Vino will be on Astana or else heads will roll
07-02-09, 04:48 PM
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07-02-09, 07:11 PM
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Did Vino escape the 4 year ban ala Millar? Otherwise he'd have to do 2 years on a continental team before returning to a pro tour team.
07-02-09, 08:49 PM
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07-03-09, 04:23 AM
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The plot thickens:
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kaza...om-team-astana
The Kazakh Cycling Federation has announced plans to restructure Team Astana, removing Johan Bruyneel and Lance Armstrong, and starting over with Kazakh and Spanish riders, based around Alberto Contador and Alexandre Vinokourov. The new structure should be in place by September, according to the French sports publication L'Equipe.
Alberto Contador would continue as the captain of the new Astana team. "We will meet with Alberto Contador to offer him a contract extension," said Nikolaï Proskurin, the vice-president of the Kazakh cycling federation. "He will be our sole leader for years to come. He will be able to pick out the riders he wants to ride with him. In our mind, the team will be composed of Spanish and Kazakh riders, including Alexandre Vinokourov."
If any of this is true Contador would be a fool to stay on this team.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kaza...om-team-astana
The Kazakh Cycling Federation has announced plans to restructure Team Astana, removing Johan Bruyneel and Lance Armstrong, and starting over with Kazakh and Spanish riders, based around Alberto Contador and Alexandre Vinokourov. The new structure should be in place by September, according to the French sports publication L'Equipe.
Alberto Contador would continue as the captain of the new Astana team. "We will meet with Alberto Contador to offer him a contract extension," said Nikolaï Proskurin, the vice-president of the Kazakh cycling federation. "He will be our sole leader for years to come. He will be able to pick out the riders he wants to ride with him. In our mind, the team will be composed of Spanish and Kazakh riders, including Alexandre Vinokourov."
If any of this is true Contador would be a fool to stay on this team.
07-03-09, 04:31 AM
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Also
why would you announce your move to the press before offering a contract extension to Contador?
what is it with cycling's bad habit of telling the press before informing everyone involved?
why would you announce your move to the press before offering a contract extension to Contador?
what is it with cycling's bad habit of telling the press before informing everyone involved?
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07-03-09, 04:37 AM
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07-03-09, 06:45 AM
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Interesting. Do you think this gives LA an excuse to NOT work for AC? Could LA now say "Well, I'm getting thrown off this team in a month, so why should I work for AC?" Levi would be happy to work for LA, but would the rest of the team risk their jobs and work for LA? Hmmmm.....this will be interesting.
07-03-09, 06:58 AM
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Interesting. Do you think this gives LA an excuse to NOT work for AC? Could LA now say "Well, I'm getting thrown off this team in a month, so why should I work for AC?" Levi would be happy to work for LA, but would the rest of the team risk their jobs and work for LA? Hmmmm.....this will be interesting.
07-03-09, 08:11 AM
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The plot thickens:
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kaza...om-team-astana
If any of this is true Contador would be a fool to stay on this team.
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kaza...om-team-astana
If any of this is true Contador would be a fool to stay on this team.
07-03-09, 09:17 PM
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Courtesy of RedKitePrayer (https://redkiteprayer.com/?p=117):
I have a theory: Vinokourov, the government of Kazakhstan and the Kazakh Cycling Federation all suffer a cultural rift with Western Thought so great as to make them seem delusional to the average American. It’s why Bruyneel was forced to take someone other than his ninth-best rider to the Tour de France. It’s why the Kazakh Cycling Federation thought they could get away with handing down only a one-year suspension to Vinokourov. It’s why Vinokourov thinks he would be more important to the sponsor than Johan-I’m-about-to-win-another-Tour-de-France-Bruyneel currently is.
He’s right. Given the choices we see them making—which have been opposite what most cycling fans consider wise—we have every reason to think they’ll do something we think crazy. Bruyneel is on his way out of this team. Getting fired by the government of Kazakhstan in order to make Vinokourov the centerpiece of its foreign policy will only hasten the inevitable. Contador is on his way out as well. The defections that will take place as riders follow Bruyneel, Armstrong and Leipheimer to what will probably be Team Livestrong/Nike will decimate the team. Contador will need to leave to go to a team with a capable director and strong support riders.
I have a theory: Vinokourov, the government of Kazakhstan and the Kazakh Cycling Federation all suffer a cultural rift with Western Thought so great as to make them seem delusional to the average American. It’s why Bruyneel was forced to take someone other than his ninth-best rider to the Tour de France. It’s why the Kazakh Cycling Federation thought they could get away with handing down only a one-year suspension to Vinokourov. It’s why Vinokourov thinks he would be more important to the sponsor than Johan-I’m-about-to-win-another-Tour-de-France-Bruyneel currently is.
He’s right. Given the choices we see them making—which have been opposite what most cycling fans consider wise—we have every reason to think they’ll do something we think crazy. Bruyneel is on his way out of this team. Getting fired by the government of Kazakhstan in order to make Vinokourov the centerpiece of its foreign policy will only hasten the inevitable. Contador is on his way out as well. The defections that will take place as riders follow Bruyneel, Armstrong and Leipheimer to what will probably be Team Livestrong/Nike will decimate the team. Contador will need to leave to go to a team with a capable director and strong support riders.
