For Astana Read Disco

[girofan]

Gusev and Rubiera are the latest Disco boys to jump on the Astana bandwagon!
Is this a case of two riders thinking their careers might come to an end if they don't join a team that will give them the "preparation" they have been receiving from Discovery?
It seems very strange to me that so many Discovery riders are in the new Astana team for 2008. Or have I just a cynical and nasty mind?

 

[andy_wrx]

Yes you do - but so do I and I don't think we're alone.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

I would have to concur with your analysis.

As a matter of interest, who controls what happens to Disco's Pro Tour place? Does the licence stay with Johan Bruyneel as a part owner of Disco?

Are they hoping to convince everyone that Astana 08 is in fact the rightful heir to Disco and not the bastard child of Astana 07.

 

[andy_wrx]

Are they hoping to convince everyone that Astana 08 is in fact the rightful heir to Disco and not the bastard child of Astana 07.

That kind of assumes a whiter-than-white vs black - but it's just different shades of grey so far as I'm concerned.

 

[Keith Oates]

"It seems very strange to me that so many Discovery riders are in the new Astana team for 2008. Or have I just a cynical and nasty mind?"

I would say girofan, that you may have a very negative and anti opinion of Discovery and the people that were in it.

Discovery folded due to a lack of sponsorship and that meant quite a few riders and support staff were out of work. In addition to that ASO forced Unibet to fold and so even more were on the dole. The result was that many people were looking for employment and when Bruyneel took over the helm at Astana it is fairly natural, IMO, that many of the riders and staff would try to follow him. This happens in many work places, in fact something similar has just happened in the company where I work.

It's bad enough having to deal with the many people in cycling that have been proven to be involved in doping, let's not try to make it worse than it is by insinuating that any successful team is also automatically doing the same.

 

[andy_wrx]

No, don't agree.

It's hardly just girofan insinuating this Keith, there are a lot of people with suspicions about Disco/Tailwind.

And not just on this forum either : Cycle Sport had an article a couple of months ago proposing that it was this suspicion about the riders and management at Disco which meant they couldn't find a suitable sponsor to replace Discovery Channel.
That the way that Disco had a win-at-all-costs attitude and preferred to ignore the doping issue meant that despite being the most successful team of the year (if not several few years past) put them in contrast to a team like T-Mobile, which was less successful but kept their sponsor because they conceded the problem of doping and brought-in a high-profile testing regime to address it.

 

[Keith Oates]

<It's hardly just girofan insinuating this Keith, there are a lot of people with suspicions about Disco/Tailwind.>

I rest my case!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[romeo]

Lance didnt walk away from cycling for fun
he was forced to walk away because the people that count, the people that know, the people with the money, have come to the conclusion that the success his team have gained has been due to PED usage. In the past it may have been acceptable to sweep it under the carpet but now sponsors can't afford to be associated with the dirt. Thats why no one is giving money to Lance.

Thankfully its looking increasingly unlikely that Astana will be allowed to race in 2008 due to not inconsequential matter of the existing team riders and staff not being paid since the summer. The UCI don't take kindly to that sort of thing.

 

[romeo]

Keith, you seem quite convinced that there was no organised doping at Disco. Can you please explain what internal testing protocols were in use by the team to ensure that this was the case?

 

[Tetedelacourse]

Lance didnt walk away from cycling for fun
he was forced to walk away because the people that count, the people that know, the people with the money, have come to the conclusion that the success his team have gained has been due to PED usage. In the past it may have been acceptable to sweep it under the carpet but now sponsors can't afford to be associated with the dirt. Thats why no one is giving money to Lance.

Thankfully its looking increasingly unlikely that Astana will be allowed to race in 2008 due to not inconsequential matter of the existing team riders and staff not being paid since the summer. The UCI don't take kindly to that sort of thing.

I would put Liberia's deficit on them getting a license next season. Or at least competing in the grand tours.

 

[andy_wrx]

Keith thinks Disco were clean, that Dick Pound was an anti-cycling witchhunter.

Fair enough, I acknowledge his point of view.

But I don't agree with either.

 

[romeo]

I would hope at least ASO wont invite them - 3 major busts should be enough on its own, let alone that the staff are going to have to try and cash in the UCI bond just to get paid for this year

 

[Steve Austin]

I'm confused Romeo, are you saying that Disco have been caught 3 times or do you mean the OLD regime of Astana?

As far as i am aware no rider whilst riding for Disco was ever found guilty of doping....
A fair few that have left have been found guilty, but so have lots of riders that have never been linked with Disco.

If your gonna start a fire, at least have some wood to build it with

 

[rustychisel]

ooooh, are we gonna burna witch (or two)?

 

[Steve Austin]

'sharpens pitchfork'