TheManxMissile wrote:
Shall we count the number of Astana issues?
Formed firectly out of Liberty Seguros-Wurth as they collapse under Puerto, taking on many of the implicated riders and staff.
First positive test was April '07, just 4 months into it's existence as a unique team (Kessler).
Mazzoleni left the team under doping allegations in July and was subsequently suspended for two years.
Vinokuorv's positive test in the Tour also in July '07.
Kasechking followed suit in August.
Redondo rounded out 2007 with another case of doping.
This brought in Bryuneel and a number of ex-Discovery guys, who we now know were pretty much all rotten.
Gusev was caught out for irregular-blood values later that year.
Lance joined in '09 and we know about him now.
Bazayev fell foul of location declaration issues, which has only ever meant one thing.
Contador's '10 TDF positive was up next.
Kreuzigers current problems stem back to his 2011 Astana season.
2012 was when the USADA stuff blew up big time implicating many former riders, current staff and doctors.
2014 of course was of course Ignlisnkiy and Ignlinskiy.
Then we had the Continental team's problems of Davidenok.
That's more than 2 positive's per year! Not including signing up riders with dodgy histories like Scarponi, LLS, Kloeden, Savoldeli, Horner, Di Gregorio, Petrov and their issues with Pellizotti.... amongst others...
Three Astana riders on same level as Contador, Porte, Uran. Nothing suspicious here. LOL!!
Aru despite sickness, hard to understand but still okay. Landa, still okay. But Cataldo no way.
It makes great to watch on TV but makes UCI looks like bunch of fools.
Now we can expect Nibali to be super good in TdF despite being total rubbish entire season. And obviously Scarponi, Kangert, Fuglsang will all be also on juice with him.
Edited by Nin1388 on 17-05-2015 04:48
Nin1388 wrote:
Three Astana riders on same level as Contador, Porte, Uran. Nothing suspicious here. LOL!!
Aru despite sickness, hard to understand but still okay. Landa, still okay. But Cataldo no way.
It makes great to watch on TV but makes UCI looks like bunch of fools.
Now we can expect Nibali to be super good in TdF despite being total rubbish entire season. And obviously Scarponi, Kangert, Fuglsang will all be also on juice with him.
Not saying anything either way to Nibali doping, but he doesn't ride in the off-season then has a very slow build-up to the tour, it's the way he trains, but it means that he doesn't ride at the top level in the spring.
Nin1388 wrote:
Three Astana riders on same level as Contador, Porte, Uran. Nothing suspicious here. LOL!!
Aru despite sickness, hard to understand but still okay. Landa, still okay. But Cataldo no way.
It makes great to watch on TV but makes UCI looks like bunch of fools.
Now we can expect Nibali to be super good in TdF despite being total rubbish entire season. And obviously Scarponi, Kangert, Fuglsang will all be also on juice with him.
I wouldn't say that there are 3 Astana riders on the same level as Contador, Porte and Uran, Aru yes but the other 2 will crack at some stage. Landa is a big talent and gained time being sent up the road for the win today and Cataldo isn't exactly hopeless either. The race just hasn't been massively selective yet and you can tell that from the fact that Visconti is in 7th only 1:16 down and Amador in 10th 1:38 down. Outside of the top 3 and Uran this field drops away quickly when we are talking about GC.
On Nibali, he is looking exactly like he did last season and basing his season on the TDF so to see him be strong there would be a surprise how?
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Movistar wrote: I mean I guess every team that has a couple good riders who also attack is doping?
They are probably doping but Aru is much less likely to be guilty than Porte or Froome.
So include some other teams positive tests all you want but this team has not done anything wrong.
1. Yes most likely
2. I personally think it should be a general doping thread but why not single out Astana? There history warrants that they be watched very closely
Hells 500 Crew and 6 x Everester
Don Rd Launching Place
Melbourne Hill Rd Warrandyte
Colby Drive Belgrave South
William Rd The Patch
David Hill Rd Monbulk
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