Astana, Kash, Kloden, Vuelta Confusion

[Klodifan]

What's up with Astana?

First, the team announces they will participate in this year's Vuelta.

Second, Kash tests positive for homologous blood transfusion.

Third, Biver gets sent to the principle's office to explain the rampant doping under his watch.

Then Kloden, via his manager, says he is discussing his future causing some to speculate his termination with Astana.

Astana gets disinvited to Vuelta.

Kloden retracts a bit. just a media brouhaha.

Now Kash, via his nat'l fed, claims his blood, upon further analysis, shows no abnormalities. Astana denies this result is from the B sample.

Finally, Kazach Proskurin goes on to say that Kloden isn't leaving Astana and will, in fact, be co-captain at the Vuelta? Did somebody miss the memo about the disinvite?

Forget about all the other team disarray threads, these guys take the cake!

 

[Fisher79]

What's up with Astana?

First, the team announces they will participate in this year's Vuelta.

Second, Kash tests positive for homologous blood transfusion.

Third, Biver gets sent to the principle's office to explain the rampant doping under his watch.

Then Kloden, via his manager, says he is discussing his future causing some to speculate his termination with Astana.

Astana gets disinvited to Vuelta.

Kloden retracts a bit. just a media brouhaha.

Now Kash, via his nat'l fed, claims his blood, upon further analysis, shows no abnormalities. Astana denies this result is from the B sample.

Finally, Kazach Proskurin goes on to say that Kloden isn't leaving Astana and will, in fact, be co-captain at the Vuelta? Did somebody miss the memo about the disinvite?

Forget about all the other team disarray threads, these guys take the cake!

I just read the thing about Proskurin and the Vuelta at cyclingnews today too! It definately makes for some confusion!! Unipublic released their "preliminary" info on the teams going and there was no Astana. Plus, the team canceled the training camp for the Vuelta....maybe Proskurin is aware of some "behind the scenes" stuff going on...

The Kloden rumours are crazy too! I just read something about Milram possibly signing him (with their team re-orientating towards the German side, etc). I have a feeling that he's waiting to see what goes down with Biver and the ProTour because (doping contraversy aside) Astana is comprised of a strong team still and if they are all working for him next year, he probably has a better shot at the Tour than signing with another team that won't have that same strong structure. But still, in this era of race organizers being the one to call the shots, even if Astana survives, how can they be at all sure the Tour organizers will even invite them? But, its not like Tony Rominger is just talking out of his ass about these transfer rumours. Obviously, there must be discussions going on but probably he doesn't want them to be so public (hence the 'denial').

The whole Kash/Vino/Kazakh conterversy is interesting. Obviously the Kazakh cycling federation are standing by their men, but Biver has been pulling this whole "we were naive card" and trying to distance himself (and the team) from "Vino's entourage"...obviously Biver is playing the media game and trying to ensure the team's survival but he's still got to remember who is sponsoring the team and honestly I'm not sure the big bosses up in Kazakhstan really care about Kloden and he's chances...the team was all Vino and was set up for Kash to inherit the captain position so it will be interesting to see how it all goes down...

 

[Frigo's Luggage]

Yeah, the future of the Astana team is definately shaky. What are the chances that the Astana government will continue its sponsorship when there are no more Kazach riders on the team?

Maybe the City of Camden, New Jersey is looking to sponsor a Euro cycling team that will never be invited to another race.

I still liked their kits.

 

[lucybears]

Andreas Klöden
http://www.sportbild.de/sportbild/generated/article/radsport/2007/08/22/6910700000.html

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.sportbild.de/sportbild/generated/article/radsport/2007/08/22/6910700000.html&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DKollegen%2Bhaben%2Bmir%2Balles%2Bversaut%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG%26pwst%3D1

 

[tommyadrian5]

[size=-1]FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN

Having lived in this part of the world, it is part naivety, part stupidity on behalf of the kazakh government/cycling body. They are really out of touch with the rest of the world...

Normally in a third world country such as this people appointed to national federations (such as the cycling fed, are just friends of the president/ruler, and really have no ties to cycling or interest in it other than a paycheck)
[/size]

 

[Trev_S]

The google translation is a special kind of English, a bit like Klodi has become a jedi night under the watchful eye of Yoda


cyclingnews have it now

Klöden feels cheated by dopers

Team Astana riders who have tested positive for doping "have done great damage to cycling and to the team," said Andreas Klöden. "They destroyed my chances at the Tour de France."

In an interview with the German magazine Sport-Bild, he said, "I have to suffer because members of my team screwed up and tried to cheat. As I see it, the Code of Ethics needs to be re-worked. No manager and, certainly, no team-mate – like me – can see what the other riders are doing. They used dope and the remaining 26 of us are being punished. That is just not right."

Team Astana left the Tour de France after Alexander Vinokourov tested positive for blood-doping. Andrey Kashechkin also tested positive for blood-doping earlier this month, and Matthias Kessler was positive for testosterone earlier this year.

Does Klöden regret his decision to sign with Astana? "If you had asked me that question before the Tour de France, I would have answered no." Everything was satisfactory – the sporting directors, the team management, the material. "Now I think differently. Unfortunately I cannot foretell the future. Other teams dealt fairly with their clean riders. We were treated as scapegoats; punished and thrown out."

He does not know what the team's future will be, saying only that "Very, very much will have to change if it is to continue." He said that he has not started discussions with other teams and has received the first inquiries." Klöden would not rule out return to T-Mobile. "I am a professional. I can imagine riding for any team which offers me the appropriate conditions for a successful Tour de France."