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

[Crankyfeet]

Dude, the title of this thread reads "Astana & High Road banned from Giro". If you want to discuss why your favourite teams were not given an invite, you are welcome to create your own thread. Now, please stop this tirade on how people here are obsessed with Astana and High Road. Please!

Good point TDL. And apologies to the OP for inadvertently almost hijacking it with that question on the other teams (which I can't remember making...).

Casa - start your own thread on the other teams.

 

[Andrija]

Well, that is really the UCI's fault. But anyway, the way things are, I think the best course of action is to leave the GTs out of the ProTour, and building up a decent ProTour race circuit outside the GTs. That way, the sponsors at least know that sponsoring a ProTour does not mean an automatic invite to the GTs, but have enough good races within the ProTour network to get their names out. Either that, or abandon the concept of ProTour completely.

You're right.
But the sponsors are most interested in GTs... I think sponsors want to be sure they'll be present in GTs.
There sure is enough good and attractive races besides GTs, but I don't think sponsors treat them that way (because they know widest cycling audience, also, concentrates on GTs). And that's the problem... UCI has to keep the sponsors ('cause of solvency of sport they represent), so they need to put pressure on GTs.
GTs (and their organizer) are aware of the fact they'll survive and make money even if they're not part of the ProTour and they're playing their game (of independence from ProTour).
Good example is ASO, as I remember, they'll invite just the teams they want for their races, which are those attractive races we're talking about, besides GTs.

 

[Casa]

Darklord, thanks for proving my point for me, this forum is so obsessed with hate that a big story is only allowed to have discussion about the obsession and none other.

I am tempted to quote a post by Thunder, but Lim insists posts like that don't exist.

 

[bobke]

By this logic, that they GTs are excluding teams with very recent doping issues and that brought discredit to the race, which is a legal term that the TdF insists they can exclude whomever they want based on that, then certainly

RABOBANK SHOULD BE EXCLUDED.

hypocrites

 

[Bro Deal]

By this logic, that they GTs are excluding teams with very recent doping issues and that brought discredit to the race, which is a legal term that the TdF insists they can exclude whomever they want based on that, then certainly

RABOBANK SHOULD BE EXCLUDED.

hypocrites

Talking about hypocrites. Here we have Hombre/bobke, who rails against Rabobank but has never been able to man up about Armstrong and Disco. Come on, dude, you know you want to do it: Show a little intellectual integrity and admit that you were wrong.

 

[Crankyfeet]

Talking about hypocrites. Here we have Hombre/bobke, who rails against Rabobank but has never been able to man up about Armstrong and Disco. Come on, dude, you know you want to do it: Show a little intellectual integrity and admit that you were wrong.

Or just integrity... if that's easier...

 

[Frigo's Luggage]

Astana and Robabank should be excluded. Mercatone Uno as well.

 

[Crankyfeet]

Astana and Robabank should be excluded. Mercatone Uno as well.

Heck..why stop there? Cofidis, Caisse, Liquigas, Saunier Duval-Scott, to name just a few more that have been associated with dopers.

 

[Bro Deal]

Or just integrity... if that's easier...

I don't expect integrity from Hombre/bobke. I would like to see some consistency in his arguments. He's spent more than a year and a half *****ing about Rabobank and tooting his own horn about it on DP, but he is unwilling to apply the same logic to Armstrong and Disco.

 

[Frigo's Luggage]

Heck..why stop there? Cofidis, Caisse, Liquigas, Saunier Duval-Scott, to name just a few more that have been associated with dopers.

If I were ASO, I wouldn't invite them either. In fact, this year I wouldn't invite a full field just to send a message. I know it damages relations with sponsors. But ASO should be going to the sponsors and telling them that if they want entry into the Tour they should make sure they know who is running the team and that they follow the rules.

 

[poulidor]

It's not possible to invite only teams with a clean past, that doesn't exist. It's no possible to sanction a team for a fault, there is a difference between a pickpocket and a criminal, so the dirtiest teams and the teams which refuse to change will stay at home.
I think it would be good to put more pressure on Spaniard.

 

[thoughtforfood]

It's not possible to invite only teams with a clean past, that doesn't exist. It's no possible to sanction a team for a fault, there is a difference between a pickpocket and a criminal, so the dirtiest teams and the teams which refuse to change will stay at home.
I think it would be good to put more pressure on Spaniard.

The reality is that if you want no doping at all, you would probably have to start the race with riders whose bikes have training wheels. Even then, some asshole dad like me would juice his kid up with a Red Bull or something. Imagine the stages though. I am sure you could find huge parking lot that has hills and flats. The advertising caravan could be RC cars. I'll bet you could generate quite a bit of interest in a race like that.

 

[Leafer]

By this logic, that they GTs are excluding teams with very recent doping issues and that brought discredit to the race, which is a legal term that the TdF insists they can exclude whomever they want based on that, then certainly

RABOBANK SHOULD BE EXCLUDED.

hypocrites

With re: to Rabo vs Astana,

Rabobank responded by pulling the rider (Rasmussen) that was suspected of doping (Rasmussen) from the Tour - while wearing yellow - and then dropped him from the team, then De Rooy resigned from the team. Did we see the same from Bruyneel with his rider (Contador) suspected of doping? Uh, that would be no.

Rabo management responded to allegations by trying to do the right thing. Bruyneel did not. Why, then, should race organizers feel any obligation to treat their respective teams in the same way?

 

[limerickman]

I don't expect integrity from Hombre/bobke. I would like to see some consistency in his arguments. He's spent more than a year and a half *****ing about Rabobank and tooting his own horn about it on DP, but he is unwilling to apply the same logic to Armstrong and Disco.

It's called xenophobia.

 

[Crankyfeet]

It may have been mentioned here before, however I can't be bothered reading all 130+ posts again, but the reason speculated by cycling fans anonymous for Astana's exclusion is that hey were going to use Brajkovic as their team leader.

I can see a dogfight developing between the three GT's. I think gone are the days when you can use your best rider as leader of all three races. Some teams notwithstanding.

 

[TheDarkLord]

It may have been mentioned here before, however I can't be bothered reading all 130+ posts again, but the reason speculated by cycling fans anonymous for Astana's exclusion is that hey were going to use Brajkovic as their team leader.

I can see a dogfight developing between the three GT's. I think gone are the days when you can use your best rider as leader of all three races. Some teams notwithstanding.

IMO, that is an even bigger speculation, and one that makes least sense. If someone were to come to the race with a motivation to win, then why exclude him just because he is a Vuelta champion? I can understand them not inviting a team because they are just using the race as a training ground, but not inviting someone because he is a champion somewhere else makes zero sense. Also, if ASO is going to own Vuelta, then there may not be a three-way fight, if such a fight takes place at all.

 

[plectrum]

It may make least sense but is the reason given by Giro for excluding High Rd. I do think it is fair these races are a business and Italian pride must make it hard to accept that year in / year out the Giro is seen as Le Tour's ******* half brother.

 

[Crankyfeet]

IMO, that is an even bigger speculation, and one that makes least sense. If someone were to come to the race with a motivation to win, then why exclude him just because he is a Vuelta champion? I can understand them not inviting a team because they are just using the race as a training ground, but not inviting someone because he is a champion somewhere else makes zero sense. Also, if ASO is going to own Vuelta, then there may not be a three-way fight, if such a fight takes place at all.

No.. it was because Brajkovic is at least their number four GC rider (arguably). The Giro doesn't want teams using the event as a warm-up for the TdF or leaving out their big guns entirely to rest them for the TdF.

 

[Bro Deal]

No.. it was because Brajkovic is at least their number four GC rider (arguably). The Giro doesn't want teams using the event as a warm-up for the TdF or leaving out their big guns entirely to rest them for the TdF.

Brajkovic would have had a good chance of podiuming. I suspect there were other issues that got Astana snubbed, but the RCS is not about to spell them out. High Road looks like it was not invited because it was dumb enough to have publicly disrespected the Giro.

 

[Aquamarinos]

What I've read is that Astana would've send a team with Brajkovic as the leader, but also Klöden, Gusev, Rubiera and probably Levi too...

That roster is very good compared to any other team, so that's a very weak argument to blaim it on the team's "B-roster".

High Road being left out is also a big surprise, Pinotti is a poster boy of intelligence and clean cycling. They have also a lot of horse power for the sprints.

Maybe RCS wants only Italians to win? Dope Di Luca being invited is just hilarious...!