Astana out of all ASO races!

by DZI on Feb 13, 2008 10:08 AM EST Comment 27 comments

So the terror begins!
ASO has put its foot down and refuses Astana to ride in any of their races, starting with Paris - Nice.

See full team line-up: here.

Other stories in l'Equipe this morning suggested that Rabobank (Chicken) and Cofidis (Moreni) were under threat of not being invited in the Tour de France also, but for now they appear on the startlist for P - N.

Probably not the last we'll hear on this subject, but 2008 suddenly looks a lot less attractive without Astana in RCS and ASO races.

0 recs | Comment 27 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Contador tried to win in Mallorca

Well, this whole story sucks. A single team has to pay for the sins of everyone.

By the way, Contador launched a solo attack in ''Challenge Mallorca'' but he was caught with 6 kilometers to go. Prior to being captured he said to the camera 'ASTANA al TOUR'. He was obviously quite unhappy about the whole thing...

by King of Doping on Feb 13, 2008 10:24 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Well

At least High Road got into P-N, along with Slipstream.

Brunyeel must not swing as much weight with ASO as he thought...............

"Only those who are in top condition can say that the Ronde is not hard. For everyone else, it's the Way of the Cross." -Andrea Tafi

by Drew on Feb 13, 2008 10:25 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Brunyeel, boo hoo

Life is like a jar of Jalapeno peppers. What you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.

by CannonDowell on Feb 13, 2008 10:30 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Tour de Farce

I'll not be watching this year unless they come to their senses (which I doubt).

by ghisallo on Feb 13, 2008 10:51 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Better late than never?

I don't think so.

It seems to me that last year (and the year before that..etc) there was a lot of noise about how all the responsibility regarding doping was squarely on the riders shoulders. There was lots of moaning about the pressure to dope, and lack of pressure not to dope being handed out at the team and sponsor level. At that time, a move like this, punishing teams for the sins of their riders, would make a lot of sense. Forcing the teams to but pressure on their riders. But ASO has come down with this move after many teams (including the teams they are making noise about) have implemented team level controls.

So what is the point of this move by ASO? Is it to put pressure on the teams to eliminate doping? Too late. All this will do is make the team managers who are already shelling out the cash for internal controls, throw up there hands because they really can't do anything to please the ASO dictator. The only rational (that could be my problem right there) objective that I can see is that ASO want to punish the sponsors. This is like if T-mobile turned around and became Slipstream's title sponsor (not going to happen), and they get excluded from the tour. F**king brilliant ASO!!! That's exactly what this sport need right now, less sponsors!!!! GAAAAHH!!! All these exclamation points can't even portray my frustration with the ceaseless stupidity of all of this!!!!!

by Hons on Feb 13, 2008 10:54 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

It's as I said in another topic

This smells like the time Hitler was in charge in Greater Germany.
If ASO is deciding the future of cycling the way it is now, then.... (you can fill in the rest, not enough exclamation marks on my computer for that)

by DZI on Feb 13, 2008 10:58 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hitler?

That's over the top, especially since ASO is French!

But, I agree with Hons, if Astana really has anti doping measures in place, it doesn't make sense to exclude them.

I doubt this is really the end of the story, though.

-K-

by KevinK on Feb 13, 2008 11:08 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Nationality has nothing to do with it

The analogy, if I'm following correctly, is that ASO is trying to gather support from the population at large (ie sponsors) by handing down poorly rationalized draconian measures (ie throwing under the bus) against a group that will appease the population at large.

by Hons on Feb 13, 2008 11:17 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'll buy the Hitler analogy

When ASO buys the tour of poland.

-K-

by KevinK on Feb 13, 2008 11:19 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

How about the Vuelta?

by Hons on Feb 13, 2008 11:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Let's use Napoleon instead

of Hitler. It fits the situation better. Hitler gets trotted out for everything. This ASO/UCI dispute is just a petty war of bureaucrats.

-K-

by KevinK on Feb 13, 2008 11:25 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

OK, OK,

the Spanish Inquisition then.
Conquer everything, kill everything (or -one) that you don't like or don't fit into your plans, money the replacement for God in this instance.
(Without trying to offend personal beliefs, of course)

by DZI on Feb 13, 2008 11:33 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

haha

I've got no love for the inquisition.

I wonder if there is some strange ulterior motive here that's not cycling related.

Did a French company recently lose some lucrative oil development contract in Kazakhstan? I read the The Grand Chessboard about central asian politics, and I wouldn't be surprised if exclusion of Astana from the tour is part of some bigger picture.

-K-

by KevinK on Feb 13, 2008 11:37 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

NO ONE EXPECTS AN ASO INQUISITION!!!!!

That's always good for a laugh.

(let's not discuss this here, but you may want to read reliable sources on the history of the Inquisition)

by ghisallo on Feb 13, 2008 11:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I've seen the Mel Brooks version

That does it for me! :)

by DZI on Feb 13, 2008 11:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ghosts of the past

I'm sure that some people are thinking that this also has to do with the suspicion many have of Bruyneel.

That too is bullshit. If that is the case then CSC, Quick-step, Gerolstiener, etc, etc should also be excluded. GAAAAAAH!!!

by Hons on Feb 13, 2008 11:12 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Better late than never?

I can see ASO's point: 2 years in a row (2006 & 2007) they get burned, first by Liberty Seguros and then by Astana, which desceneded from the LS organization. However, there has to be a way (short of excluding the team from all ASO races this year) to satisfy ASO that Astana is clean.

My initial reaction is consistent w/ the reader responses on Velonews: I'm seriously thinking about boycotting all ASO races this year.

by Cyclingrush on Feb 13, 2008 1:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Unipublic is ASO's lapdog

so will follow suit, I guess.
Having said that, this would be an excellent time for Unipublic to start a revolt against ASO's way of doing things and expecting every other race organiser to do the same.
Let's invite all the 'questionable' 2007 teams, and none of the other ProTour teams, just for the heck of it. :-)

by DZI on Feb 13, 2008 11:38 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Vuelta says Astaná welcome

http://velonews.com/article/72007

by ghisallo on Feb 13, 2008 11:43 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Unipublic lucks out

The Vuelta having Contador is a godsend to Unipublic. They have to be ecstatic this afternoon.

by ursula on Feb 13, 2008 12:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The Kazakh Angle

I'll throw this theory out for fun.

Barring Astana from ASO races involves geopolitical maneuvering.

Take a look at this:

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=95871

February 8, 2008:

ASTANA - Agence France-Presse

Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Karim Masimov threatened to seize oil fields and mineral deposits from private investors yesterday following a series of disputes with top Western energy majors.

-K-

by KevinK on Feb 13, 2008 11:43 AM EST reply actions 0 recs