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

kennf

More like Vaughters 1, Bruyneel 0.

Bro Deal

Poor Bruyneel.

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"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

earth_dweller

I don't think he really cares except for the bad PR it gives him. But he'll come out and say that the French um Italians are just jealous and use the xenophobic excuse.... again.

I am very surprised tho to see High Road and A&S are not invited. Not really anti-doping - how the hell can they invite DiLuca and not High Road?

poulidor

No but Contadope said (or answered a question ?) that he was in favor...

And Clerc (ASO) has replicated that it was not sure to have Contadope on next TDF.

helmutRoole2

High Road surprised me at first, but if you consider the lineage and the damage done by Riis, et al, to the Tour in particular then it seems justified.

But if that is their reasoning, then why would they invite CSC?

Astana collectively must be crapping their pants right now.

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kennf

I had the exact same thought about DiLuca. But I guess disinviting the defending winner would be a little too extreme for them. When are the Tour de France selections announced?

Bro Deal

If Astana's funding is a little shaky then this definitely won't help.

Poor Klodi. He cannot get a break.

__________________
"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

mortimer99

Exactly what I was wondering....

helmutRoole2

Maybe this leaves the door open for the Tour to invite parts of Astana.

Can you imagine the impact to the TV ratings in Spain is Cantador doesn't race the Tour.

__________________
"Bait in 08" --nns1400

doctorSpoc

Not according to Prudhomme.. he says the tour invites teams, not rider and that ASO has still has the right to invite who ever they decide...

"I was not informed of the details," said Tour Director Christian Prudhomme to L'Equipe. "What I can repeat is that the essential point for us [ASO - ed.] is the benefit of total liberty in team selection. We no longer want to be a prisoner of events like in 2007 [referring to the Michael Rasmussen case in particular - ed.]."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php...an08/jan30news2

OR today...

Reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, who has signed for the disgraced Astana team, will not be a guaranteed a starting place in the 2008 race. Patrice Clerc, the president of Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) which oversees the epic competition, said that selection for the Tour de France was based on teams rather than an individual pedigree.

"When we make our selection, we don't pick individual riders but rather the teams," said Clerc.

"Let us have the time to calmly make our decision."



http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/0802...a_tour_contador

Powerful Pete

Well, also remember the Italian investigation on Puerto. So something tells me RCS and ASO have discussed this, and chances are ASO will not invite Giro 'banned' teams... if for no other reason than face them being arrested/hauled by carabinieri in for questioning during the TdF stages that come over the border.

The plot thickens...

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TheDarkLord

But I thought ASO recently said that rather than not inviting individuals, they would rather just not invite entire teams. So, if they don't want Contador, they are much more likely to not invite Astana.

TheDarkLord

Did Kloeden try to get a contract with another team? I'm wondering why he is sticking with Astana, knowing that he is screwed one way or the other (especially with Bruyneel and co. distancing away from him).

doctorSpoc

this is what it's about... Tori brought Basso to his knees and he's hell bent on bringing Contador and Valverde and as many Spaniards that basically got a get outa jail card for Puerto to suffer as well.. and i agree with him... fair is fair and since the tour is going through Italy this year.. he's got them by the short and curlies... spread the love...

DiLuca gets a pass because a) he's italian and it's the giro, b) he doesn't have any forseeable dope probes in the forseeable future, c) he's already been punished and did his time... and he actually wasn't caught or punished for doping or even attemped doping... just using the wrong doctor so he's tinged with doping but he's not as badly as others