Astana in new doping scandal

bianchigirl · Astana in new doping scandal

Ressiot is reporting - in Equipe no less - the opening of a procedure against Astana. Seems a lab in Paris are analysing syringes dumped by the team during the last TdF.

Let's see - for some of us OCLAESP will be heroes doing a job that the UCI are afraid to do. For the acolytes this will all be yet another French conspiracy.

http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme/br..._une-nouvelle-affaire-astana.html

Mrs John Murphy

The question would be under whose jurisdiction would any case come under and how enforceable would any sanctions be? My feeling is that the UCI would be able to sweep it under the carpet a la OP by saying we can't act.

HuwB

Not to worry, since it was on the Astana licence, any sanctions will be levelled at Vino's new lot and won't effect the Shack, under any circumstances.

Bartali

Not necessarily Huw. According to Cyclingnews ...

RadioShack's structure dependent on Kazakh squad
While 2009 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador is still tied to the Kazakh Astana team for next season, his current director, Johan Bruyneel, has planned to leave the team, joining Lance Armstrong's RadioShack in 2010. But the mastermind behind the American's seven Tour victories is still in negotiations with Kazakh officials about his leave, as well as the signing four of the team's riders, also bound by contract to remain with Contador: Andreas Klöden, Yaroslav Popovych, Gregory Rast and Haimar Zubeldia.
On Monday, Bruyneel met with representatives of the Kazakh outfit in Monaco to settle his own and the riders' futures, but the meeting ended without being conclusive, according to L'Equipe. "When I understood that we weren't going to agree, I got up and told them the best would be that everyone went home to think it over," said Bruyneel, reportedly angry, as the newly-formed team RadioShack finds itself dependent on Astana's fate.
As long as the Kazakh squad does not free Bruyneel or the four riders for next year, the American outfit cannot present a proper structure to the UCI license commission. But Bruyneel is confident the team will get a ProTour license in any

Mrs John Murphy

Bart - never fear uncle Pat will sort it all out for Lancey.

Bartali

Yeap .... unfortunately so.

Enchantress

HuwB

Bloodbags in the trash it seems. A pity they didn't have somebody's hair sample, for a DNA test. Oh wait!...... Rolling Eyes

Anybody seen the latest from CN?
It appears the Shack are actually not whom they seem....
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/astana-bruyneel-not-out-yet

Yes, Uncle Pat is going to have to earn that $500,000.

Bartali

Just a thought, but now that Vino is back on the scene ....

Who has more pull with Pat ... LA/JB or the Kasakh nation. Will it be a question of who's got the deepest pockets?

mr shifter

bianchigirl

Boss Hog will always have more pull - but even if he pulls the PT licence does that invalidate the contracts if the team continues as a Conti team?

HuwB

I wondered why Pat didn't hand them the Cofidis PT licence, on a silver platter. Thought it would be the kind of thing Lance would appreciate.
However, now it becomes clear.
The Shack licence application was bogus; based upon a team and manager that don't exist.......as yet.
In short, a lie.
McBent would know about all of this, yet no comment to the media, certainly no rebuke to Messrs Armstrong and Bruyneel.

Meanwhile, I confidently predict that Astana's licence will get revoked, this week.
Contracts will be nullified and the Shack will suddenly have the magic piece of paper in their hands.

No wonder they get on so well. A right bunch of corrupt frauds.

berck · Re: Astana in new doping scandal

HuwB

Correct Berck. It is now being widely reported that a number of teams are being looked at.
Would certainly be unfair to single out one team.
Unfortunately, with the media always wanting to lead with Lance, it means whoever he rides for will always make the press headline.

Nolte

from bbc's reporting of it, it sounds like multiple teams

Mrs John Murphy

I wonder if we are looking at the next Festina. It seems to me that someone somewhere has decided that the UCI can not be trusted to deal with the issue of doping and so they have turned the matter over to the government.

bianchigirl

Perhaps this will actually be what Festina should have been?

Berck, I didn't ignore any other report simply read Equipe's first. And, as huw points out, you really can't have it both ways - you laud Armstrong for attracting interest in the sport then cry 'foul' when the publicity turns bad. The man is a lightning rod for bad press and has dirtied the image of the sport more than any other rider. He who lives by the sword...

Biosphere

I read that the dodgy items were found in official medical waste bins provided and looked after by ASO. I cannot believe that the teams would be that stupid after 2000 and USP's rubbish being checked.

You can't really do much about items that are not on a banned list either, even if Bordry wants to grumble that they're not consistent with the needs of a healthy person. The teams will argue that the extremes of riding the Tour have different therapeutic requirements to Joe Public going about his day job, and if something isn't banned then it's use is "fair".

The timing of the announcement is political and I suspect nothing will come of it which is beginning to become a bit of recurring theme with these Confused

berck

I agree completely with that Bio.

BG: I had read a report on another site saying Le Monde broke it first, then Equipe twisted it later. That doesn't appear to be the case as far as I can tell. I thought you maybe playing favorites just to 'stick it to the man', so to say. Wink

My apologies for thinking otherwise.

HuwB

New team signings?

Ruben Plaza
Bradislav Samoilau
Fofonov
Gurov
Tiralongo
Allan Davis
Caruso
Gasparotto
Simoni
Kunitsky

source: astanafans.com & sport.gazeta.kz

SlowRower

kathy

Mrs John Murphy

I think they are signings for the new Astana not Cack.

kathy

OH, right! But don't do it anyway, Gibo! I thought he'd signed for someone else. Weren't Astana looking to sign some Spaniards? Most of them are Italian. Perhaps they don't know the difference.

HuwB

From Astanafans, Kathy.
A better list than the Shack, non retirees.

Anyhow, Lance has just been dealt the killer blow, by the ASO.
Only one ITT in the whole Tour and no TTT.

Naf route, though. Morzine Avoriaz, Aix Trois and the Tourmalet being the 3 summit finishes. 2 of the usual downhills complete the lumps.
One cobbled stage, the rest? Flat.

Mrs John Murphy

Vino looking for a Giro invite? What better way than to have lots of Italian riders...

bianchigirl

All Armstrong has to do is a 'Mayo' on Contador and his Tour is over - however, think Bertie Bassett is made of sterner stuff than IM

HuwB

From the photo man on the other forum....

Caption contest possiblities?

SlowRower

The top one is "Is the TTT on the Monday after the Champs Elysee?"

The bottom one is quite telling. Bertie looks smugly relaxed whilst Lance looks distinctly unsettled. I like the use of Bertie's left hand on Lance's elbow to force him into a long handshake.

Bertie could do with a new tailor, though. That suit looks like it was made for Chris Hoy.

Slapshot 3

bianchigirl

I thought Contador won the battle of the suits quite handily - he scrubs up nicely.

He had the measure of Pharmstrong last year and he'll take him apart in 2010 when, as he says, he won't have to ask anybody's permission to attack

Enchantress

Nolte

Biosphere

bianchigirl

Obviously the syringes are what Bruyneel and Armstrong were using to stab Contador in the back

Astana in new doping scandal

Re: Astana in new doping scandal