The Astana Battle..

[Dr. Maserati]

The Kazakh Federation intend to use the non payment of wages issue to sack Bruyneel and will take it to CAS if necessary - if they can prove that Bruyneel withheld monies and lied about the non payment of wages then not only will they have legitimate reason to sack him but McQuaid will also have a harder time justifying why he is giving a proven fraudster a PT license.

With the Trek case coming up, these could be tough times for Armstrong & Bruyneel, especially in their chase for a sponsor and a PT license - they may just have pushed their luck too far this time.

Thats interesting - I had heard that the Kazahk Fed were going to use the Gusev case - where JB's company was forced to pay up over the sacking of Gusev for irregular blood values.

 

[bianchigirl]

For all Bruyneel's bravado about bulls in china shops, he has backed the wrong horse with Armstrong.

 

[Anonymous]

Yea, only The Hog, The Uniballer and his accessory dog have questions about who the strongest rider on the team is......them and fanboy nation.

 

[grimpeur]

But he had promised Greg that he would help him."His holiness Hinault.

Pretty much holy, with his palmarés. He wanted Lemond to ride for the win. Hinault was never going to hand Greg the race. Not on his soil. But Andy Hampsten said so, are you daft?

It was Hinault's team, not Lemond's. Hinault was the team patron.

And you were actively following the sport at this time?

 

[Ninety5rpm]

For all Bruyneel's bravado about bulls in china shops, he has backed the wrong horse with Armstrong.

By declaring Contador the leader of the team -- including giving him the leader's number -- he is backing the Armstrong horse??? How do you figure?

I would hope that Bruyneel has enough sense to not be talking about anyone on his team with that quote, though, perhaps Lance was insisting that he was strongest and should be the leader of the team and JB resisted, and this is a reference to that. However, Lance himself seemed genuinely confident about his general condition, but not relative strength to AC, at least not since the TTT practice earlier last week.

Though Vino certainly acted like a bull in a china shop the other day, since he was essentially backed up by the Kazak organization the next day, I don't see how or why he needs to make up for it.

Perhaps he was talking about Sastre's comments the day before?

 

[39*23t]

Here is another report after the tt on the leadership issue. Seems to me that Armstrong does has issues with Contador being #1. Could be that two alpha males ego's are not very good at sharing.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/05072009/58/tour-de-france-astana-leadership-row-unresolved.html

 

[Anonymous]

""You look at the last week, the last four days of this Tour de France with the Alps and the final time trial, and Ventoux - it's just so hard for a team to say, 'okay, this is what we're going to do'," he said."

Only to a narcissistic has been who doesn't know when to put on the slippers and find a new 18 year old who reminds him of his mother.

 

[Clemson Cycling]

Just to let a secret out of the bag, Lance is not going to come out and say yeah Alberto is the leader of this mess. He is going to look into Contador's eyes one day and see he is struggling and then blow him away on the some really steep climb and then blow him away. Or atleast that is how I picture it happening.

 

[richwagmn]

Just to let a secret out of the bag, Lance is not going to come out and say yeah Alberto is the leader of this mess. He is going to look into Contador's eyes one day and see he is struggling and then blow him away on the some really steep climb and then blow him away. Or atleast that is how I picture it happening.

Have you followed much of cycling in the last few years?

Alberto flies in the mountains. His attacks are unreal.

We don't know yet how good Lance's climbing will be. We can go back and forth on the Giro, but he didn't once stay with the leaders.

 

[workingclasshero]

Just to let a secret out of the bag, Lance is not going to come out and say yeah Alberto is the leader of this mess. He is going to look into Contador's eyes one day and see he is struggling and then blow him away on the some really steep climb and then blow him away. Or atleast that is how I picture it happening.

that is how pharmstrong pictures it

 

[RdBiker]

I don't understand this fuss. Why on earth should Astana say that they are supporting only one rider when they have multiple possible candidates? Has Liquigas told who is their absolute leader?

The stupidest thing to do right now would be to tell the other teams that Contador is their only GC hopeful. Then everyone would know that if Armstrong attacks it's just a distraction and not a major threat. If they keep everyone in doubt if Armstrong is really aiming for the win then they get everyone (needlessly) to chase after him if he is able to attack.

Besides what harm does it do to themselves if they keep eveyone guessing? I'm pretty sure they've got the tactics worked out inside Astana: support the guy who is the strongest. Naturally it seems to be Contador but if Armstrong for some reason kicks everybody's *** then surely they would support him. What a team tells the outside world is not always the truth

 

[Clemson Cycling]

Have you followed much of cycling in the last few years?

Pretty solidly since the 2004 Tour (watched the Tour since 2001). On another forum for a while. It was the great Armstrong, or pharmstrong which I think is unfair, that got me hooked on the sport (that a man that was so low could raise to such heights). I have always loved to ride my bicycle so it just seemed natural. We have the US Pros here plus we had the Tour of Georgia to attend. Hincapie (and now Lewis) living in my area have also grown my interest in the sport.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I can see this ending in a total FU.
What is going to happen of these final climbs, once Popovych or Haimar Z pulls off the front?

At that point, Astana could have 4 of the final dozen riders selected.
5 or 6kms to the top, Bertie gets on the radio:

Cont: "OK, I have the great legs, time for me to go, Johan?"

Hog: " Errmm, let me check and get back to you.........."

Cont: "Hello, hello.......Johan, can I go now, please?...."

Hog: "Lance, are you OK? Levi?.......er...what's the name of my German guy, again...yeah....Klodi?...."

Lance: " I'm F8cked, keep my little Spanish beatch on his lead and put the sausage eater on the front..."

Klodi: "Hey, I've just had my refill und am going quicker than that old Texan nohorn....I'm not screwing mit my last big chance, before comrade Vino returns...put von Leipheimer up there to work for a change..."

Levi: "Hey! I've got my hands full, sucking on Cadel's wheel...."

Cont: " Boss, boss, I don't want to attack, now."

Hog: "Why is that, little Spanish beatch boy?"

Cont: "Because Andy Schleck went up the road 5 minutes ago...."

There is a serious issue in there.......somewhere.

 

[Clemson Cycling]

I don't understand why there cannot be more then one leader. T-Mobile had 2 guys finish in the top 4 in 2004 (they were not able to overcome the mountain in the sport that was Lance Armstrong, but neither was anyone else) and Discovery had 2 in the top 3 in 2006 with the win. Levi and Contador were not out to destroy each other. They went when they were strong and the better rider won. When they get to the mountains the better rider will show. I think there is a good chance that both Armstrong and Contador will finish in the top 3.

 

[Clemson Cycling]

You put a lot of thought into that Melo Velo. That interesting

 

[Anonymous]

Pretty much holy, with his palmarés. He wanted Lemond to ride for the win. Hinault was never going to hand Greg the race. Not on his soil. But Andy Hampsten said so, are you daft?

It was Hinault's team, not Lemond's. Hinault was the team patron.

And you were actively following the sport at this time?

Not deeply, no. But fortunately written history allows us to know about things we may have not witness ourselves.

Hamstend seemed a pretty good source to me since he was there, on the team. He was generally very respectfull of Hinault.

Did he or did he not publicly say he'd help Greg win in 86 and yet go for wins himself? Did he help Greg win or did he force Greg to beat a member of his own team? The histories seem pretty clear on that.

How many sources do you want?

My main point is that no real split on Astana has really yet manifested and Lance is being again offered up as the personification of cycling evil yet Hinault repeatedly attacked Greg in 86 and yet gets to keep his saintly glow.

 

[issoisso]

There is a serious issue in there.......somewhere.

The Klöden part's definitely not going to happen

Klöden is horrified of leading. He specifically signs for teams where he can work for someone else. He'll have no problem working for any of the others.

 

[dgodave]

Pretty solidly since the 2004 Tour (watched the Tour since 2001). On another forum for a while. It was the great Armstrong, or pharmstrong which I think is unfair, that got me hooked on the sport (that a man that was so low could raise to such heights). I have always loved to ride my bicycle so it just seemed natural. We have the US Pros here plus we had the Tour of Georgia to attend. Hincapie (and now Lewis) living in my area have also grown my interest in the sport.

Cool. If you really like riding (or racing as a participant) then you will probably follow the sport regardless of Lance... or even Americans.
.
I typically cheer for Americans... but I can get just as excited about, say, the last days of the 09 Giro, when the USA was pretty much out of the podium picture.
.
I was just about chewing on my own heart when Menchov hit the deck...
.

 

[whiteboytrash]

I don't understand why there cannot be more then one leader. T-Mobile had 2 guys finish in the top 4 in 2004 (they were not able to overcome the mountain in the sport that was Lance Armstrong, but neither was anyone else) and Discovery had 2 in the top 3 in 2006 with the win. Levi and Contador were not out to destroy each other. They went when they were strong and the better rider won. When they get to the mountains the better rider will show. I think there is a good chance that both Armstrong and Contador will finish in the top 3.

Yes T-Mobile in 2004 is a great example of team unity.... You had Vino attacking and Kloden chasing him down !

 

[Delicato]

Yes T-Mobile in 2004 is a great example of team unity.... You had Vino attacking and Kloden chasing him down !

Actually, it was in 2005. In 2004 Vino was injured in Tour de Suisse and didn't start the TDF.

 

[Cobblestones]

I don't understand this fuss. Why on earth should Astana say that they are supporting only one rider when they have multiple possible candidates? Has Liquigas told who is their absolute leader?

The stupidest thing to do right now would be to tell the other teams that Contador is their only GC hopeful. Then everyone would know that if Armstrong attacks it's just a distraction and not a major threat. If they keep everyone in doubt if Armstrong is really aiming for the win then they get everyone (needlessly) to chase after him if he is able to attack.

Besides what harm does it do to themselves if they keep eveyone guessing? I'm pretty sure they've got the tactics worked out inside Astana: support the guy who is the strongest. Naturally it seems to be Contador but if Armstrong for some reason kicks everybody's *** then surely they would support him. What a team tells the outside world is not always the truth

This tactic would work if the team were unified internally. I assume you have read Noval's interview? The team is internally split, the infighting is real, not some tactic to throw other teams off. At this point, the team would benefit more by unifying behind a leader than by the drama which is unfolding. I'd even go so far and say Bruyneel should have left LA at home and taken Noval instead. This would've maximized Astana's chances to win the overall.

 

[whiteboytrash]

Actually, it was in 2005. In 2004 Vino was injured in Tour de Suisse and didn't start the TDF.

Point remains the same.

 

[Delicato]

This tactic would work if the team were unified internally. I assume you have read Noval's interview? The team is internally split, the infighting is real, not some tactic to throw other teams off. At this point, the team would benefit more by unifying behind a leader than by the drama which is unfolding. I'd even go so far and say Bruyneel should have left LA at home and taken Noval instead. This would've maximized Astana's chances to win the overall.

I read the interview with Popovych in Russian (it is unofficial, given to an Astana and ex-USSR riders' fansite), and he said that the moral and atmosphere in a team are just great, everyone is having fun, even evil Lance. And everyone would eventually work on Contador, that is what Ukrainian said.

As for Noval, my opinion is that he already does everything he can so that the new, post-Bruyneel Astana would pay attention to him and give him a contract in September.

 

[whiteboytrash]

As for Noval, my opinion is that he already does everything he can so that the new, post-Bruyneel Astana would pay attention to him and give him a contract in September.

....and Popo wouldn't be behaving the same ? Ensuring his contract with the Hog and LA in team CE$A for 2010 ?

Stupid point.

 

[bianchigirl]

Interesting that the 'official' line is that everything's hunk dory - well you'd hardly expect USDiscatana stalwart Popovych to diss the boss, would you?