Road Bike Racing - Vinokourov is going to ride the grand tours!

Alexander Vinokourov and his Astana Team are certain of being invited to the three Grand Tours next year whether they have a ProTour license or not. As reported in www.sportwereld.be, Jean-Francois Pescheux, head of the Tour de France organizer ASO, has told Astana team manager Mario Kummer that the team will be included.

However, Walter Godefroot said that he has not given up hopes of receiving that license. "There was indeed that negative recommendation of the license commission, but at that time our filing was not complete. Now it is. It would be logical that Astana receives ProTour status. We fulfill all the conditions." An announcement concerning the last ProTour licenses is expected momentarily.

Responding to UCI Chairman Pat McQuaid's remarks that Astana had no chance for the license, Godefroot said, "McQuaid has only been in charge for one year. Maybe he still needs to learn his job."

Yea I read that and meant to add it to my Astana thread...just to be clear this is the Swiss based Astana team talking here now the Active Bay Astana (who still claims to have the rights to Vino's contract so I think it is still to be seen).

Not a surprise.

can we get a sticky pls?

The please don't re-post stuff you've just read on cyclingnews.com/pez-cycling/velo-club.net/wielerparcours.com as news Thread?

tyvm

:)

What a letdown! I thought I read "Vinokurtov".

What a letdown! I thought I read "Vinokurtov".

yeah so did i. we need a BF member to ride the TDF and post here after each stage....we so need a BF pro hero to look up too!!!!!!!

What a letdown! I thought I read "Vinokurtov".

okay, i am the third. not sure about you guys, but i think this is an indication that i spend too much time reading stuff on these boards.

as far as astana, i am glad they made it to the uci. it isn't like thy would have been precluded from the grand tours anyway, but i really wish vino could get a chance at the tour without: finances of team in question/false accusation of doping involvement/team mates that attack your breakaway, etc. the guy is a monster. one to root for. plus, i heard he's down with borat.

For all the Vino fans WCP is delivering the 2006 Vuelta DVD's. Received mine over the weekend and am through stage 9. Well worth buying, the guy is all sack.

That team is going to be monster. The two Kazakh climbing studs plus Il Falco and Klodi? That's going to be something to watch when that road tilts up.

And sadly, I'm not going to be riding the grand tours. Our team came up short on the bake sale to raise enough for a full team. The worst part is now I got all these cupcakes staring me in the face while I try to lose weight for the upcoming season. So no TDF report, but I'll try to throw out a couple on trying to win a Cat1/2/3 Master's race :)

BTW, Astana/Active Bay exists only in Saiz's mind. He hasn't paid anyone since the blow up, so any individual rider's contract he had are void and nothing but liabilities at this point. Odds are Astana (the actual team) gets that last PT license too.

ASTANA GETS PROTOUR SLOT

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/dec06/dec20news

Looks like money does talk, and Astana pulle some strings after having their paperwork in late.