[ire]

Can we make this a sticky? I like to post news about racing and such

Levi Leipheimer signs with Astana
source: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/oct07/oct24news2

Levi Leipheimer is celebrating his 34th birthday today with a present to himself -- a two-year contract with Team Astana, where he will be joining Discovery Channel team-mates and team manager Johan Bruyneel. Yesterday Tour de France winner and Discovery Channel rider Alberto Contador announced that he had also signed with Astana.

Leipheimer won the Tour of California and the US national road title this year, as well as finishing third in the Tour de France.

"A lot of that has to do with Johan and the staff and how comfortable I am with them," Leipheimer said, according to ESPN. "It works for me, so why should I change it? It's not the exact same riders, but there will be the same philosophy and understanding there."

He added that he was looking forward to contesting the Tour de France with another strong team. "I've had a steady progression, and I got to the point this year where I feel like I can win the Tour," he said. "We'll go in next year like we did this year. We'll have a defending champion and another guy who can win it. You have to keep your options open, but it's better to have two guys who can win the Tour than just one."

The Montana native who now has homes in Santa Rosa, California, and Girona, Spain, said that he was not put off by the team's doping scandals this season. "I'm certainly not going to give up because of what's happened," he said. "The sport is changing for the better, going in the right direction, and I'm excited to see that."

 

[LordOpie]

Can we make this a sticky?

You can. You're a mod.


Go SLIPSTREAM!
(yes, I jumped ship)

 

[ire]

You can. You're a mod.

I'm not a mod MtnBikerChk and DirtyDog are the road forum mods

 

[James]

I'm not a mod MtnBikerChk and DirtyDog are the road forum mods

Booo! Overthrow them!

On a Levi note, does anyone remember that interview with him during the tour where he was all "I'm not really the kind of rider who attacks, it's not my style, etc..."
We were all over him, he could've probably taken second place if he would just grow some damned balls!
Not that I wanted him to, I'm a Cadel guy, mostly because he rides my tires...

 

[Heidi]

I saw Road to the Tour last night and got all fired up about road racing again. I'm not a Levi fan, but I still want to see him do well. He's just so blah.

 

[Westy]

I can't believe Astana even has a pro tour license anymore. It wouldn't surprise me if they get barred from the grand tours like Unibet was.

 

[loco-gringo]

I can't believe Astana even has a pro tour license anymore. It wouldn't surprise me if they get barred from the grand tours like Unibet was.

I think they hired Bruyneel just because they have had their past issues. Surely a known doping team wouldn't hire a suspected doping Director Sportif.

 

[James]

Where is Simoni going? VN says that he's leaving Saunier Duval. Anyone know?
Good old Gibo...

 

[SPINTECK]

Bryuneel has definitely coached one of best cheaters in the world, so he's always up-to-date.

I think it's good for Levi and I've always like the ASTANA team because of their national support and brotherhood, even if half the brotherhood was dirty. I'll still be an ASTANA fan because I ride a BMC

 

[ire]

Astana is changing the management team so they will still be invited to the Tours, and being that 2 of the top 3 are on the team ASO won't bar them. If you recall ASO voluntarily let Astana in on a wild card spot....ASO never recognized the addition of Unibet or Astana to the Protour.

 

[ire]

There will be no prologue this year and time bonuses have been eliminated. I personally liked the time bonuses, people would fight for third place. This will be the first time since ’67 there has been no prologue.
Source: http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/13570.0.html

Tour de France organizers have opted for innovation for next year's race but have warned teams they are not guaranteed an invitation as they crank up the battle to rid the race of drugs cheats.

Organizers announced on Thursday that the 95th edition next July will be without the traditional prologue prior to the first stage, leaving the short time trial specialists with a reduced chance of pulling on the race's fabled yellow jersey.

It will be the first time since 1967 that the prologue, normally held over a distance of between five and 10km, will not feature at the start of the three-week epic.

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said his aim, on what will be his second full year in charge, was to shake up the format.

But as the sport continues its fight for credibility following another dope-tainted edition, Prudhomme warned that no teams were guaranteed a start in Brittany next year.

"No teams are guaranteed being at the start line," said Prudhomme, who is a strong supporter of a recent proposal by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to introduce 'biological passports' for the 600-strong professional peloton in time for next year's race.

Beginning in Brest on the far north-western tip of France the 2008 edition will spend a few days in the Brittany region of France's last Tour winner, Bernard Hinault.

The Tour will then head southwards, in an anti-clockwise direction, and feature the first major time trial, over a comparatively short 29km in Cholet, on the fourth stage.

The habitual first week of mainly flat, and potentially boring stages makes way for climbing on potentially tricky medium-mountain terrain on stages six and seven.

Another flat stage follows before the first day in the high mountains on stage nine, which features three major mountain passes, and stage 10 which features the climb over the Tourmalet and the first summit finish at Hautacam.

A rest day follows, and then another day will be spent in the medium-mountains at the foot of the Pyrenees before the sprinters are given a chance to shine over three days of mainly flat terrain on stages 12-14.

Stage 15 is the race's third in the high mountains, the peloton riding out of Digne-les-Bains in the often neglected southern French Alps towards Prato Nevoso high up in the Italian Alps.

The race's second rest day then precedes a tricky 16th stage from Cuneo to Jausiers, which will take the peloton over new heights - and the Restefond mountain pass via the road to Jausiers.

The Restefond, also known as the 'Bonette', culminates at 2802 meters altitude and has featured only three times on the Tour, the last being in 1993 when Spaniard Miguel Indurain won the third of five consecutive crowns.

The now largely traditional climb to the summit of Alpe d'Huez, one of the most popular stages for fans of the race, is next on the menu on a monumental stage 17 and signals the final day in the high mountains.

Stage 18 is classed medium-mountain, and is likely not to play a major role in deciding the fortunes of the yellow jersey hopefuls.

After another flat stage the main contenders will do battle, albeit on their own, for the race's yellow jersey on the 19th and penultimate stage, a 53km time trial.

Spaniard Alberto Contador, formerly of Discovery Channel and now with Astana, won the 2007 edition, which was marked by numerous doping scandals and controversies leading to the expulsion of race leader Michael Rasmussen of Denmark and former runner-up Alexandre Vinokourov among others.

Organizers have also decided to scrap time bonuses which can be picked up at the end of stages.

"Around 20 teams" will be invited, according to Prudhomme, who is keen to sit down with all competing teams to iron out demands concerning the fight against doping.

After being asked whether Vinokourov's former team Astana, who exited the Tour under a cloud in July, would be invited, Prudhomme was adamant: "No team can hold its hand up and say it has its ticket for the Tour."

It leaves the threat of non-invitation or expulsion hanging over all competing teams in the event of suspicion over riders or team practices.

"All of the riders at the Tour will have to have complied with the concept of the blood (biological) passports," said Prudhomme.

 

[ire]

Tour de France 2008

Stage 1 Saturday 5 Brest to Plumelec 195km Flat
Stage 2 Sunday 6 Auray to Saint-Brieuc 165km Flat
Stage 3 Monday 7 Saint-Maloto Nantes 195km Flat
Stage 4 Tuesday 8 Cholet to Cholet 29km I T T
Stage 5 Wednesday 9 Cholet to Châteauroux 230km Flat
Stage 6 Thursday 10 Aigurande to Super-Besse Sancy 195km Hilly
Stage 7 Friday 11 Brioude to Aurillac 158km Hilly
Stage 8 Saturday 12 Figeac to Toulouse 174km Flat
Stage 9 Sunday 13 Toulouse to Bagnères-de-Bigorre 222km Mtn
Stage 10 Monday 14 Pau to Hautacam 154km Mtn
Rest Day Tuesday 15 Pau - -
Stage 11 Wednesday 16 Lannemezan to Foix 166km Hilly
Stage 12 Thursday 17 Lavelanet to Narbonne 168km Flat
Stage 13 Friday 18 Narbonne to Nîmes 182 km Flat
Stage 14 Saturday 19 Nîmes to Digne-les-Bains 182km Flat
Stage 15 Sunday 20 Digne-les-Bains to Prato Nevoso 216km Mtn
Rest Day Monday 21 Cueno - -
Stage 16 Tuesday 22 Cuneo to Jausiers 157km Mtn
Stage 17 Wednesday 23 Embrun to L'Alpe-d'Huez 210km Mtn
Stage 18 Thursday 24 Bourg-d'Oisans to Saint-Étienne 197km Hilly
Stage 19 Friday 25 Roanne to Montluçon 163km Flat
Stage 20 Saturday 26 Cérilly to Saint-Amand-Montrond 53km I T T
Stage 21 Sunday 27 Étampes to Paris (Champs-Élysées) 143km Flat

 

[Mr. Hankey]

I hope Vino gets off, and stays on Astana, or finds another team. I love watching him ride. The man is truely inspiring.

 

[ire]

I hope Vino gets off, and stays on Astana, or finds another team. I love watching him ride. The man is truely inspiring.

I like watching him as well but with the current anti-doping system chances of getting off are next to none. Look at the Mayo case, his B is negative and the UCI is still talking about appealing it to CAS. They'll try and get a suspension at all costs

 

[Westy]

I like watching him as well but with the current anti-doping system chances of getting off are next to none. Look at the Mayo case, his B is negative and the UCI is still talking about appealing it to CAS. They'll try and get a suspension at all costs

http://boulderreport.bicycling.com/2007/10/the-curious-cas.html

It looks like they will keep testing his pee until they get another positive test. The UCI is officially a joke. The guy may be guilty but they are making a complete mockery of the process they came up with.

 

[James]

http://boulderreport.bicycling.com/2007/10/the-curious-cas.html

It looks like they will keep testing his pee until they get another positive test. The UCI is officially a joke. The guy may be guilty but they are making a complete mockery of the process they came up with.

Really well written, and insightful.
They're just going to keep going until he's guilty of something, somewhere...

 

[Westy]

Really well written, and insightful.
They're just going to keep going until he's guilty of something, somewhere...

Joe Lindsey is hands down the best journalist in the sport. Of course your only going to read the good stuff in his blog, his magazine stuff is generally the same watered down crap you can read anywhere.

 

[ire]

What the UCI is doing kinda reminds me of data mining...they just keep testing until someone f*cks it up and gets a positive test, nevermind the 25 negatives before.

The whole system is a mess and takes too long to resolve anything. It took over a year to resolve the Floyd thing (and its still not fully resolved) and that is a long time in a cyclists career....these guys and gals do have limited life as a pro. This is why I started the thread about weather they should even test or not, but then I read some interesting stuff about doping....even if they legalize it the small guy can't afford the 50,000 euros a year for a good doping program and the system is still screwed up. So I'll just continue to b!tch until they wow me with a good solution.

 

[ire]

source: http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/13571.0.html

A lawyer for disgraced cyclist Andreiy Kashechkin, who tested positive for blood doping following the Tour de France, is looking for the European Court of Human Rights to clear the Kazakh.

A former key member of the Astana team alongside compatriot Alexandre Vinokourov, Kashechkin has protested his innocence since testing positive for homologous blood doping following a random blood test in August. Both Kashechkin and Vinokourov were fired by their team after their positive tests.

The Kazakh claims he did not inject his own blood to enhance his performance, and has protested the legitimacy of the principle of being tested by the sports authorities.

Now his lawyer, Luc Misson, who co-defended Jean-Marc Bosman, believes Kashechkin is in a similar, if different, position to the Belgian who took football to court, and won, over the issue of the freedom of movement of players in the European Union.

"The Kashechkin case, as regards (the) anti-doping (rules), could be viewed in a similar vein as the Bosman ruling," Misson told AFP.

Misson bases his argument on article 8 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and will use this premise when he steps up to defend the Kazakh rider at a tribunal in Belgium on November 6.

Article 8 states that only the public authorities can interfere in people's private lives, and Misson added: "... and the sports authorities are not the public authorities."

Misson will argue that even the principle of collecting blood samples runs contrary to the international charter on human rights, and is thus forbidden.

The Belgian lawyer said he is ready to take Kashechkin's case through all the courts, and to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

"It's a case of who wins loses," he said. "If we lose, we will go to the court of appeal, then the Supreme Court of Appeal, then the European Court of Human Rights. And then we will be in a very good position. At the human rights court it would lead to a (favorable) decision at a world, if not a European level."

Vinokourov, a former Tour de France runner-up, tested positive for homologous blood doping during this year's race, leading to the expulsion of the entire Astana team.

 

[ire]

Source: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/oct07/oct26news3

Three weeks prior to Team Slipstream Sports/Chipotle's official launch in Boulder, Colorado, manager Jonathan Vaughters spent a week in Paris, France, to attend the international Anti-Doping summit and hold talks with Tour de France organiser ASO, lobbying for the squad's inclusion in the 2008 Grand Tour. However, not much work was really needed as the American team known for its strong stance against doping has made important new rider signings lately, and relations with ASO officials have been good.

"I think we'll have a great team next year, and as long as we perform to our capabilities in the first part of the season we'll do the Tour de France," Vaughters told Cyclingnews just before the 2008 Tour de France route presentation. "There is certainly no signed document at this point, but I'm confident that we'll get an invitation. There will probably be four or five wildcards, and I assume Barloworld will get one, as well as Agritubel."
Giro Race Director Angelo Zomegnan
Photo ©: Sirotti (Click for larger image)

The young American team manager is not particularly interested in getting a ProTour licence at the moment. "For us, the most important part right now is to get the race invites we want," he continued. "As for the ProTour, we still don't know where it is headed at this stage. Will there even be a ProTour in the next few years? Still, we talked to the UCI about it, and they were actually positive about us. But then the ProTour council decided that there were only going to be 18 teams, so we didn't apply for a licence. And it's good for them to actually leave it at 18, because it gives the Grand Tours more flexibility for their race invitations. Then, in 2009, there will be a big shift as most of the teams' ProTour licenses come up – so we will know how it goes then."

However, it would seem that at the moment that Slipstream/Chipotle does not need a ProTour license to be included in next year's Grand Tours. Vaughters revealed that the week spent in France really was worth the travelling, as Giro d'Italia organiser Angelo Zomegnan also suggested that the team would be welcome in the Italian Grand Tour. "He came up to me this week and said that they'd love to have an American team in their race," Vaughters continued, excited about the prospect. "I was really flattered and surprised, but he was very interested and told me that he had spent time in Boulder, Colorado, when he was young. I'm very excited about that race."

So it was all good news for Slipstream/Chipotle leaders David Millar, Dave Zabriskie, Magnus Backstedt, Christian Vande Velde and Julian Dean – the perspective of at least two Grand Tours in 2008 for the team based in Girona, Spain, is definitely an interesting one, also for the fans of the squad, which has made the fight against doping one of its first prerogatives. Watch out for more news from Jonathan Vaughters and his opinion of the new biological passport on Cyclingnews at the beginning of next week, also ready a July interview with him, Slipstreaming with Le Tour in sight.

 

[ire]

I'm shocked he's having trouble finding a team....maybe things really are going to change in the pro peleton

source: http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/13623.0.html

Defending Giro d'Italia champ Danilo Di Luca finds himself with so few contract prospects for next season that he's made the extraordinary step of securing his own sponsors to underwrite his salary in the hopes of offering his services to a team for 2008 at a bargain-basement price.

Di Luca - banned for three months by Italian authorities last month and stripped of his ProTour title by the UCI - seems too hot to handle for teams nervously watching the reaction from race organizers taking a harder line in handing out race invitations.

"We've come up with our own solution and I have some Italian companies who are close to signing," Di Luca said in Sunday's La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I won the Giro but I've had to find an answer about my future on my own."

Finding a cold reception among teams unwilling to risk betting on Di Luca's high price-tag and controversial baggage, the 32-year-old has been forced to try to scrounge up personal sponsors.

Last summer, Liquigas officials already said they would not renew Di Luca's estimated salary of $1 million per year when he was linked to controversial Italian doctor Carlo Santuccione.

Di Luca has been linked to several ProTour and continental teams, but the Liège-Bastogne-Liège champ was still without a secure contract for next year as he left Monday for a two-week holiday in the Pacific.

"I want to ride the Giro and the classics next year," Di Luca told the Italian sports daily. "If that doesn't happen, it's just absurd, if what's happening in cycling now isn't already bizarre."

Last month, Di Luca was slapped with a short racing ban by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) after links to Santuccione, the alleged mastermind of the "Oil for Drugs" doping ring in Italy.

Di Luca likes to point out that he wasn't banned for doping and insisted that Santuccione was only his family doctor.

That didn't stop the UCI from disqualifying Di Luca from the ProTour series, which he was leading going into the final event at the Giro di Lombardia in October. Cadel Evans won the title while the ostracized Di Luca was left scrambling to try to find a team.

Di Luca promises to challenge CONI's ruling at the Court for Arbitration for Sport and file for damages if he wins.

"The Killer's" quandary reveals how teams are now cautious about riders who were once welcomed back into the fold without blinking an eye.

 

[loco-gringo]

What the UCI is doing kinda reminds me of data mining...they just keep testing until someone f*cks it up and gets a positive test, nevermind the 25 negatives before.

The whole system is a mess and takes too long to resolve anything. It took over a year to resolve the Floyd thing (and its still not fully resolved) and that is a long time in a cyclists career....these guys and gals do have limited life as a pro. This is why I started the thread about weather they should even test or not, but then I read some interesting stuff about doping....even if they legalize it the small guy can't afford the 50,000 euros a year for a good doping program and the system is still screwed up. So I'll just continue to b!tch until they wow me with a good solution.

I don't care if they cheat once or a hundred thousand times, it's still cheating. That said, I don't care. I understand testing, and can be on board if they sign up for it with a license. It's the inconsistencies that are the problem. There is no unilateral movement to get all of the testing organizations on the same page. The same premise of a story would even be progress at this point. Until that is squared away, innocent riders will get screwed, guilty riders will continue to get by with it and I will continue to make a mockery of them, given any chance.

 

[ire]

I'm cautiously optimistic about the new biological card system; ASO has stated that riders who do not have one will not be able to race the TdF….so that should put pressure on all riders to comply. Speaking of doping….Chris Sheapard has been killing everyone at cross over here. Apparently his suspension is up

 

[ire]

source: http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/13636.0.html

In yet another bizarre twist of just where Michael Rasmussen was in the weeks and days before the start of the 2007 Tour de France, the Danish climbing specialist now says he never went to Mexico as he previously insisted and says that his Rabobank knew about it all along.

Rabobank fired Rasmussen while wearing the yellow jersey just four days shy of a likely Tour victory over alleged discrepancies of his whereabouts in critical, pre-Tour testing windows for surprise anti-doping controls.

"First of all, I would like to clearly state that I was not in Mexico in June. I have therefore misinformed both the UCI and the public," Rasmussen said during a press conference Thursday in Denmark. "It is however important for me to stress that at no point did I lie to the team Rabobank."

Rasmussen said he lied for personal reasons about being in Mexico in June when anti-doping controllers couldn't find him in Europe.

"I would like to apologize to the public and the UCI for giving out false information. I did this for personal and marital reasons alone, and in consideration of my family, I will not elaborate further on this matter," Rasmussen said. "In retrospect, there are a lot of things I would done differently."

He admitted that he was training in Italy and France with full knowledge and support of Rabobank team officials.

He said former team manager Theo de Rooy and current sport director Erik Breukink knew where he was.

Instead of training in Mexico as he previously stated, Rasmussen said he was in fact in Italy between June 4-19. He also confirmed that he met Italian TV journalist Davide Cassani, an admission that helped auger his hasty removal when it was revealed amidst the media firestorm in July.

From June 20-23, he traveled to the Alps and was in the Pyrenees from June 25 with Rabobank teammate Denis Mechov and a team soigneur. He also said he met personally with Breukink on June 7 in Bergamo, Italy.

Thursday's declarations came ahead of a planned release Monday of an internal investigation about the Rasmussen affair conducted by Rabobank officials. The Dutch team hired a private consultant this summer to review team policies following the disastrous expulsion of Rasmussen. De Rooy stepped down as team manager, but Breukink continues as sport director.

Rasmussen was peeved that he couldn't read the report before its planned release Monday and decided to come forward Thursday with his version of events.

His charges that team officials knew where he was could have important repercussions within the Rabobank team, but did little to bolster public confidence in the blonde climbing specialist.

"I am hoping this will help me get some credibility back and that I will be able to get back on the bike and find a team for next year," he said. "I cannot make any deals with anyone because I don't know how the UCI will deal with this."

So far, few teams seem willing to bet on the controversial legacy that would accompany any Rasmussen contract, but that could quickly change.

Rasmussen's decision last summer to play coy about his whereabouts before the start of the Tour and in his inability to clearly explain it to the media proved devastating for the Danish climbing specialist.

The media hounded him for days as the story threatened to overwhelm the race before Rabobank finally succumbed to pressure and fired him following his victory in the final decisive climbing stage at the Aubisque.

After being removed from the Tour, Rasmussen lost what would have been millions of dollars in windfall in prize money, criterium appearances, product endorsements and contract bonuses.

On Thursday, Rasmussen said the team illegally fired him, suggesting that Rasmussen will seek damages from the team.

"It is therefore completely absurd that Rabobank took me out of the Tour de France claiming that I had mislead them," Rasmussen said. "You cannot mislead people who have known the truth all along."

Rasmussen also denied reports that he has taken banned doping substances during his career. Earlier this year, the French daily L'Equipe reported that Rasmussen tested positive for a new form of the banned blood-booster EPO.

"I've never taken EPO or Dynepo or other forbidden drugs. (The UCI) have confirmed that there is no Dynepo case and there will be no cases from the Tour against me," Rasmussen said.

It will be interesting to see how Rabobank officials react to the news. A press conference is scheduled for Monday.

Blood indicators released by Rasmussen:

Date Test taken Hematocrit Haemoglobin
16.03.2005 Peschiera 41.0 13.9
18.04.2005 Abano Terme 40.9 13.7
20.04.2005 Fleche Wallone 42.4 14.2
05.05.2005 Giro d'Italia 40.4 13.5
11.05.2005 Giro d'Italia 39.8 13.6
30.06.2005 Tour de France 39.8 14.0
11.07.2005 TdF 39.8 13.9
23.07.2005 TdF 39.2 13.5
04.05.2006 Giro d'Italia 38.8 12.9
18.05.2006 Giro 39.0 13.8
07.06.2006 Peschiera 42.8 13.9
27.06.2006 Peschiera 43.7 13.9
29.06.2006 Tour de France 40.4 13.7
11.07.2006 TdF 40.5 13.6
22.07.2006 TdF 38.1 12.3
24.08.2006 Vuelta 39.1 12.8
13.09.2006 Vuelta 36.6 12.8
21.11.2006 Abano 38.8 13.4
30.12.2006 Bussolengo 43.7 14.3
18.04.2007 Peschiera 38.7 12.8
05.07.2007 Tour de France 40.3 13.3
17.07.2007 TdF 43.1 14.2
24.07.2007 TdF 43.9 14.4
16.10.2007 Peschiera 40.4 13.7


Source: UCI and various laboratories and hospitals

 

[ire]

dopers suck

 

[Mr. Hankey]

dopers suck

Ras never failed a drug test either if I remember correctly. Wasn't his team just pissed because he lied to them, according to what a reporter told them, about his whereabouts?

 

[Wumpus]

Ras never failed a drug test either if I remember correctly. Wasn't his team just pissed because he lied to them, according to what a reporter told them, about his whereabouts?

He missed/dodged quite a few doping controls. He lied to the UCI about his whereabouts. If he didn't have something to hide, then why risk it?

 

[Westy]

Ras never failed a drug test either if I remember correctly. Wasn't his team just pissed because he lied to them, according to what a reporter told them, about his whereabouts?

He did test positive for a drug that has not yet been added to the banned list. There were also accusations of him using artificial hemoglobins which are undetectable. He missed several tests. He was never caught red handed but their is a pile of circumstantial evidence that he was cheating but doing it in a smart enough way to stay ahead of the testing. Not enough to get sanctioned by the UCI but enough to get fired. Just like I would get fired at my job if I got caught with 100lbs of coccaine but didn't get convicted because of an illegal search and seizure technicality.

 

[JRogers]

He did test positive for a drug that has not yet been added to the banned list. There were also accusations of him using artificial hemoglobins which are undetectable. He missed several tests. He was never caught red handed but their is a pile of circumstantial evidence that he was cheating but doing it in a smart enough way to stay ahead of the testing. Not enough to get sanctioned by the UCI but enough to get fired. Just like I would get fired at my job if I got caught with 100lbs of coccaine but didn't get convicted because of an illegal search and seizure technicality.

I think your analogy is apt, but Rasmussen is saying that he never lied to his team and that was, ostensibly, the reason they fired him. If what he's saying is true, he does have a point here. It wouldn't excuse him from being prosecuted by the UCI for evading controls, but his statements indicate that Rabobank at the least lied to cover themselves and, if he was lying because of doping (he says family reasons...) then Rabobank might have known that. To use your anaology, it would be a bit questionable if you were fired but your company knew you were carrying all that coke and may have even helped you to do it.

 

[Westy]

I think your analogy is apt, but Rasmussen is saying that he never lied to his team and that was, ostensibly, the reason they fired him. If what he's saying is true, he does have a point here. It wouldn't excuse him from being prosecuted by the UCI for evading controls, but his statements indicate that Rabobank at the least lied to cover themselves and, if he was lying because of doping (he says family reasons...) then Rabobank might have known that. To use your anaology, it would be a bit questionable if you were fired but your company knew you were carrying all that coke and may have even helped you to do it.

They may have said they fired him because he lied but the truth his he was fired for making the team look bad. The job of a rider is to make the sponsor look good by attracting positive attention, whether that is winning a race or just finishing despite your endtrails dragging on the ground. He made his team and sponsor look bad so they canned him. It seems a lot of riders just focus on the winning part.

 

[James]

I'm waiting to see what the team's report says when it comes out on Monday, then we'll see both sides...

 

[ire]

There is a guy in Colorado that says Rasmussen was blood doping. I like watching him ride, but I think the reality is that he at least was doping, if not currently
http://www.velonews.com/tour2007/news/articles/12851.0.html

 

[JRogers]

There is a guy in Colorado that says Rasmussen was blood doping. I like watching him ride, but I think the reality is that he at least was doping, if not currently
http://www.velonews.com/tour2007/news/articles/12851.0.html

Yeah, I remember reading that when the story broke. It seems quite credible- the guy has little reason to lie and he seems to have been careful in how he handled it. I can't be sure, but I probably would have gone about it in a similar way.

I am not trying to take any heat of Rasmussen- it seems likely that he will face charges of avoiding a test (which I believe carry a 2 year penalty), but that shouldn't diminish the (perhaps non-prosecutable) wrong that Rabobank did in allowing him to do so, perhaps helping him to do so and then claiming innocence later (at least implicitly) for firing him because he lied. If what he's saying is true, then they fired him simply because they looked bad: they were caught in their own lie. It was not that they caught Rasmussen.

I'm just saying that it seems like they have no moral high ground to stand on. This wouldn't be too troubling if it didn't point to the fact that teams are still allowing this type of behavior: lie and cheat all you want so long as you keep winning and don't get caught. That is, if you ask me, the root of the larger doping problem and, at the least, it was the source of it in the 90s. When teams get in on it, it becomes a much bigger problem. There are some indications we are stepping out of that era, but stories like this make me wonder if that is true at all.

 

[Internal14]

I am not trying to take any heat of Rasmussen- it seems likely that he will face charges of avoiding a test (which I believe carry a 2 year penalty), but that shouldn't diminish the (perhaps non-prosecutable) wrong that Rabobank did in allowing him to do so, perhaps helping him to do so and then claiming innocence later (at least implicitly) for firing him because he lied. If what he's saying is true, then they fired him simply because they looked bad: they were caught in their own lie. It was not that they caught Rasmussen.

I'm just saying that it seems like they have no moral high ground to stand on. This wouldn't be too troubling if it didn't point to the fact that teams are still allowing this type of behavior: lie and cheat all you want so long as you keep winning and don't get caught. That is, if you ask me, the root of the larger doping problem and, at the least, it was the source of it in the 90s. When teams get in on it, it becomes a much bigger problem. There are some indications we are stepping out of that era, but stories like this make me wonder if that is true at all.

Well, the continution of the problem goes deeper than just the teams. The UCI/WADA have been patting riders/directors on the shoulder and saying, "We saw something, uhh, funny, with his blood from stage such and such in race so and so. Just letting you know we're watching." In the good old day, of a few years back, this would happen a handfull of times for the 'star' riders, basically allowing them, their doctors, to figure out how to work (within?) the system. If they were arragant about the practice, then they'd get popped.
So don't go just placing blame on Rabobank...there are MANY levels this goes up into. Too many old timers now holding powerfull positions in the agencies trying to sell the circus show...and you have to have the big circus stars to fill the house, which sells TV, which gets sponsors wanting to spend money.
The great difference now is that there are big time sponsors saying THEY want clear racing. Trust me, the UCI/WADA/USADA could truly give a rats azz about what the athletes are on, as long as it's good racing/competition that they can sell. It has taken CSC, Slipestream, and T-Mobile(new management) to step up and start putting the pressure on the overseeing bodies for a true clean sport.


......but ya didn't hear anything from me,
I know jack sh!t...

 

[ire]

There are some indications we are stepping out of that era, but stories like this make me wonder if that is true at all.

I hope so, but I remain skeptical....they have been saying that since the '98 Festina scandal. I think its a problem that will always be with the sport, look at running and other pro sports.....their athletes get pinched a fair amount, they are just a lot less public than we are.

 

[ire]

source: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/nov07/nov14news2

Saunier Duval is reportedly interested in signing 2007 Giro d'Italia champion Danilo Di Luca. Spanish media has reported that the ProTour team's directeur sportif, Joxean Fernández Matxin, has spoken with the 31 year-old from Abruzzo. However, a recent three-month suspension by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) has made contract negations difficult for the rider who rode for Liquigas during the last three seasons.

"It would be a pleasure to work with Di Luca, but I think the team is already complete for 2008; maybe we can talk about it in the next year," said Saunier Duval Directeur Sportif Matteo Algeri to Cyclingnews Wednesday morning when questioned about the news from Spain. "We don't know about the future of the ProTour, and the rules for surrounding the signing Di Luca are confusing. In my opinion it is better to wait; right now, unfortunately, it would be difficult to sign Di Luca."

However, Basque daily Diario Vasco confirmed Matxin is discussing a contract with the rider known as 'The Killer.' "We are interested in Di Luca and we are talking with him," affirmed the team's main contact in Spain. "Still, nothing is signed."

The Italian is currently on holiday in Polynesia. Upon his return this Sunday he will make a decision about his future contract and if he will appeal CONI's suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Besides Saunier Duval, it is reported that he also has offers from Lampre-Fondital, Acqua & Sapone and LPR.

ProTour Team Lampre already has a contender for the Grand Tours in Damiano Cunego. The 2004 Giro winner confirmed to Cyclingnews that he had not heard anything of Di Luca joining his team. "I have heard the news, and I know to make a decision like this that they would first ask me – and I have not heard anything."

Italian Professional Continental Teams Acqua & Sapone and LPR might offer reasonable options for Di Luca. The former is run by Palmiro Masciarelli, who has strong links with Di Luca as they are from neighbouring regions in the south and they have worked together in the past at Team Cantina Tollo. Switzerland-based Team LPR would be a likely home but, as with Acqua & Sapone, funding Di Luca contract would be an issue, and it has already engaged Paolo Savoldelli.

Algeri confirmed that Saunier has men for the Grand Tours even with Gilberto Simoni's departure to the team of Gianni Savio. "For the Giro – [Riccardo] Riccò, and for the Tour I think it will be [José Angel Gomez] Marchante." In addition, the team managed by Mauro Gianetti has searched for a second title sponsor with no avail. "At the moment we have just Saunier Duval," concluded Algeri to Cyclingnews. Prodir will still be involved with the team it has sponsored since 2004 but not as a title sponsor.

Matxin affirmed to Diario Vasco that Saunier Duval is "in contact with various companies that could become a co-sponsor on our jerseys so that we have the funds to go about this contract." Should the team sign Di Luca, it is likely that his home region of Abruzzo would provide sponsorship - reportedly a sum of one million euro.

"At the moment we have various options of co-sponsors, and this gives us certain tranquillity," Matxin continued. "We don't want to waste a lot of time with the decision. ... Di Luca or not, we may sign another rider." The final roaster could come before the team's first meeting in Noja, Spain, December 1 and 5.

Matxin confirmed that Saunier Duval will go on sponsoring its amateur team and also a Spanish Continental team. "It [the continental team] will be the successor of the Grupo Nicolás Mateos, with José Luis De Santos as directeur." Matxin stated that some "good Basque riders" will be in its ranks.

"It's a pity that we have not been able to go on with [Javier] Etxarri, [Rubén] Reig and Sergio Domínguez, but we have some good hopes." The three Spaniards are going to ride with the new Professional Continental formation of Nicolás Mateos.

 

[ire]

source: http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/13684.0.html

Chris Horner will stay in Europe, José Luís "Chechu" Rubiera won't retire and Vladimir Gusev remains "at home" as all three are poised to join the new-look Astana team for the 2008 season.

The Astana team announced the new arrivals Friday as well as revealed it will cover salaries it says were left unpaid to several riders from the 2007 season in a move that cuts all ties with former team manager Marc Biver.

"It's worked out really well," Horner said. "It's fantastic. It's going to be a great squad. We've got great sponsorships. It's exactly what I wanted to stay in Europe."

Horner's future in Europe was in doubt after the popular American couldn't hammer out a deal with Predictor-Lotto, his home for the past two seasons where he was top lieutenant to Tour de France challenger Cadel Evans.

The Belgian-based team balked over salary and Horner was linked to several U.S. teams before the surprise move to join Astana as ex-Discovery Channel boss Johan Bruyneel continues to rebuild the scandal-plagued team for the 2008 season.

"We believe in Chris Horner," Bruyneel said in a team statement Friday afternoon. "He will be of extreme value in the mountains for our leaders. Chris is extremely motivated to join our team."

Also making the move are two former Discovery Channel veterans Rubiera and Gusev.

The popular Rubiera, who rode on six of Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de France victories, was looking at retirement following the demise of Discovery Channel because he was refusing to ride for lesser teams or a smaller salary. Gusev, meanwhile, will provide brawn to Astana's classics program and was one of Bruyneel's favorites at Discovery.

"For us, the capacities of Rubiera and Gusev are known well enough," Bruyneel said. "We are delighted that both riders kept confidence in the team staff."

The additions come in the wake of arrivals of other ex-Discovery Channel riders such as captains Levi Leipheimer and Tour winner Alberto Contador as well as Sergio Paulinho, Tomas Vaitkus, Janez Brajkovic and Benjamin Noval.

Bruyneel has promised existing Astana riders will have a place on the team for the 2008 season and most of the up and coming Kazakh riders are expected to stay. Others are leaving, including two-time Giro d'Italia champ Paolo Savoldelli. Andreas Kloden may depart also.

Bruyneel promises more changes as he works to restructure the team following the disastrous 2007 season that saw team stars Alexander Vinokourov and Andrej Kashechkin tested positive for homologous blood doping.

"With Astana's new style, we want to invest in riders for stage races as well as for one-day-races," Bruyneel said. "We are very ambitious. In the next days, we will announce more details about the Astana Cycling Team 2008."

The team also announced Friday that the Kazakh Cycling Federation will pay back wages allegedly owed to riders once the situation is clarified. The team didn't discount legal action against former team manager Biver.

"Apparently, a certain number of Astana 2007 Team members did not receive all their salaries from the former team management (Zeus Company of former manager Marc Biver). As KCF did not have the exact information on outstanding debts, payments could not yet be made. As soon as clarity exists about the magnitude of claims - a complex affair due to impact of social security, taxes, etc. - all payments will be made by KCF the forthcoming days," the statement read. "KCF, that ended collaboration with Zeus due to mismanagement/lack of confidence, does not exclude to start a legal procedure against Zeus and/or Marc Biver."

 

[James]

Dude, that's soooo awesome! I was bummed to think of him back here racing in the US for Rock Racing or whoever. Yeah, it'd be neat to watch him dominate, but he really belongs in Europe with the big dogs.
Should be a great move for him, I'm really excited about it. Love to see him take a big stage in the tour or something.

 

[SPINTECK]

HOrner is so versatile, but euros can be so up-tight. Hope Bryuneel let's Horner off his work leash and actually try to win something.

I do wonder why Hincapee left for T-mobile after being part of the Bryuneel family for so long. Was he the odd man out or what?? I hear road cyclists have very strong personalities, but I wouldn't know

 

[ire]

HOrner is so versatile, but euros can be so up-tight. Hope Bryuneel let's Horner off his work leash and actually try to win something.

I do wonder why Hincapee left for T-mobile after being part of the Bryuneel family for so long. Was he the odd man out or what?? I hear road cyclists have very strong personalities, but I wouldn't know

Wow, I thought he went to Slipstream.....maybe he's sick of Bryuneel, and hearing who's going to be the next Lance