anish media reported Wednesday that current Tour de France winner Alberto Contador was close to signing with Astana. Along with Contador would come Johan Bruyneel in a management role. Both Bruyneel and Contador are free to find new teams effective December 31, when their current Discovery Channel team comes to an end.
Contador told EFE Radio that his negotiation with the "new" Astana will surely be "closed shortly. It is an option that I like [very] much. It is very possible that it [Team Astana] is going to be my destiny," said Contador .
The 24 year-old climber had many offers from Spanish squads, but he said, "Not all these squads can support economically the acquisition of many riders of [a] high level. It is not enough just to want [me]."
Contador indicated the presence of Belgian Bruyneel, who has been long-time team director in the Discovery Channel, is decisive in the Spaniard's decision-making. Referring to his own and Bruyneel's opinions of Contador's future chances at Astana, the Spaniard said, "We have mutual confidence, and I believe that it is the best option for me."
The Spanish paper MARCA indicated the deal was accepted by Bruyneel and Contador but was still awaiting final signatures of other parties. One potential obstacle to the deal is that an arrangement must be reached with current manager Marc Biver who is under pressure after top riders like Andrey Kasheschkin and Alexandr Vinokourov tested positive this season while the team was under Biver's tenure.
"We want a different Astana," said Contador, "with a new and different sporting structure. There are two riders who want to come with me: the Spaniard Benjamín Noval and the Portuguese Sergio Paulinho." Contador intends to start from ground zero with the team. "We are going to speak with the organizers and with the UCI." Another rider rumored to be headed to Astana is Levi Leipheimer.
The rider born in Pinto was not yet ready to talk about his racing calendar for 2008. Contador only said, "It would be very similar to this year." However, he said it may not include the Vuelta a España in September. "The Olympic Games in Beijing will take place only ten days after the Tour de France, and in this sense, I could take advantage of going to the Olympics with my form from the Tour."
Hurrá! Ami miatt most a Disco szurkolók bánkódnak én be kell valjam nagyon örülök. Ekimov remélhetőleg rendbe tudja hozni a csapatot és ide hívja Johant és a Johan fiúkat.:)
Az úgy mondjuk ütős lenne. Végre lenne egy igazi sprintere a csapatnak, Paulinho kíváló segítő, Contadort meg ugye nem kell jellemezni. Örülnék neki én is, csak kicsi esélyt látok rá...
Sose lehet tudni. :) Én örülnék, ha nem vonulna vissza és ez azért mégiscsak egy neki való kihívás lenne. A 3 hírbe hozott embere: Contador, Paulinho és Vaitkus.
Jó lenne ha megmaradna a csapat. Mondjuk kellene jövőre egy klasszis, az viszont kérdéses hogy ki jönne el egy ilyen "doppingos" csapatba". Én Gerdemannt szeretném látni jövőre a csapatban, a Szöszit (ez persze csak álom) és Boterot. Még egy két jó eredménye lehetne, mondjuk az ő szerződtetésére kevés az esély..
Sztem erről szó sem volt, csak itt a fórumon "végezték ki" a csapatot. Emlékezz a Phonak botrányos 2004-es sorozatára, 3 hónap alatt ott is hárman dőltek, de még bő két évig vígan versenyeztek a többiek mindenhol, szóba sem került pl, h valahová nem hívják meg Őket, mint most az Astanát a Vueltára.
A PT liszenc pedig pénzkérdés csak, már ha egyáltalán kell ilyen jövőre :)
A nyúl visszalő. Kash leszerződtetett egy híres profi futtbalisták perein edződött belga sztárügyvédet, és beperli az UCI-t, mert a doppingelőírások sértik a versenyzők jogait.
Kashechkin may start legal fight against UCI
Andrey Kashechkin, who returned a positive reading in an out-of-competition control following this year's Tour de France, is hoping to use the legal system to prevent punishment by the UCI. The defence will be based on the UCI's lack of competence in issuing sanctions for doping and his lawyer, Luc Misson, also said that it's an intrusion in one's private life.
According to Belgian radio station RTBF the case will be filed in the court of Liège, Belgium, if the B-sample also comes back positive. The results are expected this Wednesday.
Kashechkin of Team Astana is fighting against the UCI's regulation of conducting blood and urine samples, and his lawyer added that those "cannot be carried unless one has a mandate from the law. A private organisation like the UCI cannot assume the right to monitor people."
A B Próbája eredménye pedig szerdára várható.
Kíváncsi vagyok mire megy a nagyhatalmú sportbürokráciával. Az ügyvé dállítólag több hasonló pert nyert már futtballistáknak.
