost hoping that they do take on Contador just so that I can see that battle.


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

rocco said:


> Why? How many grand tours has AVB won? Mmmkay... if you say so.


It's not about how many he has won. It's about them fully backing him and believing in him.


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

rocco said:


> Hmmm... I see it differently. I don't count Rogers as a bona fide GT GC contender yet. Does Colombia have the supporting cast counting MR to provide AC with solid helpers in the mountains? Granted they've got guys like GH but who do they have that can set tempo for and stay with AC almost all the way up until the elites start the fireworks and blow the race apart? Furthermore, aren't MC's points/green jersey ambitions too much of a distraction? I'm not so convinced that Columbia is the best team for AC.


Hence my point - Columbia would not take him/he won't wanna go to Columbia IMO.


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

Mosovich said:


> If they don't get the $2million this week, with UCI not let them start? Ck out cyclingnews article..


Might be good to let Astana officially die, to ensure that they won't ever be forced to take on Vino again. If the Kazakhs aren't financing it anymore, Vino can go scratch gravel. I have no doubt that the team will survive under some other name.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

mohair_chair said:


> Might be good to let Astana officially die, to ensure that they won't ever be forced to take on Vino again. If the Kazakhs aren't financing it anymore, Vino can go scratch gravel. I have no doubt that the team will survive under some other name.


Am I the only one who really wants Vino to come back? If Basso is allowed back, and Valverde/Schleck still racing why not Vino? Come on, he will make racing fun again. Otherwise we will have to watch another Cadel-style wheelsuckfest...


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

55x11 said:


> Am I the only one who really wants Vino to come back? If Basso is allowed back, and Valverde/Schleck still racing why not Vino? Come on, he will make racing fun again. Otherwise we will have to watch another Cadel-style wheelsuckfest...


If Vino came back after a real suspension, I could live with it. But his two-bit federation only gave him one year. If Basso served two years, Vino serves two years.


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

mohair_chair said:


> Might be good to let Astana officially die, to ensure that they won't ever be forced to take on Vino again. If the Kazakhs aren't financing it anymore, Vino can go scratch gravel. I have no doubt that the team will survive under some other name.


Yup. 

It'll probably be like Highroad/T-Mobile and then Columbia perhaps.

At least, 90% of the guys would still be there IMO.


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

mohair_chair said:


> If Vino came back after a real suspension, I could live with it. But his two-bit federation only gave him one year. If Basso served two years, Vino serves two years.


Yabbut he d()ped through his suspension too, that's why it's faster (1 instead of 2 years)!


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## Einstruzende (Jun 1, 2004)

mohair_chair said:


> If Vino came back after a real suspension, I could live with it. But his two-bit federation only gave him one year. If Basso served two years, Vino serves two years.


He is serving two years because the UCI put the beat down on the 1 year suspension (if you recall, there were rumors last year about him coming back because his "1 year" was over).

As far as Contador goes, I respectfully disagree with Uzzi. Caisse would be all over him in a heart beat. I'm a big Valv fan (obviously), however at this point it just doesn't look like he is going to pan out as a big GT threat. He needs to stick to dominating 1 day races.

Don't forget Caisse also has Periero, who is a proven GT rider, and they have J.Rodriguez...if they were to pick up Contador they'd be as dominant as Astana was shaping up to be.


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## Cyclo-phile (Sep 22, 2005)

I'm going to predict that Valverde gets the smack-down from CONI, Astana folds, and Caisse picks up Contador as their new GC rider. Oh, and Professor Plum in the Library with the candlestick.


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

rocco said:


> Hmmm... I see it differently. I don't count Rogers as a bona fide GT GC contender yet. Does Colombia have the supporting cast counting MR to provide AC with solid helpers in the mountains? Granted they've got guys like GH but who do they have that can set tempo for and stay with AC almost all the way up until the elites start the fireworks and blow the race apart? Furthermore, aren't MC's points/green jersey ambitions too much of a distraction? I'm not so convinced that Columbia is the best team for AC.


I agree. I think that Columbia has a different approach to stage racing than a lot of other teams . They seem to me to be less concerned with GC, and more concerned with winning as many stages as possible; treating every stage like an individual, one day race. It is a strategy that works very well for them, and I think that it makes the races more exciting than watching teams like Silence Lotto play Texas Hold 'em to work their leader into a high GC ranking. Contador would NOT be happy on a team like Columbia, with a well rounded group of (what I see as) classy star cyclists that play for points, sprint finishes, and breakaway stage victories. Contador will only ever be happy with a team that eats, breathes, and lives to do nothing other than put him on the podium. He would say: "Yeah, George's breakaway stage win was good and all, but he really gained a lot of time on me, and I think that was really disrespectful because I AM THE TEAM LEADER." 

I used to be a Contador fan, but he lost me after the Vuelta last year. "Levi was the fastest guy in the race, but he let me win just like he agreed to. He didn't let me win by enough though, and it really embarrassed me and hurt my feelings because it didn't make me look as awesome as I wanted to look, and people could tell that he could have beaten me. Levi is old and bald and American, and I was supposed to finish way ahead of him, because I AM THE TEAM LEADER (sobbing)." 

well, that is what it sounded like to me..........


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## David Loving (Jun 13, 2008)

I want to buy some stock in Team Mellow Johnny/Livestrong


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## tjjm36m3 (Mar 4, 2008)

If Lance ends up owning the team, he'll need Contador in the long run for his team to be a serious GC contender. Levi's about to turn 36 and Lance himself is up there also. Alberto is only 26 and there's still a lot of cycling legs left in him. 

One thing Lance needs to do is look beyond this "comeback" season of his and think in the mind of an actual team owner.


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

uzziefly said:


> It's not about how many he has won. It's about them fully backing him and believing in him.



LOL...


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

uzziefly said:


> Hence my point - Columbia would not take him/he won't wanna go to Columbia IMO.



Ahw... I see.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Einstruzende said:


> ...Don't forget Caisse also has Periero, who is a proven GT rider, ...


oh wow... was hoping not to see that line until July or so... it's kinda seasonal, like the "GH will win P-R this year" threads, don't ya think?


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## dagger (Jul 22, 2004)

*another MellowJohnny prospect*

Simeoni will finally get the respect he deserves


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## jorgy (Oct 21, 2005)

More tomfoolery from McQuaid. From the end of the article here: http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/news/story?id=4145429

I'm not even sure the UCI has jurisdiction over who is in the Giro. Every time he opens his mouth and makes threatening statements with no teeth he looks more and more buffoonish. 

*"I'm only going to say we're aware of the situation and we are in contact with the team and [the Kazakhstan] federation," UCI president Pat McQuaid told the AP. "We're going to wait to see how this develops."

McQuaid left open the possibility that the team could be expelled from the Giro if the problems worsen.

"I don't want to talk about possibilities," McQuaid said.*

OOOOHHHHHH


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

rocco said:


> LOL...


Well, you gotta believe in SOMEONE right? Especially since you're paying him several million paellas a year.


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

Einstruzende said:


> He is serving two years because the UCI put the beat down on the 1 year suspension (if you recall, there were rumors last year about him coming back because his "1 year" was over).
> 
> As far as Contador goes, I respectfully disagree with Uzzi. Caisse would be all over him in a heart beat. I'm a big Valv fan (obviously), however at this point it just doesn't look like he is going to pan out as a big GT threat. He needs to stick to dominating 1 day races.
> 
> Don't forget Caisse also has Periero, who is a proven GT rider, and they have J.Rodriguez...if they were to pick up Contador they'd be as dominant as Astana was shaping up to be.


I just think that Caisse still want to give Valverde a shot this year at least (since this is when they'll decide if they want to move for Contador or not) to see if they'll fully back him, or just tell him to stop having too many paellas for himself and share it with Contador.

It could well work out because Spanish riders are known to have good camaraderie too anyway.
:thumbsup:


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

uzziefly said:


> Well, you gotta believe in SOMEONE right? Especially since you're paying him several million paellas a year.



Looks like Caisse is going to need someone new to believe in now.


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

Cyclo-phile said:


> *I'm going to predict that Valverde gets the smack-down from CONI*, Astana folds, and Caisse picks up Contador as their new GC rider. Oh, and Professor Plum in the Library with the candlestick.



That was part of what I was thinking when I suggested here that AC could go to Caisse but I didn't mention it because I didn't want to veer the discussion toward the CONI/doping top before the suspension came down. Armstrong said he doesn't want AC to go another team... no surprise there. Obviously LA and JB know it's likely that AC is looking for a new team. My bet is on Caisse.


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## jukebox (Sep 6, 2005)

He should do well there, hopefully not too much drama with LL Sanchez climbing the ladder and becoming a top rider now though.


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## Dwayne Barry (Feb 16, 2003)

jorgy said:


> I'm not even sure the UCI has jurisdiction over who is in the Giro. Every time he opens his mouth and makes threatening statements with no teeth he looks more and more buffoonish.


If the UCI take's away Astana's license, I don't think they would be allowed to continue in the Giro.

I don't see them doing that though, they will bend every rule under the sun in order to avoid forcing Astana to stop racing.


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## soup67 (Feb 26, 2004)

*Bye bye Valverde*

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2009/may09/may11news3


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