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Astana in disarray...?

Page 8 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Mar 18, 2009
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Zoncolan said:
Was he ever even banned or just blackballed?

The information is quite sketchy. I remember reading somewhere that Kashechkin had basically self-imposed a two year suspension. But there is contradictory evidence to this as well.

In Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrey_Kashechkin), it states: "But he was never actually suspended by lack of evidence given to the Kazakhstani authorities. He plans to return to pro cycling in the summer of 2009."

In Cycling Quotient (http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/rider.asp?riderid=102), it states: "Andrey KASHECHKIN tested positive for the use of blood doping during an out-of-competition control in Turkey at August 1, 2007. Due to a lack of cooperation between the UCI and the Kazakhstan cycling federation, an official sanction by the UCI was only declared in December 2008: Kashechkin was suspended for 2 years, until 7 August 2009."

Regardless, Kashechkin will be available this summer.
 
Apr 1, 2009
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elapid said:
The information is quite sketchy. I remember reading somewhere that Kashechkin had basically self-imposed a two year suspension. But there is contradictory evidence to this as well.

In Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrey_Kashechkin), it states: "But he was never actually suspended by lack of evidence given to the Kazakhstani authorities. He plans to return to pro cycling in the summer of 2009."

In Cycling Quotient (http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/rider.asp?riderid=102), it states: "Andrey KASHECHKIN tested positive for the use of blood doping during an out-of-competition control in Turkey at August 1, 2007. Due to a lack of cooperation between the UCI and the Kazakhstan cycling federation, an official sanction by the UCI was only declared in December 2008: Kashechkin was suspended for 2 years, until 7 August 2009."

Regardless, Kashechkin will be available this summer.

So back in time for him and Vino to rock the boat at the Vuelta, same way they did in 2006. That is, if they can get signed by a team with an invite in time.
 
The Tour de France-winning team Astana will sign a three-year sponsorship deal today with Kazakhstan's vast state holding company, the Kazakh Cycling Federation's deputy president, Nikolai Proskurin, has said.

The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but Proskurin said the contract would solve the financial difficulties that had threatened the team's existence. and that details proving Astana's financial viability would be submitted to cycling's governing body in the near future.

The International Cycling Union had warned that the team's troubles could endanger its chances of securing a new four-year licence. Astana's current licence is due to expire at the end of next year, but recurring delays in paying salaries to riders prompted the UCI to demand guarantees of the team's financial stability by mid-October.

Over the past season Astana's riders held protests over debts owed by the KCF. During the Giro d'Italia, the then Astana rider Lance Armstrong led team-mates in a protest in which they wore jerseys with the sponsor's name faded out.

Samruk-Kazyna, a state holding that encompasses some of the energy-rich country's largest companies, including the oil and gas company Kazmunaigas and national airline Air Astana, will be the team's exclusive backer up to and including 2012, Proskurin said.

"They will be the general sponsor and will take all the expenditures upon themselves," he said.

Astana's top rider, Spain's Alberto Contador, won the Tour de France for the second time in July with the seven-time Tour champion Armstrong finishing third. Armstrong announced during the race that he was leaving Astana to form his own team for 2010, with Radio Shack as the sponsor.

Contador's contract runs into 2010. The new sponsorship deal will make it difficult for the Spaniard to terminate his role with Astana before his contract expires.

The Kazakh president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, has taken personal interest in the fate of the team, which is seen as a prestige project for the Central Asian nation.
 
Jul 28, 2009
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State sponsored team, serious weight has been thrown behind the team.

Wiki - "Kazakhstan holds about 4 billion tons of proven recoverable oil reserves and 2,000 cubic kilometers (480 cu mi) of gas". 2000 cubic kilometres that a lot of trapped wind :D

Do Astana ride asian races or have a feeder system for amateur asian riders? What better way to blood local riders, at least the people will have riders they can identify with as opposed to meaningless wins (for them) via a Spaniard who has probably never set foot in the country.
 
Jun 25, 2009
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BroDeal said:
Who is available to be signed? They should have been busy signing riders up a month and a half ago.
Leonardo Bertagnolli (Serramenti)
Enrico Gasparotto (Lampre)
Marco Marzano (Lampre)
Vladimir Miholjevic (Liquigas)
Jose Rujano ("amateur")
Gilberto Simoni (Serramenti)
Paolo Tiralongo (Lampre)
Xavier Tondo (Andalucia-CajaSur)
 
Sep 25, 2009
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their stated intention is for astana to acquire kazakh face by signing new talent from within. no idea who they are but i hear they are not signing kashekin as he's on vinokourov's shyte list now. the new manager martinelli is likely to bring some aging italians.
 
Sep 25, 2009
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BroDeal said:
Who is available to be signed? They should have been busy signing riders up a month and a half ago.

one of the reason's they are being so discrete is likely related to astana being under the uci microscope. they received several ultimatums and according to the uci rule the team staffing is officially not supposed to be revealed until 20 october. i strongly suspect they and martinelli are trying to sign up some returning dopers. not knowing the uci reaction or not having an explicit approval while the team is on the ropes feeds the silence.
 
python said:
one of the reason's they are being so discrete is likely related to astana being under the uci microscope. they received several ultimatums and according to the uci rule the team staffing is officially not supposed to be revealed until 20 october. i strongly suspect they and martinelli are trying to sign up some returning dopers. not knowing the uci reaction or not having an explicit approval while the team is on the ropes feeds the silence.

Kessler?????
 
Sep 25, 2009
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BroDeal said:
Kessler?????
hmm. that’s an interesting idea. i just googled it, kesseler was eligible to ride again from 27 june this year yet we didn’t hear much of him. i’d think if he intended riding again we’d hear something. no? I keep thinking of sella but have not checked his eligibility. in the other news vinokurouv just signed up with astana for next year and it looks like they are not willing to let some riders into schack, riders whose contracts have one more year.
 
python said:
their stated intention is for astana to acquire kazakh face by signing new talent from within. no idea who they are but i hear they are not signing kashekin as he's on vinokourov's shyte list now. the new manager martinelli is likely to bring some aging italians.

Who is Martinelli? Sorry, I hadn't heard that Astana had team management in place or that they were making moves in anticipation of announcing a Pro Tour quality team.
 
Cerberus said:
Just what Contador needs. Another old guy who thinks the team should be riding for him :D.

I do hope The Chicken does find a ride though (and suitable preparation), their 2007 efforts were great to watch.

If there's one thing Vino's said that I have believed though it is that he will not be going for a GT win, he knows he can't. He might not support Contador but he will just go nuts doing his own thing as he's been doing in the last couple of months.
 
Ferminal said:
I do hope The Chicken does find a ride though (and suitable preparation), their 2007 efforts were great to watch.

If there's one thing Vino's said that I have believed though it is that he will not be going for a GT win, he knows he can't. He might not support Contador but he will just go nuts doing his own thing as he's been doing in the last couple of months.

I'd be shocked if ASO allowed Vino to ride at the 2010 TdF.
 
A

Anonymous

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Publicus said:
I'd be shocked if ASO allowed Vino to ride at the 2010 TdF.

hes done his time.. piti hasnt...

you cant have one rule for everyone else and another for vino whatever your thoughts of the guy..