BREAKING NEWS: ASTANA & HIGH ROAD BANNED FROM GIRO !!!!

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MILAN, Italy (http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/01/sports/EU-SPT-CYC-Giro-Teams.php#): High-profile teams Astana and High Road were denied admission to the Giro d'Italia on Friday after a series of doping cases.

Defending Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Kloeden ride for Astana and American cyclist George Hincapie is with High Road, which was formerly T-Mobile.

Race organizers announced an entry list of 21 teams with nine riders each.

All riders will be required to present a biological passport to enter the race which begins in 100 days on May 10, and finishes June 1.

Organizers said they retained the right to withdraw invitations "at any moment" and the selection criteria included "ethics, quality, internationalism and relationship history with (organizer) RCS Sport."

Astana withdrew from last year's Tour after top rider Alexandre Vinokourov tested positive for a banned blood transfusion. The team was also denied an invitation to the Spanish Vuelta.
Deutsche Telekom pulled its sponsorship of High Road in November after former rider Patrik Sinkewitz testified that doping was widespread at the team, both before and after Jan Ullrich was its main star.

Ullrich won the Tour de France in 1997. He retired after being linked to the Spanish doping scandal Operation Puerto but has denied any wrongdoing.

Sinkewitz was fired after testing positive before last year's Tour.

Other former Telekom riders have admitted taking performance-enhancing drugs, including 1996 Tour de France champion Bjarne Riis.

Of the 34 teams that applied, Acqua & Sapone — which features 2000 Giro winner Stefano Garzelli — was also denied entry.

Among the top teams led by Italian riders, invites went to Diquigiovanni-Androni with two-time Giro winner Gilberto Simoni, Lampre with 2004 champion Damiano Cunego and LPR with last year's winner Danilo Di Luca and two-time champion Paolo Savoldelli.

Di Luca was recently banned for three months for dealing with a doctor accused of doping practices.

The top foreign teams include Caisse D'Epargne (Spain), Cofidis (France), Gerolsteiner (Germany), Quick Step (Belgium), Rabobank (Netherlands), Slipstream (United States) and Team CSC (Denmark).

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Teams: AG2R-La Mondiale, Barloworld, Caisse D'Epargne, Cofidis, Csf Group-Navigare, Diquigiovanni-Androni, Euskaltel Euskadi, Francaise des Jeux, Gerolsteiner, Lampre, Liquigas, LPR Brakes, NGC Medical-OTC, Quick Step, Rabobank, Saunier Duval-Scott, Silence-Lotto, Slipstream, Team CSC, Team Milram, Tinkoff Credit System.

Vaughters 1 Armstrong 0

This doesn't bode well for the Tour.

This doesn't bode well for the Tour.Why do you say so? Isn't it better to not invite teams who don't even pretend to fight doping?

This doesn't bode well for the Tour.
Yup. Freaking hilarious.

Barloworld will be there, so it will be cool to see Soler in action.

Contadope is for an automatical invitation of the last TDF winner !

Why do you say so? Isn't it better to not invite teams who don't even pretend to fight doping?I mean to say, it doesn't bode well for Astana and Team High Road reference the Tour.

Both those teams have recent histories of doping violations and it's the race organizer's prerogative to punish them for it.

I think the Tour will follow suit. And if they do, then all ASO races likely will. Those teams might be dead in the water.

Is the UCI going to shit over this? They said the Giro and Vuelta don't have to invite all the teams but there are four left out if I count right.

Contadope is for an automatical invitation of the last TDF winner !
I don't recall the ASO ever saying that--at least not in the English speaking press. Is that true: They automatically invite last year's winner?

Vaughters 1 Armstrong 0I think you have to give Armstrong some credit for getting out when he did. He saw this coming. It's looking like Astana flushed a lot of loot down the toilet.

Except for the team image, they won't be much concerned about this... The Giro isn't the race these teams are targeting. They can be even pleased with this decision from preparation point of view.
But it's strong message from RCS. And ASO should follow them, then they'll be very much concerned and that would be sign of new attitude in fight against doping.

I don't recall the ASO ever saying that--at least not in the English speaking press. Is that true: They automatically invite last year's winner?It is just wishful thinking of Contador. He just said that ideally the previous year's winner should be there to defend the jersey. Don't think this is an official policy of ASO.

If the Giro excluding Astana is not enough for the ASO, all it will take is the investigation into Contadope finding the hint of anything, just a little mud, and Astana will be gone. The ASO have been signalling they will ban teams.

I also find it hard to believe that the RCS and ASO have not discussed this. They have been working together to battle the UCI.

I also find it hard to believe that the RCS and ASO have not discussed this. They have been working together to battle the UCI.Yes, exactly. I think this serves two purposes. It's a fuck you to the UCI and a PR move against doping.

Yes, exactly. I think this serves two purposes. It's a fuck you to the UCI and a PR move against doping.I like it! It is about time that the UCI got such treatment IMO.

Vaughters 1 Armstrong 0


More like Vaughters 1, Bruyneel 0.

Poor Bruyneel.

Poor Bruyneel.I don't think he really cares except for the bad PR it gives him. But he'll come out and say that the French um Italians are just jealous and use the xenophobic excuse.... again.

I am very surprised tho to see High Road and A&S are not invited. Not really anti-doping - how the hell can they invite DiLuca and not High Road?

I don't recall the ASO ever saying that--at least not in the English speaking press. Is that true: They automatically invite last year's winner?No but Contadope said (or answered a question ?) that he was in favor...

And Clerc (ASO) has replicated that it was not sure to have Contadope on next TDF.

Patrice Clerc, le président d'ASO, qui organise le Tour de France, a expliqué que le vainqueur de l'édition précédente n'était pas assuré de sa présence sur la Grande Boucle, en réponse aux propos d'Alberto Contador, maillot jaune 2007, dans la presse espagnole (favorable à la participation d'office du dernier vainqueur). «Lorsque nous opérons notre sélection, nous ne sélectionnons pas des coureurs (individuellement) mais bien des équipes, affirme Clerc. Laissez-nous le temps de prendre calmement notre décision».

Car le problème pour le coureur espagnol, c'est qu'il fait désormais partie de la formation Astana, rejointe à l'intersaison, et que cette dernière a été au coeur d'affaires liées au dopage en plein Tour de France, l'année dernière. La direction de l'équipe a changé depuis. «Même si les dirigeants d'ASO peuvent être méfiants actuellement vu les dommages faits à l'image du Tour de France, ils verront que l'équipe est complètement différente et décideront de nous accepter», affirme Contador. (Avec AFP)

I don't think he really cares except for the bad PR it gives him. But he'll come out and say that the French um Italians are just jealous and use the xenophobic excuse.... again.

I am very surprised tho to see High Road and A&S are not invited. Not really anti-doping - how the hell can they invite DiLuca and not High Road?
High Road surprised me at first, but if you consider the lineage and the damage done by Riis, et al, to the Tour in particular then it seems justified.

But if that is their reasoning, then why would they invite CSC?

Astana collectively must be crapping their pants right now.