Astana-Saxo Bank

[The Hitch]

Just when Alberto thought he was out, Vino pulled him back in.

 

[Siriuscat]

It flips the bird at "Team Radio Luxemburg" if nothing else, one super team against another.

I don't like the sound of it, I think Bjarne would do well to avoid any contact with the Kazakhs and retain control of his own affairs

 

[Cimber]

To Danish media SBS denies the rumours, saying there are no plans to merge with any team. They also state that they are working strengthening the team with new riders and will hopefully be able to announce something soon. Maybe before the WC. They refuse to comment on the Froome rumour. I reckon they will present a handful of riders in one sitting. Maybe Froome, Paulinho, Kroon, Machado?

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

People are going to go nuts when SBS announces:

Paulinho
Machado
Froome

Schleck may choke on his binky.

Ah, Climber beat me to it. Sorry.

 

[DirtyWorks]

I really dont like this idea of superteams at all whether its Astana-Saxo or Shack-Leopard. We want to see more competitiveness not less and not have lots of guys looking for new jobs.

If sponsors are not able to fund full teams, questions really need to be asked of the ProTour structure. If sponsors cannot afford to run teams of between 25 and 30 riders with all the additional staff as required by the ProTour entry requirements, then this needs to be looked at more closely by the UCI.

Why not let teams have a minimum of say 18 riders and let them choose and pick what events they have to enter, maybe a minimum requirement of two GTs and say 10-15 World Tour events per year. Perhaps that would be more attractive to sponsors who cannot pay for big teams. Maybe reduce the number of ProTour teams to 10/12 as someone else suggested.

The idea behind the ProTour was to create an elite league with big sponsors staying in the sport but that doesnt seem to be happening with sponsors withdrawing and big teams looking to merge. Look at the longest surviving sponsors in cyling and they all seem to be lesser teams. Cofidis, Lfdjeux, Lotto, Euskaltel, AG2R all the lower end of ProTour or Pro Continental teams.

When I look back to when I first started following pro cycling over 20 years ago and see how many races have disappeared, it really makes me question how pro cycling is run.

The current situation has been years in the making. I willing to give Pat and Hein the benefit of the doubt that just maybe the plan started out as you described.

They've got team owners publicly firing sponsors, a business model that doesn't work for advertisers, and a decade's worth of doping problems that are still around.

It certainly didn't work and now Pat and his buddies are looking around and figuring out how to make some money for themselves instead of trying to grow cycling at the federation level. (Tour of China and other events)

 

[HL2037]

The riders rode without a main sponsor on their shirt for quite some time.

Contador without shirt sponsor.

PS Can anyone help me? I can't insert an image..

That doesn't mean they didn't pay their bills.

 

[jens_attacks]

with all the mergers going on,i think that it's a very strong possibility that christina watches will be a world tour team next season

 

[Thomsena]

with all the mergers going on,i think that it's a very strong possibility that christina watches will be a world tour team next season

What about Miche...

 

[PCutter]

What about Miche...

Probably time to start a Christina-Miche merger thread

 

[taiwan]

Christina Watches Geox? That would be a very nice herd of goats to raise more clinic eyebrows. Christina Watches Astana? Christina Watches Sky Movis? Tar.

 

[LaFlorecita]

That doesn't mean they didn't pay their bills.

They did it, because they didnt get paid. Like "if you dont pay us our salary, your not our sponsor, so were not going to walk around with your name on our jersey."

I'm going to search for a link...

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

Слияние невозможно, по крайней мере в этом году, контракты есть подписанные на два года и у нас и у Саксо. 50% людей могут остаться без работы и у них и у нас. Проще на следующий год пригласит Конту.

merge is impossible, at least this year. We and saxo both have contracts for two years ahead. Half of the people ours and their can lose their jobs. It's simpler to just invite contador to us next year.

 

[HL2037]

I'm going to search for a link...

You do that.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

I remember that, too, and found a link. It was in May 2009.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...r-faded-kit-in-protest-over-unpaid-wages.html

Susan

 

[Zerak-Tul]

Not only the 2009 incident, they failed to pay at the end of 2007 too, and a court had to take the payment out of the teams bank guarantee.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-bank-guarantee-assures-astana-2007-salaries

A court in Vaud, Switzerland, has ruled that the unpaid wages for 2007 Team...

By Susan Westemeyer

A court in Vaud, Switzerland, has ruled that the unpaid wages for 2007 Team Astana riders must be paid out of the 500,000 euro in the bank guarantee held by the UCI. The court said that former team manager Marc Biver is required to fulfil his contracts for the past season. The decision also means that the "new" Astana team (under manager Johan Bruyneel) can now participate fully in the 2008 racing season.

A number of riders under contract last season complained that they had not received their salary since September. Biver said that he could not pay them because he had not received expected payments from his sponsors.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Lol, and I couldn't even find a story I wrote myself.....

Susan

ETA: If you search "Astana salaries" on CN, you will find a number of stories on this matter over the years.

 

[greenedge]

I don't think the move would be viable. Riis would not have so much control and Vino does not forget that Contador left.

 

[RedheadDane]

Lol, and I couldn't even find a story I wrote myself.....

Susan

You know what they say: It's the eyes you turn blind on first.

 

[jilbiker]

It business

I don't think the move would be viable. Riis would not have so much control and Vino does not forget that Contador left.

I think we get carried away with all the sports and exercise associated with cycling. it is a a BUSINESS!! Riders, managers push themsselves each day to get a nice paycheck to take to the bank. The merger makes tremendous good sense. I see it as an outstanding success. Forget AC leaving Vino, I am sure Vino doesn't care, an opportunity to get back the best rider in the world, he will bury any ill feelings so fast, they will make up quickly and ride on. It is a Kachink! for the sponsors and teams, make good business sense.

When you add getting Chris Froome, I think its a double Kachink! When Froome was doing so well at Vuelta, I said he should go to Saxo and work with/for AC, if he does, i see him as the next AC, they have some what similar styles and he will learn a lot, I think it will be a great match.

 

[Cimber]

I think we get carried away with all the sports and exercise associated with cycling. it is a a BUSINESS!! Riders, managers push themsselves each day to get a nice paycheck to take to the bank. The merger makes tremendous good sense. I see it as an outstanding success. Forget AC leaving Vino, I am sure Vino doesn't care, an opportunity to get back the best rider in the world, he will bury any ill feelings so fast, they will make up quickly and ride on. It is a Kachink! for the sponsors and teams, make good business sense.

When you add getting Chris Froome, I think its a double Kachink! When Froome was doing so well at Vuelta, I said he should go to Saxo and work with/for AC, if he does, i see him as the next AC, they have some what similar styles and he will learn a lot, I think it will be a great match.

Froome is only 2 yeards younger than Contador, so to become the new Contador he certainly have to get out of Contador's shadow before Contador hangs up his wheels. That said, I think it could be a good experience for him to ride with Contador for a year or two

 

[The_Z_man]

The denials have started, so that probably means it's a done deal.

 

[Angliru]

Christina Watches Geox? That would be a very nice herd of goats to raise more clinic eyebrows. Christina Watches Astana? Christina Watches Sky Movis? Tar.

I doubt Menchov wants anything to do with Rassmussen after his comments to the media regarding Menchov's struggling the get over the Galibier ( actual quote edited for children) while riding in support of the Chicken.

 

[HL2037]

I don't believe a word that Armstrong and Bruyneel has said about Astana in the past. It was one of their usual media campaigns which was part of some fight over power on team Astana. They are famous for playing these kinds of tricks. Everybody knows that, exept for Flavio Becca obviously, but he will soon find out.