Team Astana

[Alex47]

Re:

What's the Astana Tour team looking like?

Team of the year for me so far, edging out DQS.

Normally it will be : Fuglsang, Izagirre G., Lutsenko, Fraile, Cort, Bilbao, Sanchez, Houle

 

[Laplaz]

I think they will lose about 40 seconds to Ineos in the TTT

 

[janraaskalt]

Re: Re:

Specialized sponsored them for years, Argon 18 will do the same.

Maybe for other reasons, but Astana might get a new bike sponsor already next year:

https://www.tuttobiciweb.it/article/2019/05/27/1558880023/wilier-triestina-astana-worldtour-2020

 

[movingtarget]

No reason to think they won't have a strong Tour looking at the first 6 months of the year. Whether Fuglsang can can take advantage of career best form is the big question. I don't see him winning but in a weakened field he has some sort of shot at the podium especially with other riders seemingly out of form or backing up from the Giro.

 

[Laplaz]

TDF team:
Fuglsang, LLS, G. Izaguirre, Bilbao, Cort, Fraile, Houle and Lutsenko

 

[KZD]

A really strong team but I think they lose a good opportunity of debuting MAL in the Tour. The route is very good for him and even with the Giro on his legs he could be an alternative for GC making long range or giving support to Fuglsang in the high mountains, Astana has great stage hunters in the team but they lack a great climber so I think that Lopez would have been a nice choice.

 

[RedheadDane]

From what I understand, he doesn't want to do the Tour.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re:

A really strong team but I think they lose a good opportunity of debuting MAL in the Tour. The route is very good for him and even with the Giro on his legs he could be an alternative for GC making long range or giving support to Fuglsang in the high mountains, Astana has great stage hunters in the team but they lack a great climber so I think that Lopez would have been a nice choice.

Yes, Perhaps. But can Lopez adapt to a domestique role when his Giro did not go as expected? I think that the team as whole will benefit from not having a questionable teamplayer in its line-up

 

[staubsauger]

Re: Re:

A really strong team but I think they lose a good opportunity of debuting MAL in the Tour. The route is very good for him and even with the Giro on his legs he could be an alternative for GC making long range or giving support to Fuglsang in the high mountains, Astana has great stage hunters in the team but they lack a great climber so I think that Lopez would have been a nice choice.

Yes, Perhaps. But can Lopez adapt to a domestique role when his Giro did not go as expected? I think that the team as whole will benefit from not having a questionable teamplayer in its line-up

Lopez doesn't even work in a group if it's in his own interest, so I doubt he would be a useful super-domestique!

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

A really strong team but I think they lose a good opportunity of debuting MAL in the Tour. The route is very good for him and even with the Giro on his legs he could be an alternative for GC making long range or giving support to Fuglsang in the high mountains, Astana has great stage hunters in the team but they lack a great climber so I think that Lopez would have been a nice choice.

Yes, Perhaps. But can Lopez adapt to a domestique role when his Giro did not go as expected? I think that the team as whole will benefit from not having a questionable teamplayer in its line-up

Lopez doesn't even work in a group if it's in his own interest, so I doubt he would be a useful super-domestique!

I'm pretty sure Fuglsang would have put his foot down, if the team wanted to bring MAL

He had constant issues with Aru in 17 and Kangert in 18, both of whom were incapable of doing dom work, and pretty much just did their own thing.

The riders they have selected, are all part of Fuglsangs "usual" crew and all very loyal.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re: Re:

A really strong team but I think they lose a good opportunity of debuting MAL in the Tour. The route is very good for him and even with the Giro on his legs he could be an alternative for GC making long range or giving support to Fuglsang in the high mountains, Astana has great stage hunters in the team but they lack a great climber so I think that Lopez would have been a nice choice.

Yes, Perhaps. But can Lopez adapt to a domestique role when his Giro did not go as expected? I think that the team as whole will benefit from not having a questionable teamplayer in its line-up

Lopez doesn't even work in a group if it's in his own interest, so I doubt he would be a useful super-domestique!

I'm pretty sure Fuglsang would have put his foot down, if the team wanted to bring MAL

He had constant issues with Aru in 17 and Kangert in 18, both of whom were incapable of doing dom work, and pretty much just did their own thing.

The riders they have selected, are all part of Fuglsangs "usual" crew and all very loyal.

I do remember Kangert going on the attack on the super short MTF stage last year, but I honestly did not know that Jakob had "constant issues" with him. I have always thought of Kangert as a very loyal rider and one of Jakob's closer allies on the team until he switched to EF, but I may be wrong?

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

A really strong team but I think they lose a good opportunity of debuting MAL in the Tour. The route is very good for him and even with the Giro on his legs he could be an alternative for GC making long range or giving support to Fuglsang in the high mountains, Astana has great stage hunters in the team but they lack a great climber so I think that Lopez would have been a nice choice.

Yes, Perhaps. But can Lopez adapt to a domestique role when his Giro did not go as expected? I think that the team as whole will benefit from not having a questionable teamplayer in its line-up

Lopez doesn't even work in a group if it's in his own interest, so I doubt he would be a useful super-domestique!

I'm pretty sure Fuglsang would have put his foot down, if the team wanted to bring MAL

He had constant issues with Aru in 17 and Kangert in 18, both of whom were incapable of doing dom work, and pretty much just did their own thing.

The riders they have selected, are all part of Fuglsangs "usual" crew and all very loyal.

I do remember Kangert going on the attack on the super short MTF stage last year, but I honestly did not know that Jakob had "constant issues" with him. I have always thought of Kangert as a very loyal rider and one of Jakob's closer allies on the team until he switched to EF, but I may be wrong?

I don't think you're wrong but broccoli did complain about Kangert throughout the entire Tour last year. I would imagine Bjarne Riis did as well as he always thought everything Astana did was wrong.

 

[SafeBet]

Re: Re:

He had constant issues with Aru in 17 and Kangert in 18, both of whom were incapable of doing dom work, and pretty much just did their own thing.

Why would Aru do any dom work for Fuglsang in the 2017 Tour? At no point in the race was Fuglsang better placed in GC, not even after the first time trial.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

He had constant issues with Aru in 17 and Kangert in 18, both of whom were incapable of doing dom work, and pretty much just did their own thing.

Why would Aru do any dom work for Fuglsang in the 2017 Tour? At no point in the race was Fuglsang better placed in GC, not even after the first time trial.

Never said he should have - I only said what I wrote

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

A really strong team but I think they lose a good opportunity of debuting MAL in the Tour. The route is very good for him and even with the Giro on his legs he could be an alternative for GC making long range or giving support to Fuglsang in the high mountains, Astana has great stage hunters in the team but they lack a great climber so I think that Lopez would have been a nice choice.

Yes, Perhaps. But can Lopez adapt to a domestique role when his Giro did not go as expected? I think that the team as whole will benefit from not having a questionable teamplayer in its line-up

Lopez doesn't even work in a group if it's in his own interest, so I doubt he would be a useful super-domestique!

I'm pretty sure Fuglsang would have put his foot down, if the team wanted to bring MAL

He had constant issues with Aru in 17 and Kangert in 18, both of whom were incapable of doing dom work, and pretty much just did their own thing.

The riders they have selected, are all part of Fuglsangs "usual" crew and all very loyal.

I do remember Kangert going on the attack on the super short MTF stage last year, but I honestly did not know that Jakob had "constant issues" with him. I have always thought of Kangert as a very loyal rider and one of Jakob's closer allies on the team until he switched to EF, but I may be wrong?

I don't think you're wrong but broccoli did complain about Kangert throughout the entire Tour last year. I would imagine Bjarne Riis did as well as he always thought everything Astana did was wrong.[/quote]

- - -

I messed up there quote, here is where my text starts

Kangert worked as a dom 1 day, the entire race.
He further spent 2 days in a break (on team orders)
He further spent 2 days in TTs
The other 16 stages, he did nothing, except sit at the back of whatever group he was in, from start to finish.

Btw, I never said Fuglsang had voiced any issues with Kangert, I just said it was evident (to me) there were issues, when a supposed dom contributed so little.

 

[RedheadDane]

I think this is the official/active Astana thread.

Page 34 - Team Astana

Page 34 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.

forum.cyclingnews.com

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Could this freezing of a 80M property somehow be connected with the wage freeze at Astana?

Unexplained Wealth Order focuses on London mansion

A vast home on so-called "Billionaires' Row" is the latest focus of an Unexplained Wealth Order.

www.bbc.com

 

[saunaking]

Why did Astana ride so hard in Froome group during vuelta formigal stage? Their top gc guy was Andrey Zeits in 25th.
They rode hard from like 30k to go until 8 to go.
Surely didn't think they could contest the stage.

Yes I know it is 4 years ago haha covid boredom

 

[Mayomaniac]

Why did Astana ride so hard in Froome group during vuelta formigal stage? Their top gc guy was Andrey Zeits in 25th.
They rode hard from like 30k to go until 8 to go.
Surely didn't think they could contest the stage.

Yes I know it is 4 years ago haha covid boredom

Wasn't Scarponi still up there inside the top 10 of the gc at that point?

 

[RedheadDane]

Maybe they just wanted to have fun.
You know, for a rather odd definition of the word "fun"...

 

[tobydawq]

Wasn't Scarponi still up there inside the top 10 of the gc at that point?

Yes.

 

[Mayomaniac]

According the Vino Fuglsang is going to ride the Giro.
Source: https://www.cyclismactu.net/news-itw-vinokourov-s-il-n-y-a-pas-courses-astana-disparaitra-91004.html

 

[tobydawq]

Apparently, they have fired Vinokourov.

 

[RedheadDane]

Apparently, they have fired Vinokourov.

Again? Didn't they already fire him, and then re-hire him?

 

[tobydawq]

Again? Didn't they already fire him, and then re-hire him?

Yes but now it seems like it's final.