Astana to ride the Giro

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We could amuse ourselves guessing whether any other Astana riders will finish #2 or #3, after one of them wins the maglia rosa. ;)

Maybe we can also bet on who of them will test positive in the next month!

Prudhomme doesn't need Astana, simple as

I tend to agree.

As much as I like the Giro - I think that it is reasonable to suggest that in terms of their respective standings, the TDF is more central to France than the Giro would be to Italy (that's not intended as a slur on the Giro or Italy - football/F1/motorbike racing, all vie for probably more coverage than cycling there).

And with that framework, I think that Prudhomme has probably calculated that
Astana represent too much of a doping risk to be invited.

Maybe we can also bet on who of them will test positive in the next month!Maybe the more pertinent question is, which rider's past will catch up to them first? The ex-Saiz riders? The ex-Godefroot riders? The Vino-and-Kash era Astana'ers? Bruyneel's Disco'ers? It could be a close race.

But there again, maybe none of the current Astana riders who used to ride for Saiz at ONCE/LS, Godefroot at T-Mob/Astana, or Bruyneel at Disco/Astana ever really did dope. I'm sure Bruyneel's looked 'em all in the eye, just as he did Basso. ;)

We could amuse ourselves guessing whether any other Astana riders will finish #2 or #3, after one of them wins the maglia rosa. ;)
Or you could amuse yourself by sticking a finger up your ass and scratching your brain.

I hope Astana does race. I was starting to enjoy cycling as a dirty sport...more interesting. Now we just have self-righteous teams like Slipstream . They have argyle jerseys!! Need I say more.

I hope Astana does race. I was starting to enjoy cycling as a dirty sport...more interesting. Now we just have self-righteous teams like Slipstream . They have argyle jerseys!! Need I say more.
Yes and the Astana jerseys on the contrary are so cool...

Yes and the Astana jerseys on the contrary are so cool...

Those colors bring back the good ole days when Vino and Kash dominated the Dauphine! What a good time that was. Remember Levi sliding through the roundabout in the rain? Good times!

I too love the turquoise color of Astana jersey/bikes...

Yes and the Astana jerseys on the contrary are so cool...But they aren't argyle.

But they aren't argyle.
Argyle is the new Black, haven't you heard?

Argyle is the new Black, haven't you heard?
ROFL!

They need to quit sharing their dope.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/News_Astana_hit_by_illness_article_255870.html

Dirty Bertie could be ailing for the Giro, thanks to a stomach thing hitting their team right now.

They need to quit sharing their dope.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/News_Astana_hit_by_illness_article_255870.html

Dirty Bertie could be ailing for the Giro, thanks to a stomach thing hitting their team right now.

oh dear.... either the UCI tipped them of a pending dope test or the needle was dirty....... they will never learn......... didn't I read somewhere that the one side effect of blood doping is stomach upsets ?

oh dear.... either the UCI tipped them of a pending dope test or the needle was dirty....... they will never learn......... didn't I read somewhere that the one side effect of blood doping is stomach upsets ?Mystery illnesses always were the cover for blood doping going wrong. Not that Astana would have anything to do with any of that.

oh dear.... either the UCI tipped them of a pending dope test or the needle was dirty....... they will never learn......... didn't I read somewhere that the one side effect of blood doping is stomach upsets ?
I have never read anything regarding that but often wondered, myself, if the two were related. I'll make a note to try to find something on the Net regarding it sometime this weekend in between dog shows.

I have never read anything regarding that but often wondered, myself, if the two were related. I'll make a note to try to find something on the Net regarding it sometime this weekend in between dog shows.

For those riders, I believe, there might not be an elaborate setup with autologous transfusions. Most likely just the simpler homologous ones. Whatever was in those bags, it didn't help them. Maybe they were tipped off? Please remind me, who's doing the doping tests at the Giro. Is it under the UCI, CONI, or WADA?

For those riders, I believe, there might not be an elaborate setup with autologous transfusions. Most likely just the simpler homologous ones. Whatever was in those bags, it didn't help them. Maybe they were tipped off? Please remind me, who's doing the doping tests at the Giro. Is it under the UCI, CONI, or WADA?
CONI will probably handle separate tests on the Italian riders like last year.

I would assume the UCI is the primary authority. The Giro is not a pro tour race but RCS did not play the same game with their races as the ASO did with their first one, P-N.

Apparently there's already been a rider booted out of the Giro for doping - Richeze of CSF tested positive at the Sarthe earlier this season and won't be riding.

http://www.tuttobiciweb.it/index.php?page=news&cod=16390&tp=n

Snarfed this from Usenet:

"A little birdie is whispering that the Guardia di Finanza, or
Financial Police, in Italy have been requested by the NGC Medical-OTC
Industria Porte squad to investigate whether any bribes were paid in
connection with NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte squad's last minute
exclusion from the Giro d'Italia bicycle race in favour of the Astana
squad which was, and according to some, still is, a Dope Ridden
organization.
The NGC Medical-OTC Industria Porte squad, which had invested
significant financial funds and other resources into developing the
infrastructure and their preparation for the Giro d'Italia, are
reported to be holding off instituting a civil action for damages for
the time being since, in addition to RCS, the Organizer of the Giro
d'Italia, there may be one or more parties from whom NGC Medical-OTC
Industria Porte might want to recover damages. "