Contador leaving Astana

[jobiwan]

any reaction from vino?

I know, it sort of looked as though he liked working for a team. Now it'll be back to the Vino show.

 

[Publicus]

I think the ultimatum, regardless of the rationale, was a bad move in light of what took place last year. Recall, that Astana did everything in its power to keep AC and I imagine that left a bad taste in his mouth that had only been rinsed clean with the working of the team. Stepping in with an ultimatum during the Tour de France seems like a similar tact. Not to mention there unwillingness or inability to meet his salary demands, and well it doesn't seem so far fetched that they are parting ways.

 

[scribe]

Riis?

Pshhh

Contador going to sky. You heard it here first.

Seriously though. This is bad news. I liked contador at astana. I wanted vino to be his ds.

Could it be the false information the team gave him during the tt that cracked him?

A distinct possibility. I can't wait for Contador's tell-all book at the end of his career. Gonna be a real tear-jerker.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

it's probably that his bike sponsor wanted to leave astana and they talked into contador and he came along. nothing to do with ultimatum because they even postpooned the ultimatum to give him more thinking time. besides every team gives ultimatums because they want to be able to react in time to buy replacements

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

He wasn't ****ed @ Contador, more at the motors in front of him

They interfered with the motor in his seat tube. Understandable.

 

[python]

any reaction from vino?

i am almost certain vino has done everything in his power to keep him but there are other factors we don't know yet.

remember teams like astana and katusha are 'national projects' and their operations are likely influenced by less than pure commercial motives.

 

[erader]

if you are taking with you 8 people, there needs to be time found to replace them with equivalent riders and staff. given astana's experience with bruyneel, they imo are justified to expect an answer after the support they provided.

hope they liked the answer they got.

erader

 

[erader]

I know, it sort of looked as though he liked working for a team. Now it'll be back to the Vino show.

i thought vino was retiring.

erader

 

[tofino]

Post Saturday TT comments

Pretty sure it was Contador's brother saying on Eurosport (on Sunday) that the Astana team car was giving Contador false time splits to "motivate" him during the TT. They were telling him he was behind and losing the yellow.

Part of the campaign to explain the break "not just he money". Plus its likely true when you see how broken Contador was after and the comments about this tour being mentally tough.

 

[Dutchsmurf]

So far nothing is sure tho. I wouldn't be surprised if in a couple days he turns out to be staying with Astana anyway. Not sure what he hopes to win by moving to another team. Getting Cancellara sure is a nice bonus, but for the rest?
If Contador was a football player we would assume he was doing this to pressure his current team. Standard tactics after all. Make it clear in the press that you have another team wanting you, willing to meet your demands.

 

[jobiwan]

i thought vino was retiring.

erader

I had heard he was coming back for 1 more year, but he might very well be retiring. All I know is that Astana really needs to find someone quick.

 

[scribe]

Pretty sure it was Contador's brother saying on Eurosport (on Sunday) that the Astana team car was giving Contador false time splits to "motivate" him during the TT. They were telling him he was behind and losing the yellow.

Part of the campaign to explain the break "not just he money". Plus its likely true when you see how broken Contador was after and the comments about this tour being mentally tough.

Just terrible.

 

[Polish]

Gee, Contador dumps Astana as soon as the Tour is over.
Who could have seen that one coming?

But what about all those Happy Pictures of Alberto and his team at lunch and at coffee breaks? That is what Alberto likes. Alberto does not like change. Why change the winning formula?
Martinelli and Vino must be heart broken.....

Alberto dumps Astana right after the Tour taking a large chunk of the team along. What a shocker.

 

[red_flanders]

Gee, Contador dumps Astana as soon as the Tour is over.
Who could have seen that one coming?

But what about all those Happy Pictures of Alberto and his team at lunch and at coffee breaks? That is what Alberto likes. Alberto does not like change. Why change the winning formula?
Martinelli and Vino must be heart broken.....

Alberto dumps Astana right after the Tour taking a large chunk of the team along. What a shocker.

At least he's not mocking Vino for not being able to keep the spaniards.

Not sure why anyone is surprised, he was looking hard for a new team last year before finally closing on Astana.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Alberto dumps Astana right after the Tour taking a large chunk of the team along. What a shocker.

Say, didn't the same thing happen last year...where was it again....?

 

[theswordsman]

In that Cycling Weekly story they said they had contacted someone and confirmed the two were done.

As for the comment about Alberto quitting right after the Tour - Astana gave him the drop-dead date of Sunday, then extended it 48 hours. They're the ones who set the time frame.

Jesus Hernandez is Contador's friend and regular training partner. Alberto arranged for his Astana contract and presented it to him personally a couple of years ago. It's loyalty of both that they're leaving together. The other three guys signed to ride for Alberto as well. Again, he's rewarding their loyalty and taking friends with him.

Andy Schleck had nice meals with the team as well, and they all knew he was leaving. Good people can enjoy each other's company during a race and still sign elsewhere for the following year. It happens in sports all the time. There were a lot of races this season where Astana guys rode along chatting with the Radio Shack guys, and posing for pictures with their former teammates who abandoned them.

Yes, Polish, when I come here I'm not automatically signed in, so I see what you say.

 

[Beech Mtn]

Astana should hire Menchov to replace Contador. Menchov and Vino get along well, and DM would be more comfortable there than at Katyusha with Tchmil.

Vino has mentioned that he's riding one more year. Originally said he would mainly focus on classics and shorter races, and maybe ride the Tour. His more recent statements mentioned riding possibly the Giro and Tour again, which could reflect him expecting Contador to possibly not re-sign.

I wondered if Contador might leave Astana after the stage where Vino did not get his win on the Jalabert climb, and AC picked up 10 seconds on Baby Schleck, but didn't win the stage either. Martinelli apparently mentioned on RAI that there had been tension at the dinner table the night before. Vino is too professional to say anything in the press about troubles in the team, but there had to be a lot of pressure on Vino and the team to get stage wins for Vino. It could be that Contador wants to go someplace where there would be only a single TdF goal.

If AC does go to Riis -
Isn't Cancellara under contract with Riis for 2 more years? Somebody correct me if that's wrong. With a TTT next year, Cancellara would be a big help to AC, but there would still be the likelihood that FC would take the yellow jersey after the prologue and the team decide whether to defend it or not.

At the end of the Tour, Cancellara was saying some awfully positive, diplomatic things about AC beating Baby Schleck. It certainly could be that he knew he had a new teammate coming. Smart of Specialized to hang on to AC for the grand tours and FC for the classics.

I am gong to miss AC and AV as Astana teammates though. Those were my boys - that was my team.

 

[Ryaguas]

to me it seems they are concerned with the same issues they faced with bruyneel - losing too many people at once - though it does not seem as drastic.

Oui oui... nobody wants to have the same last year episode... They want to have plenty of time to sign new ppl and with the big budget that Astana has I wonder which riders are they going sign?

Very few people know pro cycling better than Bjarne Riise.

He really knows how to survive in the ProCycling but he is the worst DS ever

They interfered with the motor in his seat tube. Understandable.

EPIC! Ninjaed by Moose!!

mmmm Contador going to Riis' team... mmmm... that will be a tough change though... in that team there is no ppl who talks spanish besides Haedo Brothers, his internal language is english and Contador is not very good there, is a team with an American Sponsor, that team is more related to Schlecks and their gruppettos are there since long time, He will be the new in town and we'll be the leader... mmmm that doesn't sounds pretty nice... and Contador and his spanish mountain goats are not cheap!

 

[metaCYCLE]

If AC does go to Riis -
Isn't Cancellara under contract with Riis for 2 more years? Somebody correct me if that's wrong. With a TTT next year, Cancellara would be a big help to AC, but there would still be the likelihood that FC would take the yellow jersey after the prologue and the team decide whether to defend it or not.

there is none next year.

 

[Beech Mtn]

In that Cycling Weekly story they said they had contacted someone and confirmed the two were done.

As for the comment about Alberto quitting right after the Tour - Astana gave him the drop-dead date of Sunday, then extended it 48 hours. They're the ones who set the time frame.

Jesus Hernandez is Contador's friend and regular training partner. Alberto arranged for his Astana contract and presented it to him personally a couple of years ago. It's loyalty of both that they're leaving together. The other three guys signed to ride for Alberto as well. Again, he's rewarding their loyalty and taking friends with him.

Andy Schleck had nice meals with the team as well, and they all knew he was leaving. Good people can enjoy each other's company during a race and still sign elsewhere for the following year. It happens in sports all the time. There were a lot of races this season where Astana guys rode along chatting with the Radio Shack guys, and posing for pictures with their former teammates who abandoned them.

Yes, Polish, when I come here I'm not automatically signed in, so I see what you say.

Swordsman,
Do you know if Fran Contador also acts as agent for Jesus Hernandez, or some of the guys like Noval and Navarro? They seem to be set to follow Alberto wherever he goes, and teams know they have to keep a few spots open for AC's boys, but I wonder how much pull he has in getting them good contracts too. Just curious.

 

[Polish]

At least he's not mocking Vino for not being able to keep the spaniards.

Not sure why anyone is surprised, he was looking hard for a new team last year before finally closing on Astana.

Lance would have mocked Vino for not keeping the Kazaks grrrr.

But seriously, Alberto has been blatantly stringing Astana along this year.
What a sweet and humble joke.

And for Alberto to try to cover his actions with talk of "ultimatums" or "TT race radio snafus" is dishonest again.

 

[Beech Mtn]

there is none next year.

You're right. It starts with a long stage 1 and then stage 2 is a 23k TTT. I forgot about that. Takes the prologue issue away from the Tour completely.

 

[hrotha]

Meh, if Sastre managed, I guess Contador will too.

 

[Cerberus]

If AC does go to Riis -
Isn't Cancellara under contract with Riis for 2 more years? Somebody correct me if that's wrong. With a TTT next year, Cancellara would be a big help to AC, but there would still be the likelihood that FC would take the yellow jersey after the prologue and the team decide whether to defend it or not.

At the end of the Tour, Cancellara was saying some awfully positive, diplomatic things about AC beating Baby Schleck. It certainly could be that he knew he had a new teammate coming. Smart of Specialized to hang on to AC for the grand tours and FC for the classics.

Cancellara is on contract for one more year. As for the Prologue there is no prologue in 2011. First stage is a flat one and the second is a TTT, Saxo (AKA Specialized Sungard) can give the jersey to whomever they want if they win the TTT.

 

[yourwelcome]

Not sure why anyone is surprised, he was looking hard for a new team last year before finally closing on Astana.

Well yeah, but consider the situation for the Tour he just finished with Astana then... no wonder. Since then they've surprised by looking like a strong and cohesive team, much less reason to leave now/more risk by doing so... no?