2wheelchef

Everybody talks like LA and AC will have to compete against each other? Last time I looked Astana had 27 riders with LA and 4 legit GC riders. Johan can and will race his teams in every event he can (4-6 ea month, 60 70 a year?) and LA will be in just 5, yep only 5 so what's the big deal? If Lance rides he's on TV, if LA is on Astana then Astana is on TV and maybe we will see some real cycling on the air? It's only good for the sport and those of us who would like to see more of it. Maybe in Europe (and Ireland) you get a decent amout of coverage but here.......except for the TdF on VS we get nothing live and the Sunday show on VS is old news. Yes we live in a comercial country but if LA riding gets Contidor or anybody else for that mater in the media it will only mean good things for Cycling in the USA.

xfimpg

I don't buy that there will be 2 leaders for Astana, LA and AC. Here's my theory:

Lance has to win. His real agenda for coming back, which includes that doctor (I forget his name), is to prove to the planet that he won his 7 titles legitimately.

If he is clean at the end of the tour and doesn't win, he was doping during his victories.

If he is clean at the end of the tour and does win, then he has proven his point.

Therefore there cannot be 2 leaders, because AC won't put up with it - and can we blame him?

So only one leader, and that is Lance.

In a manner of speaking, it's a business move they are doing with AC; they're not asking him to leave, but making him want to.

Edit: If they asked AC to leave, he probably has a contract clause that would force Astana to fork up some dough. If he leaves on his own, then it's a different story.

TRaffic Jammer

I'll bet the other teams are rolling change up to make him an offer

jaxgtr

Astana has quickly gone from the armpit of cycling to the Dream Team. They will dominate assuming that the personalities don't blow it up.

Now with my WTF are they thinking hat, ....WTF are they thinking. This can do nothing but cause issues. I can't believe Johan is going to take a solid potential repeat winner for many years and possibly have him walk because of a friendship. If AC does not walk, then they will need to manage this situations very closely, stroking everyone's ego. LA and AC are both type A people, so this could be ugly, Lemond and Henault anyone.

Then you have Levi, who I don't feel will ever win a tour, but could be on the podium again, who does he work for. AC was talking crap about the situation cause Levi almost took the lead on the TT and almost lost the Vuelta if it was not for the time bonus.

Now the last item will be if Astana is invited, but with this soap opera, I can not see them not being there. This is a publicity gold mine and ASO is going to jump on that bandwagon for sure.

2wheelchef

I seem to remember that after Landis blew-up JB had a team with no GC. In 07 Discovery started the race with Levi as the presumtive GC. AC was a U23 rider who was leading for the White Jersey. It wasn't until Vino got caught and Rasmusen got fired that Discovery (and AC) was even considered to have a chance. No one knew that AC could climb like he could and if and a big if is if Levi and Hincappie were not team players, and if JB wern't the best then AC would be where? Not TdF champ! Levi works his ass of for him and he whines about time bounuses? Snickers about "wheel Sucker"? AC is a little ***** and at 25 should look at what he could be not the short view and claim entitlement to every win in every race just because he won with the best team and with the best team players in a week year. Reminds me of the NFL free agent who goes from Super Bowl champ to also ran for a few millon more only to find out that winning is not how much you get paid or how much press you get it's about the team your on, then he never gets there again. Poor AC, I hope he learns that he's been lucky and maybe he could be the best. He could ride 10 more Tours and win 8 of them and break LA's record but not with CSC not IMO

2wheelchef

I have a question for AC, If Cadel Evens had "wheel sucker" Levi and LA's friend JB would he have won in 07 and 08? If Evans were then to ride for Astana in 09 would he be riding for the hat trick?

dstrong 

Huh? I even asked my Irish friend to read this with his "lilting" accent...still didn't make sense.