Team Astana's shameful legacy

[deValtos]

They also tapped telephone conversations between Vinokurov and Stefano Ferrari showing that Astana boss asked for Farraris assistance for twelve riders from his team. Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali is not among those mentioned, but so is instead his coach.

Thanks for the info re Nibs coach neinneinei.



Anyhows bye bye Astana, nice knowing you ...

 

[Miburo]

Astana is screwed now, i hope nibali will still be able to race though

But look at the giro '13, that MTT of nibali, that said enough for me.

 

[poupou]

http://www.vg.no/sport/sykkel/sykkel/ny-rapport-kobler-astana-til-dopinglegen/a/23351629/



It is unclear where the information about the coach is from. La Repubblica is mentioned, but the information about the raid of Stefanos flat seems to be from somewhere else, "VG knows". And then the information about the phone taps in the next paragraph.

Back to Anders K. Christiansen again, one of the journalists Hushovd blacklisted. He has before written about the Ferrari e-mails seized from some server in Finland. He seems to have had a source who knew a lot about this investigation. He is the "Scandinavian journalist" mentioned here:

Nibali was asked: "Back in 2009 there were accusations about you an Michele Ferrari. Can you look us in the eye and tell us today if you have ever met this guy and where do you think these accusations came from?

After the question was translated into Italian, he looked the Scandinavian journalist who asked the question in the eye from just two metres away and replied.

"No. I've never personally met him," he said in Italian.

Next question:
"OK, you never met him, but have you any kind of relations wth him, directly or undirectly?"

 

[TrueFalcon]

"No. I've never personally met him," he said in Italian.

No, I've never professionally met him," he didn't say ...

When they qualify their answer in any way, it makes me wonder.

 

[the sceptic]

No wonder Cookson was holding off the announcement on the licence. And spending the extra cash on target testing.

Cookson needs to ask Ferrari to come talk to the CIRC. An independent talk of course.

That is the only way we can be sure doping stopped in 2011.

 

[thehog]

Cookson needs to ask Ferrari to come talk to the CIRC. An independent talk of course.

That is the only way we can be sure doping stopped in 2011.

LOL! Like totally!

Ferrari could run his finger across a telephone book of rider names and pick out 98% of them. Except Sky cyclists of course. They go to Tenerife for the weather

I feel sorry for Vino. How else was he supposed to compete?

 

[the sceptic]

LOL! Like totally!

Ferrari could run his finger across a telephone book of rider names and pick out 98% of them. Except Sky cyclists of course. They go to Tenerife for the weather

I feel sorry for Vino. How else was he supposed to compete?

Even Ferrari seems out of his depth in this new era. Nibali only won the tour against a bunch of french guys, but before that he was constantly dropped by sky for years.

I guess UCI protection is more important. As always.

I feel bad for Astana too. This is what the doping armsrace does I guess. Watch Dawg go full mutant, and what choice do you have?

 

[thehog]

Even Ferrari seems out of his depth in this new era. Nibali only won the tour against a bunch of french guys, but before that he was constantly dropped by sky for years.

I guess UCI protection is more important. As always.

Correct. We all saw what TUE-Froome did to Nibali-Ferrai at Romandie.

Cycling couldn't get any funnier. Sky started the arms race again. LOL!

 

[JimmyFingers]

Yep, Nibali has been constantly beaten by Sky riders for the last few years, even when he won, apparently.

Be interesting how far this goes with Astana, I wonder if they will really burn or will be saved by CAS. With that and the Russian situation, it is very clear that doping is continuing (and I don't think for a second that Russia and Astana are the only ones at it).

 

[webbie146]

Even Ferrari seems out of his depth in this new era. Nibali only won the tour against a bunch of french guys, but before that he was constantly dropped by sky for years.

I guess UCI protection is more important. As always.

I feel bad for Astana too. This is what the doping armsrace does I guess. Watch Dawg go full mutant, and what choice do you have?

People keep bringing that up but just look at the numbers he put out during that tdf. His watt/kg was close to what Froome showed in 2013, and the guy only went full gas on the Hautacam and La Planche des Belles Filles. On the other mtf he just rode within himself.

Of all the GT contenders he clearly made the biggest jump in condition from the Dauphine to the tdf.

constantly dropped by sky for years? I guess you are revering to 2012 tdf? Got dropped once by Froome/Wiggo on the last mtf finish but he was riding with a injury that stage.

2013 only direct confrontation was during the Tirreno. On that mtf Nibali attacked 1 km before Froome made his move. There performance was very closely matched, Froome just timed it better.

2014 Oman: Nibali was packing to much weight
2014 Romandie: Nibali focused a lot of his training during the first part on the season on low intensity/endurance workout, which clearly payed of later during the tdf. Consequence was that his high-end stuff was lacking (which they worked only later in the season).

You make it seem like Nibali has been getting blown away by sky for years, but in reality he was a very close match.

I agree with u though that after the tdf 12 other teams realized they had to step up with there program, which they did. Don't feel bad for Astana though, they have been on the juice since there team was formed lol.

Also the part about protection, yes I agree.

"Apparently without ever engaging in a full on effort, he seemed to play with his opponents on the climbs, often expressing powers between 6.00 and 6.3 w/kg (378-397 watts, assuming a weight of 63kg), never showing a decline in performance in the three-week race."

"On the ascent to Hautacam (13.6 km at 7.8%) Vincenzo rode alone "in the wind" for 11 km, climbing in 37'30", VAM = 1696 m/h = 6.28 w/kg = 395w."

"Under a snow blizzard Vincenzo Nibali flew the last 3 km of the climb (370m of ascent) in 12'50", with a VAM = 1734 m/h equal to 5.78 w/kg.

Considering the average altitude of this tract (2115m above sea level) and recalling that at this altitude the partial pressure of O2 in the air is reduced by approximately 20% compared to a altitude of 500m above sea level, Nibali's performance extrapolated to sea level should be increased by at least 10%.
That gives us a VAM = 1907 m/h, equal to 6.35 w/kg."

both performances in the third week of a GT, very impressive. I suspect Ferrari helped him with his preparation, which is completely fine by me. Why not? you want to win right.

Ferrari is still kicking *** it seems, his rider won this years tdf..

 

[thehog]

I agree with u though that after the tdf 12 other teams realized they had to step up with there program, which they did. Don't feel bad for Astana though, they have been on the juice since there team was formed lol.

Also the part about protection, yes I agree.

This I think everyone saw coming after 2012. 2013 the rest of the peloton got better and by 2014 Sky were being matched. Doping is back, full swing, its cool again!

 

[the sceptic]

This I think everyone saw coming after 2012. 2013 the rest of the peloton got better and by 2014 Sky were being matched. Doping is back, full swing, its cool again!

ASTANA Case
By: Michele Ferrari
Published: 8 Dec 2014

I feel obliged, albeit very reluctantly, to once again deny the latest MEDIA BULLSH*T with regards to my presence ("during the night", or even in broad daylight, if you prefer) at the Astana Team Training Camp in Montecatini (I've been in that town, if I remember correctly, in 1994 to taste the famous waffles) last year in November.

The bombshell of ''the dark shadow of Ferrari" is absolutely FALSE and whoever has published it will respond about it in the appropriate courts: I hope that the Kazakh team will ask adequate compensation for the damages.

The article in Gazzetta dello Sport, among other extraordinarily confusing statements, claims that I am living between Lugano and Ferrara: I always resided in Ferrara, for 26 years at the same address, and I never even stopped in Lugano, nor have a study or home in that location.

Up to a few years ago I coached some of the Astana athletes, including Vinokurov: it has never been a secret, we never hid anything, we attended training venues where there were many other athletes, all in broad daylight.
Curiously Teide or St. Moritz, back then "suspicious" locations as defined by the very UCI, have now been "cleared" and are more popular than ever with cyclists and teams above any suspicion...

I wonder who he is referring to here

 

[thehog]

I wonder who he is referring to here

I don’t mind a little bit of Ferrari, he has a sense of humor with those waffles! And yes his reference to Sky/Teide is very funny. I’m sure the UCI will be acting on it fast or not..

 

[webbie146]

I don’t mind a little bit of Ferrari, he has a sense of humor with those waffles! And yes his reference to Sky/Teide is very funny. I’m sure the UCI will be acting on it fast or not..

Haha that part was brilliant, he's just trolling everyone

 

[the sceptic]

Haha that part was brilliant, he's just trolling everyone

Ferrari is a legend. Banned for life but still doping half the peloton.

 

[webbie146]

Ferrari is a legend. Banned for life but still doping half the peloton.

It amazes me how he just keeps going, nothing can stop schumi from tweaking your engine

 

[thehog]

Ferrari is a legend. Banned for life but still doping half the peloton.

Yes and now involved in the 2nd most spohiscated doping blowout in the sport. As well as the first. USADA sure did clean up the sport Whilst Tygart was busy on his world wide tour Ferrari was still at work LOL!

 

[jens_attacks]

il mitooooooooo!

king of hematies and great troll!

 

[hrotha]

I don’t mind a little bit of Ferrari, he has a sense of humor with those waffles! And yes his reference to Sky/Teide is very funny. I’m sure the UCI will be acting on it fast or not..

Sky is not the only team that trains on the Teide. Jesus you guys are dull.

 

[sniper]

Sky is not the only team that trains on the Teide. Jesus you guys are dull.

"teams above all suspicion" training on Teide does very much sound like Ferrari trolling Sky/UCI here.

 

[TailWindHome]

You're all going to be underwhelmed by the list of names

Don't build your hopes up.

 

[ChewbaccaD]

Correct. We all saw what TUE-Froome did to Nibali-Ferrai at Romandie.

Cycling couldn't get any funnier. Sky started the arms race again. LOL!

See, we can agree...

Yes, as was predicted when Dawg went ape-sh!t on everyone in 2012, people can only take so much, especially when you get beat by a stem gazer.

Of course, Astana does have a dodgy past already, with THE Hog, Armstrong, Contadore, Levi, etc, etc, etc...

 

[ChewbaccaD]

Yep, Nibali has been constantly beaten by Sky riders for the last few years, even when he won, apparently.

Be interesting how far this goes with Astana, I wonder if they will really burn or will be saved by CAS. With that and the Russian situation, it is very clear that doping is continuing (and I don't think for a second that Russia and Astana are the only ones at it).

Too bad The Dawg can't handle his bike any better...today would have been much more fun, because we'd have gotten to watch the Sky Train of Fanboys dance around the fact that The Dawg won the 2014 TdF in convincing fashion over Nibali...

 

[The Hitch]

They also tapped telephone conversations between Vinokurov and Stefano Ferrari showing that Astana boss asked for Farraris assistance for twelve riders from his team. Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali is not among those mentioned, but so is instead his coach.

Hahaha. If that is true that is hillarious. They just said 2 weeks ago the positive tests were bad apples that had nothing to do with the org.

 

[The Hitch]

Sky didnt start any arms race. Doping has been continuous for the entire period. There was no pause and then restart.