Road Cycling - The glass is half full for Astana

Vuelta says Astaná welcome (http://www.velonews.com/article/72007)


Alberto Contador and his Astaná teammates might not be racing in July, but Vuelta a España officials were quick to say that the team is welcome in the season’s final grand tour.

Vuelta director Victor Cordero told the Spanish wire agency EFE that the Spanish tour will not follow the lead taken by the Giro d’Italia and the Tour to exclude Astaná and said he hopes to see the team for the Vuelta start in Granada on Aug. 30.

click link to read full article.

Not if ASO buys the Vuelta as some reports say they will do....

You can always rely on Victor and other Spanish cycling officials to stick up for the local boys.

But isn't Astana a primarily "tour" team like Discovery was? Weren't the sponsors, (especially the U.S. sponsors), in it for the tour? This is not good for the team management. They made a lot of promises.

Not if ASO buys the Vuelta as some reports say they will do....

incorrect.

You can always rely on Victor and other Spanish cycling officials to stick up for the local boys.

The funny thing is Contador had no plans of doing the Vuelta. The spanish were very upset that he would shun his national race for other events.

Those like Sastre, Valverde whom are much larger icons in cycling always make the effort for the spanish events. it's almost like Contador is above his roots.

The funny thing is Contador had no plans of doing the Vuelta. The spanish were very upset that he would shun his national race for other events.

Those like Sastre, Valverde whom are much larger icons in cycling always make the effort for the spanish events. it's almost like Contador is above his roots.

Indurain never had much interest in the Vuelta either. Was he "above his roots?"

The funny thing is Contador had no plans of doing the Vuelta. The spanish were very upset that he would shun his national race for other events.

Those like Sastre, Valverde whom are much larger icons in cycling always make the effort for the spanish events. it's almost like Contador is above his roots.



Once Valverde and Sastre win a tour and then have a chance to defend their title, see where the Vuelta ranks in their racing schedules.

Once Valverde and Sastre win a tour and then have a chance to defend their title, see where the Vuelta ranks in their racing schedules.

straight up!

And Valverde skipped the Vuelta last year.

incorrect.
So the news reports have been false rumors? Please update us.

Indurain never had much interest in the Vuelta either. Was he "above his roots?"

yes.

The funny thing is Contador had no plans of doing the Vuelta. The spanish were very upset that he would shun his national race for other events.

Those like Sastre, Valverde whom are much larger icons in cycling always make the effort for the spanish events. it's almost like Contador is above his roots.

???

“If they don’t invite us I will focus on other objectives. I have a ‘plan B’ if the Tour doesn’t want me,” Contador told Spanish sports daily MARCA. “I’d like to race the Tour, but if they don’t let me do it, I will prepare for the Olympic Games, which has a difficult course and at least in the time trial I could aspire for a medal. Then there’s the Vuelta a España, which is my home race.”

I thought the Vuelta was part of ASO, geez I can't keep this stuff straight.

???

“If they don’t invite us I will focus on other objectives. I have a ‘plan B’ if the Tour doesn’t want me,” Contador told Spanish sports daily MARCA. “I’d like to race the Tour, but if they don’t let me do it, I will prepare for the Olympic Games, which has a difficult course and at least in the time trial I could aspire for a medal. Then there’s the Vuelta a España, which is my home race.”
Yes but after that he changed his mind apparently http://www.velonews.com/article/71914

incorrect.

Five days is a little quick to say that the purchase won't happen. (http://www.news24.com/News24/Sport/More_Sport/0,,2-9-32_2267171,00.html) Ease up on the 'incorrect' button, son.

Things happen very quickly in the sports business, and sometimes without any public clues or in rapid succession at some point in the future. It's not hard to find examples of this. Most recently, the Los Angeles Lakers of Pau Gasol caught the entire league (and fans, everyone) by surprise.

Stay tuned.

So the news reports have been false rumors? Please update us.

incorrect assessment of my usage of incorrect.

incorrect assessment of my usage of incorrect.

is that your way of saying you were wrong? :rolleyes:

is that your way of saying you were wrong? :rolleyes:

here, i'll rewind, and playback, for clarities sake:





Vuelta says Astaná welcome (http://www.velonews.com/article/72007)
Not if ASO buys the Vuelta as some reports say they will do....incorrect.

reading comprehension helps. :rolleyes:

i suggest you try it next time.

incorrect assessment of my usage of incorrect.
Okay - I give up. What did you mean then?
And yes, some of us appear to be that dumb.

Okay - I give up. What did you mean then?

see above.

two statements presented: 1) ASO to buy Vuelta. 2) ASO owned Vuelta will not let in Astana. Incorrect was apparently not applied to 1, therefor...

Yes, but simply because Vuelta says yes to Astana now doesn't mean that ASO won't buy Vuelta between now and then. That was my retort to botto's statement "incorrect." It has not been determined that the purchase won't happen. It is still in speculation. In the meantime, Vuelta has said 'yes' to Astana. If ASO buys Vuelta between now and the start of Vuelta, what would happen? Who knows... but I would guess Astana would still be in.

see above.
I guess I'm even slower than the server today. Still don't get it.

I guess I'm even slower than the server today. Still don't get it.

It's just botto trying to look clever as usual.

Yes, but simply because Vuelta says yes to Astana now doesn't mean that ASO won't buy Vuelta between now and then. That was my retort to botto's statement "incorrect." It has not been determined that the purchase won't happen. It is still in speculation. In the meantime, Vuelta has said 'yes' to Astana. If ASO buys Vuelta between now and the start of Vuelta, what would happen? Who knows... but I would guess Astana would still be in.

correct.

It's just botto trying to look clever as usual.

"trying" has nothing to do with it.

:roflmao:

"trying" has nothing to do with it.

So that's you being "clever"?

Oh for chris' sake....botto was simply pointing out that just because ASO MIGHT buy la Vuelta, doesn't mean that Astana WILL be disinvited. Geeze, and I thought I was supposed to the be the thick one around here.

^^^ I thought I pointed that out earlier, but apparently needed to be more direct.

Technically, since they're out of the Giro and the Tour, their glass is 1/3 full.

Yes, but is the glass... no, wait, if a tree... a money from his fool... dammit.

What do you guys think of the "fairness" of the ban? I suppose it doesn't matter much, but the team has new riders and has spent something like around half a mill on anti-doping measures. They're the same team in name only I think, but because of this the current defending TDF champ, who wasn't even with this team last year, won't be allowed to compete. Seems a bit narrow minded to me...

Fair's got nothing to do with it. ASO is doing this in large part because they can. This is as much about the politics of ASO v. UCI as anything.

in THIS country, none of it matters.....

What, ASTANA won't get that coveted U.S. audience's attnetion for its product?

The TdF is the only cycling event in this country that may even raise an eyebrow among the non-cycling crowd here. They know only one thing, if that much, and that's the TdF. Like the Indy 500 syndrome....Advertisers will still show interest there because of the size of that one event.

If it ain't the TdF it doesn't matter to the mainstream here.

No Astana?
=
No What?

No one cares.

^^^ I thought I pointed that out earlier, but apparently needed to be more direct.

Sometimes it has more impact coming from the village idiot.

Did chipcom just call me a village idiot?
I'm too dumb to know!

in THIS country, none of it matters.....

What, ASTANA won't get that coveted U.S. audience's attnetion for its product?

The TdF is the only cycling event in this country that may even raise an eyebrow among the non-cycling crowd here. They know only one thing, if that much, and that's the TdF. Like the Indy 500 syndrome....Advertisers will still show interest there because of the size of that one event.

If it ain't the TdF it doesn't matter to the mainstream here.

No Astana?
=
No What?

No one cares.

Yeah, but not allowing the previous years champ to compete? That's pretty glaring. I think even the non-cycling types who only raise an eyebrow at the TDF will wonder at the logic of that decision.

Did chipcom just call me a village idiot?
I'm too dumb to know!

I think he was referring to himself. Or me. Or your. Pretty much anyone who posts here qualifies anyway (present company most definitely included). Except Botto.

Yeah, but not allowing the previous years champ to compete? That's pretty glaring. I think even the non-cycling types who only raise an eyebrow at the TDF will wonder at the logic of that decision.

Perhaps...but not until WHEN TOLD about it.
Right now, this story doesn't exist.

I actually DID the story on my radio show, because I felt like it!
You should have seen the look on the sports guy's face.....

What?
Who?
Who cares?

You know the saying, out of the mouths of babes, right?

Well, my wife, when I told her about this that night, blurted out to me..."That's it. I'm not even going to watch that race this year. Your sport is so screwed up."

Yeah, our sport is screwed up. It really just has gotten silly to the point I don't care that much even about the big races. Last year who was getting thrown out was almost more interesting than the TDF itself.