Astana barred from ASO events

[bozizle]

No Tour or Giro for Levi and Contador and Horner...honestly I am so sick of the way these European organizer come to decisions I can't comment in a nice way on this board.....road racing has just hit another low.

 

[NJ Jess]

they want

Slipstream to be the "American" team. But actually, this will make Astana more rested and focused on The Tour

 

[bozizle]

Slipstream to be the "American" team. But actually, this will make Astana more rested and focused on The Tour

No Astana is not invited at all to the Tour de France or Giro or other races organized by the ASO. Velonews has the article up this morning.

 

[jbogner]

Astana is pretty much f'd. ASO's events:

Le Tour de France
Tour of Qatar
Paris-Nice
Le Critérium International
Paris-Roubaix
La Flèche Wallonne
Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Le Tour de Picardie
Le Tour de l’Avenir
Paris-Tours
Le Tour du Faso

And now ASO is in talks to manage the Unipublic cycling events (La Vuelta). That would mean a complete shutout from all the major cycling events for Astana. Might as well fold the team and go home. Hope those riders have guaranteed contracts...

 

[BiknBen]

Might as well fold the team and go home. Hope those riders have guaranteed contracts...

Have to agree. Astana is completely F'ed if they do not work out some type of resolution with ASO. I follow the road scene pretty closely. All the different players involved are trying to take each other out. The teams, riders, ASO, UCI, and National bodies are all pointing fingers. Unfortunately, this is taking the whole sport down.

I see why the ASO has done this. It is their responsibility to provide a respectable event. If it turns out to be a farce, they looks like fools. Any team the threatens the integrity of the event should not be allowed. That will force the other players to improve the system to ensure a fair level playing field.

I'm amazed at the sponsorship dollars that are still being pumped into the sport. The sponsors would get better return on their investment by walking down the street and throwing the cash in the air.

 

[Norm]

I'm amazed at the sponsorship dollars that are still being pumped into the sport. The sponsors would get better return on their investment by walking down the street and throwing the cash in the air.

Really? Look at Capitol Hill today. "America's national pastime" is on trial, more or less. Same story as usual: drugs And attendance figures for baseball are through the roof. Controversy creates discussion and the advertisers get more ROI than ever before, I would imagine.

 

[clarkenstein]

all press, good or bad, keeps the sport in the news. but i am totally disappointed by the road race scene. there's a lot of drama that happens, and i dont really mind drama (for example, i still watch baseball)... but with all the doping going down - i have completely stopped watching road cycling. i watched floyd pull his win, but after the circus around that - its over for me. it just seems that every winner is a doper. i'm still on the fence with baseball, but for some reason i can stomach it more in baseball - probably because there isn't this entity that makes decisions that affect the whole pool of players on what appears to be whims (for example, i haven't seen the yankees get banned outright - yet).

i just wish mtb racing got more attention. i never see it televised on my cable provider (pat media)... my only outlet is fuel TV, and that gets old fast. i love to surf, but i can only watch so much of it, and bmx or motorcross just ain't the same. and who the hell watches wake boarding

one thing i would think would be good for viewing is freeride stuff - i would think a channel like fuel would dig riders dropping off of rooftops or whatever, but they never show it.... sorry - tangent rant over...

 

[NJ Jess]

OH my,

Astana is pretty much f'd. ASO's events:

Le Tour de France
Tour of Qatar
Paris-Nice
Le Critérium International
Paris-Roubaix
La Flèche Wallonne
Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Le Tour de Picardie
Le Tour de l’Avenir
Paris-Tours
Le Tour du Faso

And now ASO is in talks to manage the Unipublic cycling events (La Vuelta). That would mean a complete shutout from all the major cycling events for Astana. Might as well fold the team and go home. Hope those riders have guaranteed contracts...

I had no idea it went THAT far! Geeze, that really sux for Astana. And I really like Chris Horner,..he seems pretty genuine. Does this mean these guys will join Lance and Landis at the Leadville 100? What a show that would be.

 

[hardtale70]

all press, good or bad, keeps the sport in the news. but i am totally disappointed by the road race scene. there's a lot of drama that happens, and i dont really mind drama (for example, i still watch baseball)... but with all the doping going down - i have completely stopped watching road cycling. i watched floyd pull his win, but after the circus around that - its over for me. it just seems that every winner is a doper. i'm still on the fence with baseball, but for some reason i can stomach it more in baseball - probably because there isn't this entity that makes decisions that affect the whole pool of players on what appears to be whims (for example, i haven't seen the yankees get banned outright - yet).

i just wish mtb racing got more attention. i never see it televised on my cable provider (pat media)... my only outlet is fuel TV, and that gets old fast. i love to surf, but i can only watch so much of it, and bmx or motorcross just ain't the same. and who the hell watches wake boarding

one thing i would think would be good for viewing is freeride stuff - i would think a channel like fuel would dig riders dropping off of rooftops or whatever, but they never show it.... sorry - tangent rant over...

DISH has a channel that i just call the Aaron Chase network.MTB all day long

 

[KenS]

Total mess, real bummer.

 

[jbogner]

I see why the ASO has done this. It is their responsibility to provide a respectable event.

At the same time, I don't think it's quite so healthy for the sport of cycling to be de facto governed by one private corporation. Cycling is not NASCAR.

It's up to the cyclists and fans to DEMAND that the ASO work with the UCI. If the ASO cared about the athletes as much as they say they do, they might start by cutting down the length of the tour or shortening the long stages. More stages means more TV, more sponsorship opportunities and more money, but that length tour really wrecks the guys competing in it. It's no wonder the guys resort to doping. But the ASO bristles whenever anyone suggests that *they* compromise.

 

[BiknBen]

Really? Look at Capitol Hill today. "America's national pastime" is on trial, more or less. Same story as usual: drugs And attendance figures for baseball are through the roof. Controversy creates discussion and the advertisers get more ROI than ever before, I would imagine.

There are significant differences between US sports and Euro Cycling. The forces involved in baseball and other US sports (League, Player's Assoc. and Team Owners) are all trying to protect the collective image of baseball. All parties need the game to thrive. They cover up anything that would hinder the success of the game. Success is measure by how many people pay to watch.

Cycling has different forces involved. National Gov'ts, Internations bodies, Race Promoters, TV stations (Media), Riders, and Team Sponsors. These guys are not all in agreement that the sport is what matters. The Gov'ts would be happy to focuss attention on other issues. WADA and UCI want it clean and regulated. The TV channels want drama no matter how they have to get it (doping scandals). The Team Sponsors would be happy to spend their money elsewhere. The promoters need the riders. The riders need the sponsors. These forces are not looking out for the collective good of the sport. Success is measured by how much of the pie they get.

 

[BiknBen]

But the ASO bristles whenever anyone suggests that *they* compromise.

Each start and finish town pay enormous royalties to ASO. Towns pay millions just to have the tour in town overnight. Smaller places will spend on road improvements and such just to have the tour go through their area. TV pays ASO to show the tour on their channels.

The more stages and miles...the more money ASO collects. ASO will drive the riders into the ground in order to maximize their profits.

 

[jbogner]

The more stages and miles...the more money ASO collects. ASO will drive the riders into the ground in order to maximize their profits.

My point exactly. It's up to the teams, riders and UCI to "push back," or else the ASO will churn them up in their quest to maximize their own profits. Their care for the sport of cycling extends about as far as their ability to make money on it.

Did see this on Velonews:

Vuelta a España officials already publicly said that Contador and Astaná would be welcome to their event.

So maybe the entire season isn't lost yet. Although I wouldn't put it past ASO to lean on Unipublic to rescind that offer.

I'd expect Contador, Leipheimer and Kloden to sweep the Vuelta if that's the only major tour they're allowed to race. You know they'll be gunning to make a statement...

 

[Steve Vai]

First off, here's a link to the article in case anyone hasn't done that yet...

http://www.velonews.com/article/72000

What I don't understand is how they're basically banning an entirely new 2008 team roster for something that the 2007 team did at the tour, or more like, what Vino did at the tour (in not so many words). What about Rabobank then? Chicken legs pretty much shot their name to hell, even though he's not riding this year should his old team be banned? It's kinda stupid, by this logic, think of how many teams could be out because of something like this.

-Jim.

 

[jbogner]

It's kinda stupid, by this logic, think of how many teams could be out because of something like this.

Yup. Astana's already using that talking point with the press.

Will every team now be subject to the whims of the ASO with no published due process? How's a team supposed to attract sponsors who put up tens of millions of dollars for the team each year if there's no guarantee that the team gets into the major tours?

The UCI was on the right track in establishing a franchise-like "pro tour" with guaranteed starts. It wasn't perfect, and unfortunately the ASO did everything they could to sabotage it, but it was the right direction.

 

[BiknBen]

Funny that Contador went on a solo attack in yesterday's race when he found out the bad news. He was reeled in with 8km to go in the stage. Like all efforts to change the Euro race scene, his attack was futile.

 

[jbogner]

Basso's suspension ends in May this year. I wonder if he'll be able to find a team and ride in the tour? With a weak field missing the top competitors, he could clean up...