Do we take this seriously? All fun and games in the Astana camp!

[Grater]

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://astanafans.com/to-pobednyj-tush-to-xolodnyj-dush.html&sl=ru&tl=en&hl=ru&ie=UTF-8

The doping programme must be too expensive. They can't keep up with it thus having issues.

What's the bet if Astana folds, this yanky cretin by the name of Lance Armstrong takes over with lots of money..........

 

[poulidor]

Doctors have increaser their prices since they can be jailled for drug trafficking and as member of doping rings.
More confortable for them to work for tennis or football players.

 

[Rolfrae]

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://astanafans.com/to-pobednyj-tush-to-xolodnyj-dush.html&sl=ru&tl=en&hl=ru&ie=UTF-8

The doping programme must be too expensive. They can't keep up with it thus having issues.

What's the bet if Astana folds, this yanky cretin by the name of Lance Armstrong takes over with lots of money..........

Perhaps financial pressure is being applied in order to leverage in a Vino comeback?

 

[limerickman]

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://astanafans.com/to-pobednyj-tush-to-xolodnyj-dush.html&sl=ru&tl=en&hl=ru&ie=UTF-8

The doping programme must be too expensive. They can't keep up with it thus having issues.

What's the bet if Astana folds, this yanky cretin by the name of Lance Armstrong takes over with lots of money..........

The price of oil has dropped significantly from $147pb high of last year.

Maybe the coffers of the backers are starting to drain away too??

 

[Rolfrae]

The price of oil has dropped significantly from $147pb high of last year.

Maybe the coffers of the backers are starting to drain away too??

And without Vino and Kash on board they have little incentive to keep shelling out for a team that revolves around Spanish glory and an American soap opera.

 

[limerickman]

And without Vino and Kash on board they have little incentive to keep shelling out for a team that revolves around Spanish glory and an American soap opera.

I presume that it is oil money that is backing Astana?

 

[Rolfrae]

I presume that it is oil money that is backing Astana?

Yes, in a roundabout way. The backing is from a conglomoration of nationalised Kazakh industries as far as I know, all of which will be bankrolled by the nation's oil money.

 

[limerickman]

Yes, in a roundabout way. The backing is from a conglomoration of nationalised Kazakh industries as far as I know, all of which will be bankrolled by the nation's oil money.

Thanks Rolf.

 

[poulidor]

That is the oil problem, they had borrowed a lot of money to produce more oil , and with crisis banks want the money back now.

 

[whiteboytrash]

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://astanafans.com/to-pobednyj-tush-to-xolodnyj-dush.html&sl=ru&tl=en&hl=ru&ie=UTF-8

The doping programme must be too expensive. They can't keep up with it thus having issues.

What's the bet if Astana folds, this yanky cretin by the name of Lance Armstrong takes over with lots of money..........

You can see the stern faced Kazah accountants going over the monthly books with the Hog;

"OK Hog, team buses for €300,000, yes we had those in the communist days so check that's must be valid ?"

"Yes of course Vladimir, team buses all valid"

"Bikes €250,000, we had bicycles in the good old days of Lenin. We gave them to the people as they couldn't afford public transport, Hog I think this expense is OK?"

"yes Vladimir bicycles are a key part of what we do"

"Team radios Hog for €235,000, I think that's OK as you need you may need to radio into base when caught up in battle ?"

"Yes that's right Vladimir, team radios for battle"

"Hog, what's this charge for €1,000,000 to Ferrari ? - I don't remember seeing any Ferrari's in this team ? Do we really need to spend so much on Italian high powered sports cars ?"

"Errrr Vlad this expense is not actually for a car......"
_________________________________

I can seeing LiveStrong becoming the sponsor here.......

 

[Grater]

You can see the stern faced Kazah accountants going over the monthly books with the Hog;

"OK Hog, team buses for €300,000, yes we had those in the communist days so check that's must be valid ?"

"Yes of course Vladimir, team buses all valid"

"Bikes €250,000, we had bicycles in the good old days of Lenin. We gave them to the people as they couldn't afford public transport, Hog I think this expense is OK?"

"yes Vladimir bicycles are a key part of what we do"

"Team radios Hog for €235,000, I think that's OK as you need you may need to radio into base when caught up in battle ?"

"Yes that's right Vladimir, team radios for battle"

"Hog, what's this charge for €1,000,000 to Ferrari ? - I don't remember seeing any Ferrari's in this team ? Do we really need to spend so much on Italian high powered sports cars ?"

"Errrr Vlad this expense is not actually for a car......"
_________________________________

I can seeing LiveStrong becoming the sponsor here.......

Hahaha top post.

Yes, I can see Livestrong making a major play here.

 

[Flyer]

Hahaha top post.

Yes, I can see Livestrong making a major play here.

dddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

 

[limerickman]

You can see the stern faced Kazah accountants going over the monthly books with the Hog;

"OK Hog, team buses for €300,000, yes we had those in the communist days so check that's must be valid ?"

"Yes of course Vladimir, team buses all valid"

"Bikes €250,000, we had bicycles in the good old days of Lenin. We gave them to the people as they couldn't afford public transport, Hog I think this expense is OK?"

"yes Vladimir bicycles are a key part of what we do"

"Team radios Hog for €235,000, I think that's OK as you need you may need to radio into base when caught up in battle ?"

"Yes that's right Vladimir, team radios for battle"

"Hog, what's this charge for €1,000,000 to Ferrari ? - I don't remember seeing any Ferrari's in this team ? Do we really need to spend so much on Italian high powered sports cars ?"

"Errrr Vlad this expense is not actually for a car......"
_________________________________

I can seeing LiveStrong becoming the sponsor here.......

Any update to the Astana story???

 

[Rolfrae]

Any update to the Astana story???

Kazakh federation to resume paying Astana wages

Associated Press - April 16, 2009 5:23 AM ET

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (AP) - Kazakhstan's cycling federation said Thursday it will resume paying salaries to Lance Armstrong's Astana team now that it has received money owed by its sponsors.

Astana cyclists, including Giro d'Italia winner Alberto Contador, have not received salaries for around a month, prompting fears the team could be disbanded.

Astana receives most of its financial support from Kazakh state holding company Samruk-Kazyna, but the Central Asian nation's economy has been badly hit by the ongoing global financial crisis.

One team member unaffected by the wage delays is 7-time Tour de France winner Armstrong, who agreed in September to ride for free for the first year of his comeback to professional cycling.

 

[limerickman]

Kazakh federation to resume paying Astana wages

Associated Press - April 16, 2009 5:23 AM ET

ALMATY, Kazakhstan (AP) - Kazakhstan's cycling federation said Thursday it will resume paying salaries to Lance Armstrong's Astana team now that it has received money owed by its sponsors.

Astana cyclists, including Giro d'Italia winner Alberto Contador, have not received salaries for around a month, prompting fears the team could be disbanded.

Astana receives most of its financial support from Kazakh state holding company Samruk-Kazyna, but the Central Asian nation's economy has been badly hit by the ongoing global financial crisis.

One team member unaffected by the wage delays is 7-time Tour de France winner Armstrong, who agreed in September to ride for free for the first year of his comeback to professional cycling.

Thanks Rolf.

So it does seem that the price of a barrel of oil has affected the funds at Astana.

It will be interesting to see how this scenario plays out : the lesser lights at
Astana must be putting feelers out, if there is this amount of finanical uncertainty?
That must surely affect how Astana may perform??

 

[Rolfrae]

Thanks Rolf.

So it does seem that the price of a barrel of oil has affected the funds at Astana.

It will be interesting to see how this scenario plays out : the lesser lights at
Astana must be putting feelers out, if there is this amount of finanical uncertainty?
That must surely affect how Astana may perform??

I read somewhere else that Brunyeel had an American sponsor ready to step in if need be.

In terms of it affecting how well Astana perform, I did wonder why Contador was racing so hard in events that his competitors (Evans for example) are just using as stepping stones toward Tour form. Either he's trying too hard to impress potential stand-in sponsors or he needs to keep peak form all season to make his bio passport results look normal.

 

[limerickman]

I read somewhere else that Brunyeel had an American sponsor ready to step in if need be.

In terms of it affecting how well Astana perform, I did wonder why Contador was racing so hard in events that his competitors (Evans for example) are just using as stepping stones toward Tour form. Either he's trying too hard to impress potential stand-in sponsors or he needs to keep peak form all season to make his bio passport results look normal.

It is curious why Contador has been performing so well, so early.
He may well be putting himself in the shop window for other teams like Caisse, for example.

With Vino not being able to ride until late 2009 - and that;s assuming that Vino will ride again - the moneymen at Astana might be looking to offload and perhaps Contador wants out????

 

[RdBiker]

One team member unaffected by the wage delays is 7-time Tour de France winner Armstrong, who agreed in September to ride for free for the first year of his comeback to professional cycling.

May it be so that Armstrong decided to ride for free because the sponsors weren't willing to pay a huge salary for yet another team leader? And if Armstrong was going to get a small salary he might aswell ride for free. When Armstrong announced his comeback the financial crisis was known to be in the horizon and maybe the Astana sponsors haven't at that time been too eager to throw money at the team anyways.

 

[RdBiker]

It is curious why Contador has been performing so well, so early.
He may well be putting himself in the shop window for other teams like Caisse, for example.

With Vino not being able to ride until late 2009 - and that;s assuming that Vino will ride again - the moneymen at Astana might be looking to offload and perhaps Contador wants out????

I was very surprised to see a country like Kazakhstan (or major industry players in there) begin sponsoring a cycling team whose budget is at least 12 mil. Vino surely played a large role acquiring the sponsors. I think that besides Vino and Kashechkin the only thing for the sponsors was/is that Astana functioned as a stepping stone for young Kazakh riders. Other than that I don't see any reasons.

Usually a sponsor is in it for the publicity and exposure (=sales) but what can Astana gain in publicity? Kazakhstan is not really a tourist country and there's really no way a person in Europe for example can be in contact with the companies associated with Astana. Does Astana really attract enough business with a cycling team? Does an oil refinery choose to buy oil from Kazakhstan because of team Astana?

 

[Rolfrae]

I was very surprised to see a country like Kazakhstan (or major industry players in there) begin sponsoring a cycling team whose budget is at least 12 mil. Vino surely played a large role acquiring the sponsors. I think that besides Vino and Kashechkin the only thing for the sponsors was/is that Astana functioned as a stepping stone for young Kazakh riders. Other than that I don't see any reasons.

Usually a sponsor is in it for the publicity and exposure (=sales) but what can Astana gain in publicity? Kazakhstan is not really a tourist country and there's really no way a person in Europe for example can be in contact with the companies associated with Astana. Does Astana really attract enough business with a cycling team? Does an oil refinery choose to buy oil from Kazakhstan because of team Astana?

I guess there is a degree of prestige in seeing your nation's flag and colours on the jerseys of Pro Tour riders at the world's biggest races, and of seeing the world's most famous cyclist (Lance not Levi) flying your flag. I guess that would make a change from the previous level of fame (infamy) brought Kazakhstan's way by Borat.