Don't worry. I think DC might have already informally arrived at an agreement with Basso. I think, once Basso is cleared, he and DC will ink and announce a two- or three-year agreement. Leipheimer could be leader for Giro, I think, Paris Nice and Dauphine Libere. I suspect Levi will ride the Tour in support of Basso, who will not ride the Giro in 07.
Nope. Basso said this morning he wants to stay at CSC.
The normally well informed Dutch magazine "Wielerrevue" reported that their sources told them Savoldelli would go to Astana: 82.192.67.77nieuws large.phpOpen ↗
The normally well informed Dutch magazine "Wielerrevue" reported that their sources told them Savoldelli would go to Astana: 82.192.67.77nieuws large.phpOpen ↗
This is starting to give me pause for reflection as to what is going on with that team.
Can someone tell us what kind of deal Astana has signed - how many years and how much money are they putting into cycling? 😕
Some of us have therories as to what may be going on but on the surface their recruitment choices seem odd. Not that they are not great riders but the logic is not apparent to me. Inquiries are being made. "Curious mind want to know".
This is starting to give me pause for reflection as to what is going on with that team.
[font=Verdana]They have been bankrolled by the Kazah government (who cares if people are dying of hunger in the streets)...... sources say they have 5 million Euros to spend on salaries alone ! They were joking on EuroSport yesterday that the Kazah Gas company has a logo on the Astana shorts and its just makes you want to go out and get some Kazah gas ! LOL ![/font]
There must be, but where is the money coming from and who is involved. They will have enough goode team members for two teams pretty soon. 🙄
Well, aren't there corporate oligarchs all over the former Soviet Union states? Not just Russia? I don't find the money surprising. Usually this sort of money would go into football, but maybe Vino has enough presence and contacts to get some of the pie for cycling.
I would think that, intending to have a full Pro Tour team, they would want someone like Savo for the Giro... Why not, if they have the money?
Well, aren't there corporate oligarchs all over the former Soviet Union states? Not just Russia? I don't find the money surprising. Usually this sort of money would go into football, but maybe Vino has enough presence and contacts to get some of the pie for cycling.
I would think that, intending to have a full Pro Tour team, they would want someone like Savo for the Giro... Why not, if they have the money?
Well the stated goal of Astanta was to turn the team into basically a Kazakh team kinda like the French teams. The logical guess I have is Vino really only has 1 or 2 Kazakhs who could be leaders, so they wanted to hire as many quality riders to teach the younger riders, thus hiring Kloden, Kessler, and potentially Savo. Again, this is all guessing.
The normally well informed Dutch magazine "Wielerrevue" reported that their sources told them Savoldelli would go to Astana: 82.192.67.77nieuws large.phpOpen ↗
Looks like the T-Mobile of old, does Astana. Goodefroot managing. Savoldelli, Kloden, Vino, Kessler : all they're missing is Jan and Erik.
[font=Verdana]They have been bankrolled by the Kazah government (who cares if people are dying of hunger in the streets)...... sources say they have 5 million Euros to spend on salaries alone ! They were joking on EuroSport yesterday that the Kazah Gas company has a logo on the Astana shorts and its just makes you want to go out and get some Kazah gas ! LOL ![/font]
Kazahkstan will be a major player in the fossil market in the years ahead. Huge wealth and huge reserves.
...and Astana look like the Chelsea of cycling; Can you imagine the team ? Boonen, Kessler, Bettini, Cancellara for the classics and Vino, Valverde, Kashechkin, Menchov, Ullrich and Basso for the GT's... it will be a stupid team that will win every single race...... they will up the [font=Verdana]salaries [/font]to that of F1 drivers.... cyclists will become rock-stars..... is that a good thing ?
Don't worry. I think DC might have already informally arrived at an agreement with Basso. I think, once Basso is cleared, he and DC will ink and announce a two- or three-year agreement. Leipheimer could be leader for Giro, I think, Paris Nice and Dauphine Libere. I suspect Levi will ride the Tour in support of Basso, who will not ride the Giro in 07.
The problem will be that without the drugs (you keep telling us that DSC is completely clean), Basso will only be a good GC rider, not a GT winner. Losing at least 15% due to the lack of a Fuentes input is too much, even for Basso.
