Comments on: Astana redux http://drunkcyclist.com/2008/02/13/1402/ Two Wheels. One Dark Lord. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:10:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Stenmandelux http://drunkcyclist.com/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9328 Stenmandelux Fri, 15 Feb 2008 21:08:32 +0000 http://drunkcyclist.com/wordpress/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9328 Doping histories aside (previous invitations have been given to VERY DOPED teams). My problem is with the organizers calling the shots in the turf war over cycling. The power to crush teams with millions of euro budgets (Uni-bet...) is and will scare sponsors from the sport. ASO inviting some teams and not others who have invested in the sport is bullshit. What they have done is the equivalent of the NFL disinviting the CHEATING Patriots to the Superbowl, or the MLB now disinviting the Yankees or other teams with known drug takers from playing in the NL for the season. On another line of thought, what incentive does a team have to clean up if you won't be racing the most popular races anyway. By the way, wheelsuckin' is racing, I don't like when its done to me, but it still happens, tactics folks, tactics... Doping histories aside (previous invitations have been given to VERY DOPED teams). My problem is with the organizers calling the shots in the turf war over cycling. The power to crush teams with millions of euro budgets (Uni-bet…) is and will scare sponsors from the sport. ASO inviting some teams and not others who have invested in the sport is bullshit. What they have done is the equivalent of the NFL disinviting the CHEATING Patriots to the Superbowl, or the MLB now disinviting the Yankees or other teams with known drug takers from playing in the NL for the season. On another line of thought, what incentive does a team have to clean up if you won’t be racing the most popular races anyway.
By the way, wheelsuckin’ is racing, I don’t like when its done to me, but it still happens, tactics folks, tactics…

]]> By: John http://drunkcyclist.com/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9325 John Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:00:53 +0000 http://drunkcyclist.com/wordpress/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9325 Great line from the Pez article: <i>In the past couple of years, the efforts to control doping have taken a substantial step forward in that we actually have doping being acknowledged and commented on by riders (and by acknowledgement I don’t just mean in the form of one pro dropping back and threatening someone for speaking up)</i> Great line from the Pez article:

In the past couple of years, the efforts to control doping have taken a substantial step forward in that we actually have doping being acknowledged and commented on by riders (and by acknowledgement I don’t just mean in the form of one pro dropping back and threatening someone for speaking up)

]]> By: Opus the Poet http://drunkcyclist.com/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9324 Opus the Poet Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:54:44 +0000 http://drunkcyclist.com/wordpress/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9324 The only thing 2008 Astana has in common with 2007 Astana besides a few spear carriers is the Title sponsor and their racing licence, the team was completely redone after last year's Tour. To ban them based on the previous year's behaviour would be like punishing the siblings because a brother or sister screwed up. The only thing 2008 Astana has in common with 2007 Astana besides a few spear carriers is the Title sponsor and their racing licence, the team was completely redone after last year’s Tour. To ban them based on the previous year’s behaviour would be like punishing the siblings because a brother or sister screwed up.

]]> By: gatlinburgspokejunkie http://drunkcyclist.com/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9322 gatlinburgspokejunkie Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:37:24 +0000 http://drunkcyclist.com/wordpress/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9322 Everyone with a doping past should be excluded from this year's race and maybe we'll see a good race again. Anyone that hopped on the Astana team this year had to have known this could happen. Why are they surprised?? Everyone with a doping past should be excluded from this year’s race and maybe we’ll see a good race again.

Anyone that hopped on the Astana team this year had to have known this could happen. Why are they surprised??

]]> By: bikesgonewild http://drunkcyclist.com/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9320 bikesgonewild Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:13:18 +0000 http://drunkcyclist.com/wordpress/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9320 ...well, sumadis, there ya go... ...don't know whether you or any of the other loyal dc posters wanna believe the pez article or not, but that is the soapbox i've been standing on for a while now... ...i, like all of you, don't really know who's getting away w/ what...it's all speculation, but the business end of this was getting way too fucking obvious... …well, sumadis, there ya go…

…don’t know whether you or any of the other loyal dc posters wanna believe the pez article or not, but that is the soapbox i’ve been standing on for a while now…

…i, like all of you, don’t really know who’s getting away w/ what…it’s all speculation, but the business end of this was getting way too fucking obvious…

]]> By: bert olio http://drunkcyclist.com/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9319 bert olio Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:00:20 +0000 http://drunkcyclist.com/wordpress/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9319 ASO are just bummed because they gave Asstana a 'Wildcard' entry last year after having announced they only recognized 18 Pro-Tour teams. But, hey, now someone who rocked up to the 2003 Single Speed Worlds wearing pink lycra is now a shoe-in for the win. GO CADEL! And the new VeloNews web format sucks... ASO are just bummed because they gave Asstana a ‘Wildcard’ entry last year after having announced they only recognized 18 Pro-Tour teams. But, hey, now someone who rocked up to the 2003 Single Speed Worlds wearing pink lycra is now a shoe-in for the win. GO CADEL!

And the new VeloNews web format sucks…

]]> By: crank http://drunkcyclist.com/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9318 crank Fri, 15 Feb 2008 03:57:10 +0000 http://drunkcyclist.com/wordpress/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9318 Anybody remember 1998 Festina scandal? ASO had no problem inviting them to 1999 Tour. ASO sucks balls. Anybody remember 1998 Festina scandal? ASO had no problem inviting them to 1999 Tour. ASO sucks balls.

]]> By: sumadis http://drunkcyclist.com/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9316 sumadis Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:43:47 +0000 http://drunkcyclist.com/wordpress/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9316 from pez, an interesting take: http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5670&status=True from pez, an interesting take:

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5670&status=True

]]> By: sumadis http://drunkcyclist.com/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9315 sumadis Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:16:46 +0000 http://drunkcyclist.com/wordpress/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9315 they shouldacouldawouldadidn't boot astana when they were liberty seguros, or once, or whatever drugtesting factory manolo saiz concocted in the past. oh, and they just re-opened the puerto case. velonews is a fucking parrot for the industry, just like the rest of the mainstream cyclopress - the editors are more interested in playing kissy face to ensure snarky exclusives with lancypants and other pros along with a garage full of swagged top-end rigs and kit and as many expenses paid trips to the races as they can gorge on. want real racing? follow the exploits of stuporbowl, or la ruta, great divide, creampuff, monstertrack, etc. want real cycling journo? read the blogs, or the few expro writers who actually talk the talk and walk the walk. (hello tim krabbe, et al) you know the ones - the ones the rest of the press peloton calls whiney bitter has-beens with a grudge. they shouldacouldawouldadidn’t boot astana when they were liberty seguros, or once, or whatever drugtesting factory manolo saiz concocted in the past. oh, and they just re-opened the puerto case. velonews is a fucking parrot for the industry, just like the rest of the mainstream cyclopress – the editors are more interested in playing kissy face to ensure snarky exclusives with lancypants and other pros along with a garage full of swagged top-end rigs and kit and as many expenses paid trips to the races as they can gorge on. want real racing? follow the exploits of stuporbowl, or la ruta, great divide, creampuff, monstertrack, etc. want real cycling journo? read the blogs, or the few expro writers who actually talk the talk and walk the walk. (hello tim krabbe, et al) you know the ones – the ones the rest of the press peloton calls whiney bitter has-beens with a grudge.

]]> By: pirata http://drunkcyclist.com/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9314 pirata Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:40:36 +0000 http://drunkcyclist.com/wordpress/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9314 Velonews, wht the fuck? Revamped, maybe, but still the legacy of Astana isn't going to die, and it isn't a good one. Velonews, wht the fuck?

Revamped, maybe, but still the legacy of Astana isn’t going to die, and it isn’t a good one.

]]> By: KG http://drunkcyclist.com/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9313 KG Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:39:49 +0000 http://drunkcyclist.com/wordpress/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9313 Do you think Eddie should have been allowed to race the tour after being busted for drug use? Do you think Eddie should have been allowed to race the tour after being busted for drug use?

]]> By: Humpty http://drunkcyclist.com/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9307 Humpty Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:44:45 +0000 http://drunkcyclist.com/wordpress/2008/02/13/1402/#comment-9307 ASO hates LANCE = THEY HATE Bruyneel = THEY HATE ASTANA Bruyneel's problem is his own arrogance. I agree that if the same template for exclusion is used then no Rabo, no T-mobile, and no COFIDIS either for that matter. They had a doper too. Bruyneels point about Tour winner exclusion is BS, pantani what? he is a wheel sucker anyway.. ASO hates LANCE = THEY HATE Bruyneel = THEY HATE ASTANA

Bruyneel’s problem is his own arrogance. I agree that if the same template for exclusion is used then no Rabo, no T-mobile, and no COFIDIS either for that matter. They had a doper too.
Bruyneels point about Tour winner exclusion is BS, pantani what?

he is a wheel sucker anyway..

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