Astana Licence to be withdrawn?

[Vino attacks everyone]

Re: Re:

The case of Landa is remarkably similar to Aru last year, so I'll say what I said back then: "very talented young climber who obviously took a ridiculously large step forward this year".

Landa is older than Aru, but there are similarities, both in their second year at Astana. A natural jump is more likely in a younger rider than a bit older rider, however that is not always the case and other factors could impede performance. Wild inconsistently like Cobo, for example, cannot only be explained by doping although that has to have played its part.

To be fair, Cobo was pretty much a manic depressive, and can blame his difficult career on mental issues in a much larger degree than most.

 

[IamIronMan]

The more and more my eyes become open to the obvious doping in this sport, I now believe there is something to the whole "super responder" thing. At Sky, you have a guy like Wiggins vs Froome, where Wiggins is clearly the more gifted athlete, but Froome obviously got more benefit out of whatever they are doing over there. And with Astana, it just seems like they all lined up and got an injection, and some guys seem to be responding better than others. It's almost as if Astana themselves are just now finding out Landa is clearly the better responder than Aru. According to Landa himself, he's just figuring it out too, LOL!

 

[Fernandez]

Landa is just ridiculous. This guy was a normal climber a year ago. Now he pisses on Contador´s face. I dont believe it.

 

[IzzyStradlin]

Re: Re:

Landa is older than Aru, but there are similarities, both in their second year at Astana. A natural jump is more likely in a younger rider than a bit older rider, however that is not always the case and other factors could impede performance.

I'd say Landa's "talent" level is a pretty known quantity. He is a very good domestique.

http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/rider.asp?riderid=14319

Consistent, but never shown any hint of doing something like this. Amazing what a contract year and a team like Astana can do for one's "motivation".

 

[TheGreenMonkey]

Re: Re:

Landa is older than Aru, but there are similarities, both in their second year at Astana. A natural jump is more likely in a younger rider than a bit older rider, however that is not always the case and other factors could impede performance.

I'd say Landa's "talent" level is a pretty known quantity. He is a very good domestique.

http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/rider.asp?riderid=14319

Consistent, but never shown any hint of doing something like this. Amazing what a contract year and a team like Astana can do for one's "motivation".

Agree, Landa is on something pretty special, the whole team are although Landa seems to be getting the most obvious benefit.

 

[Fearless Greg Lemond]

I think he just learned what it means to be a pro:
no drinking, no fastfood, got engaged.

Wait...

His climbing style is great though, reminds me of...

This instead of Aru, who is even uglier on a bike than Virenque.

 

[mrhender]

The Aru passport rumors are getting interesting by the day...

Did he receive a letter warning him of suspusicous values so they had to shorten his leash?

They then did some tests at Astana and found landa to be a good responder....

UCI seems to hit the ignore button with Astana now... Why are no journos asking Cookson what he thinks af recent dominance...?

How can there be serious problems in the team both with positive tests and the Coni investigation and then suddenly an ISSUL makes the b-team world beaters but everything is good....

I don't think other teams are clean, but the UCI have made a fool of themselves here...

 

[May0maniac]

Re: Re:

Landa is older than Aru, but there are similarities, both in their second year at Astana. A natural jump is more likely in a younger rider than a bit older rider, however that is not always the case and other factors could impede performance.

I'd say Landa's "talent" level is a pretty known quantity. He is a very good domestique.

http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/rider.asp?riderid=14319

Consistent, but never shown any hint of doing something like this. Amazing what a contract year and a team like Astana can do for one's "motivation".

Agree, Landa is on something pretty special, the whole team are although Landa seems to be getting the most obvious benefit.

Yesterday there was an interview with him in La Gazzetta and he said a very interesting thing: "Slongo thinks that I'd be faster if I'd loose a few kg, but I disagree."
He doesn't look like the typical anorexic looking rider on a weight loss rogamm with AICAR and other stuff, he seems to be on an olschool programm or on something different.

 

[webbie146]

Re: Re:

Landa is older than Aru, but there are similarities, both in their second year at Astana. A natural jump is more likely in a younger rider than a bit older rider, however that is not always the case and other factors could impede performance.

I'd say Landa's "talent" level is a pretty known quantity. He is a very good domestique.

http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/rider.asp?riderid=14319

Consistent, but never shown any hint of doing something like this. Amazing what a contract year and a team like Astana can do for one's "motivation".

Agree, Landa is on something pretty special, the whole team are although Landa seems to be getting the most obvious benefit.

Yesterday there was an interview with him in La Gazzetta and he said a very interesting thing: "Slongo thinks that I'd be faster if I'd loose a few kg, but I disagree."
He doesn't look like the typical anorexic looking rider on a weight loss rogamm with AICAR and other stuff, he seems to be on an olschool programm or on something different.

Remember that one rider from bmc in 2013 that could follow Nibali in the giro on the mtf, Nibali gifted him the stage. Forgot his name. Anyways he was just injecting a bit of epo and could follow the best, close to Froome in the Tirreno, and he was not anorexic either. The dude had a pretty bloated face lol

 

[infeXio]

Re: Re:

Landa is older than Aru, but there are similarities, both in their second year at Astana. A natural jump is more likely in a younger rider than a bit older rider, however that is not always the case and other factors could impede performance.

I'd say Landa's "talent" level is a pretty known quantity. He is a very good domestique.

http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/rider.asp?riderid=14319

Consistent, but never shown any hint of doing something like this. Amazing what a contract year and a team like Astana can do for one's "motivation".

Agree, Landa is on something pretty special, the whole team are although Landa seems to be getting the most obvious benefit.

Yesterday there was an interview with him in La Gazzetta and he said a very interesting thing: "Slongo thinks that I'd be faster if I'd loose a few kg, but I disagree."
He doesn't look like the typical anorexic looking rider on a weight loss rogamm with AICAR and other stuff, he seems to be on an olschool programm or on something different.

Remember that one rider from bmc in 2013 that could follow Nibali in the giro on the mtf, Nibali gifted him the stage. Forgot his name. Anyways he was just injecting a bit of epo and could follow the best, close to Froome in the Tirreno, and he was not anorexic either. The dude had a pretty bloated face lol

Santambrogio He was with Vini-Fantini in 2013, though, IIRC

 

[Lyon]

Re:

I don't think other teams are clean, but the UCI have made a fool of themselves here...

I am pretty sure UCI wants to kick Astana out of the pro circus but something is holding them back. Maybe a power struggle of sorts. Or just incompetence.

As it is, the only thing they can do is to let all the other teams go 'full ***' as well. July will tell.

 

[webbie146]

Re: Re:

quote="TheGreenMonkey"]

Landa is older than Aru, but there are similarities, both in their second year at Astana. A natural jump is more likely in a younger rider than a bit older rider, however that is not always the case and other factors could impede performance.

I'd say Landa's "talent" level is a pretty known quantity. He is a very good domestique.

http://www.cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/rider.asp?riderid=14319

Consistent, but never shown any hint of doing something like this. Amazing what a contract year and a team like Astana can do for one's "motivation".

Agree, Landa is on something pretty special, the whole team are although Landa seems to be getting the most obvious benefit.

Yesterday there was an interview with him in La Gazzetta and he said a very interesting thing: "Slongo thinks that I'd be faster if I'd loose a few kg, but I disagree."
He doesn't look like the typical anorexic looking rider on a weight loss rogamm with AICAR and other stuff, he seems to be on an olschool programm or on something different.

Remember that one rider from bmc in 2013 that could follow Nibali in the giro on the mtf, Nibali gifted him the stage. Forgot his name. Anyways he was just injecting a bit of epo and could follow the best, close to Froome in the Tirreno, and he was not anorexic either. The dude had a pretty bloated face lol[/quote]

Santambrogio He was with Vini-Fantini in 2013, though, IIRC[/quote]

Ah yes that's his name haha, totally forgot for a minute

 

[mrhender]

Re: Re:

I don't think other teams are clean, but the UCI have made a fool of themselves here...

I am pretty sure UCI wants to kick Astana out of the pro circus but something is holding them back. Maybe a power struggle of sorts. Or just incompetence.

As it is, the only thing they can do is to let all the other teams go 'full ***' as well. July will tell.

maybe the Almaty bid for winter-olympics in 2022 has something to do with it..
They also recently lowered the estimated costs for the games with over half a billion US Dollars:

http://www.almaty-2022.org/#/en/press_release

Surely Astana folding would be very bad for the petite nation's vivibility on the european sports scene not in the least the olympics bid...

Maybe IOC sent a letter to Cookson.....

Putting Astana to the sword has bigger implications then just a cycling team folding...

Politics and money comes before the seemingly great desire of Cookson to get rid of Vino...

Maybe he thought he could bluff them into offering his step-down, but they called him on it...

 

[jilbiker]

Re:

Not posted here in a long time but Landa has forced me out of retirement, what a f**king joke, Landa not even pretending he's tired, reminds me of Armstrong and Riis... the whole team should've been thrown off the world tour.

Its a joke. Vino is not even pretending. Even after the whole license issue only a few weeks ago??! This guy does not care, he is daring UCI to touch him and from the license issue, it seems Astana is untouchable...are we getting another LA mafiosi?

I thought they would chill out for a while but no, Vino is like, all guns ahead. lander doesn't look tired at all, its illogical, it just not normal. Alberto looked drained but Landa was like, "just went for a little sprint". How can UCI stand by and watch this?? Its a disgrace to cycling, the whole world is watching. The same team that was almost kicked out is now picking up laurels? The whole world is saying "nothing has changed". They have a powerless governing body. Does WADA have to do the job for cycling each time???

 

[mrhender]

Maybe the doctor messed up with the names and by pure coincidence gave Landa Aru's stash...

Landa prolly doesn't mind the mistake...

 

[Miburo]

Oh Landa's contract ends this year, that explains a lot

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

Oh Landa's contract ends this year, that explains a lot

Acording to you, what Landa wants, a better contract in Astana? Wich team will be no souspicious to you?

The only thing that explain is that Landa is a supertalent, but he climb Mortirolo 4 minutes slower tyan Pantani and much slower that maybe 80 riders along the history.. and Modonna di compligio 10 minutes slower than Pantani.

Maybe now bikes are heavier.

Landa have always shows his pitential, for a rider like him, a pure climber, to be second in estella or 5 th in San sebastian is really amazing, teh way he won in amateurs, in juniors, thye way he won in Neila after to work for Samu, the way he put a minute in Aru in Bondone, both of them at the same shape, the way he climb close to Quintana in Avanir and in Madrid (a russian rider was better than him that day... he wont be in the top 50 of this Giro, becouse in worl Tour there are controls),... he show he eas strong in a Romandia that has no real mountain...

He had 3 ribbons broken in a crash, he broke the collarbone in Dauphiné when he was very strong,...

He rode a Paisz Vasco when he had allergies, but he didnt rodea basque country becouse Euskaltel didnt want Landa there, they want to win with Samu, but Landa was stronger than Samu,...

People talk by knowing anything about Landa.

He has had always pressure on him shouders, he was the best basque promising rider of his generation, he won in Gorla, and that is not easy, becouse cycling is important in the basque country.

For him was good to be put of a basque team, less pressure, although today Euskatel would be very strong with Landa, Nieve, Intxausti, Izaguirre brothers, Bilbao,...

He is just 25...that is young in cycling.

 

[Benotti69]

Landa is a pro cyclist. That explains a lot.

 

[Fernandez]

Re: Re:

Oh Landa's contract ends this year, that explains a lot

Acording to you, what Landa wants, a better contract in Astana? Wich team will be no souspicious to you?

The only thing that explain is that Landa is a supertalent, but he climb Mortirolo 4 minutes slower tyan Pantani and much slower that maybe 80 riders along the history.. and Modonna di compligio 10 minutes slower than Pantani.

Maybe now bikes are heavier.

Landa have always shows his pitential, for a rider like him, a pure climber, to be second in estella or 5 th in San sebastian is really amazing, teh way he won in amateurs, in juniors, thye way he won in Neila after to work for Samu, the way he put a minute in Aru in Bondone, both of them at the same shape, the way he climb close to Quintana in Avanir and in Madrid (a russian rider was better than him that day... he wont be in the top 50 of this Giro, becouse in worl Tour there are controls),... he show he eas strong in a Romandia that has no real mountain...

He had 3 ribbons broken in a crash, he broke the collarbone in Dauphiné when he was very strong,...

He rode a Paisz Vasco when he had allergies, but he didnt rodea basque country becouse Euskaltel didnt want Landa there, they want to win with Samu, but Landa was stronger than Samu,...

People talk by knowing anything about Landa.

He has had always pressure on him shouders, he was the best basque promising rider of his generation, he won in Gorla, and that is not easy, becouse cycling is important in the basque country.

For him was good to be put of a basque team, less pressure, although today Euskatel would be very strong with Landa, Nieve, Intxausti, Izaguirre brothers, Bilbao,...

He is just 25...that is young in cycling.

No me vengas con historias. Landa se subió el mortirolo silbando. No creo que ni siquiera rompiera a sudar. Esta claro que el chico esta tomando algo. Jamas ha tenido un rendimiento que remotamente se acercara a lo que esta haciendo en este giro. Juanjo cobo 2.0

 

[SeriousSam]

Si Mikel es Cobo 2.0, quien es Dawg 2.0?

 

[hrotha]

Cobo 2.0 is a very bad analogy anyway. Santi Pérez 2.0 is more like it.

 

[No_Balls]

Re: Re:

Oh Landa's contract ends this year, that explains a lot

Acording to you, what Landa wants, a better contract in Astana? Wich team will be no souspicious to you?

The only thing that explain is that Landa is a supertalent, but he climb Mortirolo 4 minutes slower tyan Pantani and much slower that maybe 80 riders along the history.. and Modonna di compligio 10 minutes slower than Pantani..

Dude. First thumb of rule is not to take two different stages with different scripts and compare them to each other without the bigger picture. At Mortirolo Pantani went full *** attacking a heavy fueled Berzin and De las Cuevas. Same at Madonna. Landa looked like being on a Sunday-ride with a massive struggling Aru on his wheel riding with heavy restrictions to look after Fabio.

Dont say he would topple Pantani but i am pretty sure Landa was nowhere close his limits on both Mortirolo and Madonna.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Si Mikel es Cobo 2.0, quien es Dawg 2.0?

El flaco de holandia

 

[Tonton]

To some of the points, Astana has figured out that the UCI is all about growing the sport, sweeping doping under the rug, like it doesn't exist. Only idiots and/or small-timers will get caught. Vino knows it, Sky knows it, Oleg knows it, they all know it. It comes down to how far you are willing to push the envelope. Astana is willing to go very far, i.e. Nibbles at last year's TdF. And as we comment on the Giro, he's preparing. What I see from Astana at the Giro makes me think that he'll surprise many in July. Maybe even himself

 

[carton]

Re: Re:

Si Mikel es Cobo 2.0, quien es Dawg 2.0?

El flaco de holandia

Hollandia?

or
Holanda?

Trying to be funny not pedantic
Also, trying to dwell on fortunate coincidences rather than still being stuck at work...
Anyway, let's let the week unfold before crowning Landa or Krshjshwjck the new Delgado and Armstrong (the wide shoulders), no?