The Astana Duo

Bro Deal said:

It looks like Vino and Kashechkin have transformed themselves into top time trialers. Along with Mazzoleni this is just farking ridiculous.

I think we can write off any idea of a good TdF this year.

Agreed. They have barely raced all year and then this ! It’s like the Gewiss 1-2-3 from sometime ago.....

whiteboytrash said:

Agreed. They have barely raced all year and then this ! It’s like the Gewiss 1-2-3 from sometime ago.....

Imagine a TdF podium sweep of Vino, Kloden & Kashechkin. They even have reasonable back-ups in Mazzoleni and Savoldelli if one them should faulter. The doping apologists would have to turn themselves inside out to explain that one.

Wayne666 said:

Imagine a TdF podium sweep of Vino, Kloden & Kashechkin. They even have reasonable back-ups in Mazzoleni and Savoldelli if one them should faulter. The doping apologists would have to turn themselves inside out to explain that one.

one would think we would see Sacha Baron Cohen turn up on a Sunday in late July. Be good to steal a little of the limelight from the latest team doping du jour

When you're putting that much time into some TT specialist.. bleh
That course suited Dave Z too. To put 37seconds into him on a course that suited him.. hmm..

Well since it seems Astana doctor is still doing very well, I'm going to go with Vino for the tour!

It's all about strong, healthy domestic food there in Kazakhstan.

Bro Deal said:

It looks like Vino and Kashechkin have transformed themselves into top time trialers. Along with Mazzoleni this is just farking ridiculous.

I think we can write off any idea of a good TdF this year.

It looks like Vino and Kashechkin have transfused themsleves ya mean.
[censored]. 😠

Wayne666 said:

Imagine a TdF podium sweep of Vino, Kloden & Kashechkin. They even have reasonable back-ups in Mazzoleni and Savoldelli if one them should faulter. The doping apologists would have to turn themselves inside out to explain that one.

I don't think Mazzoleni will be let ride the tour, I think after this meeting next week anyone thats involved in any doping investigation won't be let ride the tour and Mazzoleni is still involved in the 'oil for drugs' investigation, they did it with Di Luca a few years ago.
As for Vino, didn't he, Kloden and Ulle spend a lot of time together in the off season (I remember an article in procycling a few years ago about Ulle and Vino holidaying and training in Kazakhstan (sp?) so to my mind there's no way there not in Puerto as well.

hombredesubaru said:

It looks like Vino and Kashechkin have transfused themsleves ya mean.
[censored]. 😠

Kash caught Hincapie who is also on drugs ! fark ! the Tour is over...

I think Astana will demolish every other team at the TDF.

I expect Kloden to win this years TDF.

I remeber that article. They were fishing in a lake that appeared to be glowing from radioactivity. I'm kind of serious about this. Maybe that is how Kash has magically transformed himself into a super hero.

Moller said:

I don't think Mazzoleni will be let ride the tour, I think after this meeting next week anyone thats involved in any doping investigation won't be let ride the tour and Mazzoleni is still involved in the 'oil for drugs' investigation, they did it with Di Luca a few years ago.
As for Vino, didn't he, Kloden and Ulle spend a lot of time together in the off season (I remember an article in procycling a few years ago about Ulle and Vino holidaying and training in Kazakhstan (sp?) so to my mind there's no way there not in Puerto as well.

hombredesubaru said:

It looks like Vino and Kashechkin have transfused themsleves ya mean.
[censored]. 😠

So you've just had 7 years of Tour dominance using the same technique yet you find Astana doing this a problem?

Frigo's Luggage said:

I remeber that article. They were fishing in a lake that appeared to be glowing from radioactivity. I'm kind of serious about this. Maybe that is how Kash has magically transformed himself into a super hero.

Yeah, either that or going from a clean team (as per Vaughters conversation with Andreau) to Liberty Seguros-Wurth-Astana, which is probably as dirty as it gets in modern cycling, had something to do with it. Of course, maybe he just matured and starting focusing on TTing. Such is modern cycling.

If you have a read of the cyclingnews articles it reveals how they improved there time trial abilities, not taking into account other variables:Vino-

Quoted post said:

"Since the beginning of the year, I've worked on my time trialling three times a week. That's what makes the difference."

Kash-

Quoted post said:

"But this is the first time I'm doing well on such a long time trial. I've worked a lot to improve that. I've done many tests for positioning and also some specific exercises on the track in Germany and Kazakhstan."

Vino has alway been a solid TTer... in fact he got a bronze medal at the world TT championships last year just 20 seconds behind Dave Z kash had a bad day 1:30 behind Dave Z (in 2005 5th for Vino, Kash 6th) this time Vino was 30 sec in front of Dave Z that doesn't seem that out of line to me at all... i'm sure Vino was just as he said targeting his TTing..

i'll say it again if you think that all the other TT specialists in this race aren't on dope too you must have left the planet for the last few years or something...

think what we may be seeing here is a difference in priorities and strategies... Kash has targeted this race to win and Vino targeted this TT as a test = take a blood bag out of the fidge... others are likely saving there blood bags for later in this race where they want to test themselves.. look for Lipiemer to be amazingly resurected on Mt Ventoux after he takes a blood bag out of the fridge

remember T-Mobile dropping the entire Discovery team except for Armstong on a TdF stage when nothing was really supposed to happen but the very next day they were resurected and rode like supermen...

all we are seeing here is different riders with different priorities and differ stategies for when to remove a blood bag from the fridge

Vino beating Dave Z by 30sec is not out of line by any stretch of the imagination though...

but damn... looks like Astana is going to kick some serious AZZZZZZ come july...

doctorSpoc said:

Vino has alway been a solid TTer... in fact he got a bronze medal at the world TT championships last year just 20 seconds behind Dave Z kash had a bad day 1:30 behind Dave Z (in 2005 5th for Vino, Kash 6th) this time Vino was 30 sec in front of Dave Z that doesn't seem that out of line to me at all... i'm sure Vino was just as he said targeting his TTing..

i'll say it again if you think that all the other TT specialists in this race aren't on dope too you must have left the planet for the last few years or something...

think what we may be seeing here is a difference in priorities and strategies... Kash has targeted this race to win and Vino targeted this TT as a test = take a blood bag out of the fidge... others are likely saving there blood bags for later in this race where they want to test themselves.. look for Lipiemer to be amazingly resurected on Mt Ventoux after he takes a blood bag out of the fridge

remember T-Mobile dropping the entire Discovery team except for Armstong on a TdF stage when nothing was really supposed to happen but the very next day they were resurected and rode like supermen...

all we are seeing here is different riders with different priorities and differ stategies for when to remove a blood bag from the fridge

Vino beating Dave Z by 30sec is not out of line by any stretch of the imagination though...

but damn... looks like Astana is going to kick some serious AZZZZZZ come july...

Well said. Nothing has changed.

Too bad there is no TTT this year in the TdF for Astana.

doctorSpoc said:

Vino has alway been a solid TTer... in fact he got a bronze medal at the world TT championships last year just 20 seconds behind Dave Z kash had a bad day 1:30 behind Dave Z (in 2005 5th for Vino, Kash 6th) this time Vino was 30 sec in front of Dave Z that doesn't seem that out of line to me at all... i'm sure Vino was just as he said targeting his TTing..

i'll say it again if you think that all the other TT specialists in this race aren't on dope too you must have left the planet for the last few years or something...

think what we may be seeing here is a difference in priorities and strategies... Kash has targeted this race to win and Vino targeted this TT as a test = take a blood bag out of the fidge... others are likely saving there blood bags for later in this race where they want to test themselves.. look for Lipiemer to be amazingly resurected on Mt Ventoux after he takes a blood bag out of the fridge

remember T-Mobile dropping the entire Discovery team except for Armstong on a TdF stage when nothing was really supposed to happen but the very next day they were resurected and rode like supermen...

all we are seeing here is different riders with different priorities and differ stategies for when to remove a blood bag from the fridge

Vino beating Dave Z by 30sec is not out of line by any stretch of the imagination though...

but damn... looks like Astana is going to kick some serious AZZZZZZ come july...

Excellent post!

Well they "only" put 37sec into Cadel over a long TT, and I hope I am not being too naive but I would like to think that he is clean.

Cadel is a better climber than those guys - perhaps Kloden might be equal to or better than Cadel....but not Kash or Vino.

I will still back Cadel in to win the Tour and to make a statement that the sport is alive and well....without chemical interference! 🙂

doctorSpoc said:

Vino has alway been a solid TTer... in fact he got a bronze medal at the world TT championships last year just 20 seconds behind Dave Z kash had a bad day 1:30 behind Dave Z (in 2005 5th for Vino, Kash 6th) this time Vino was 30 sec in front of Dave Z that doesn't seem that out of line to me at all... i'm sure Vino was just as he said targeting his TTing..

i'll say it again if you think that all the other TT specialists in this race aren't on dope too you must have left the planet for the last few years or something...

think what we may be seeing here is a difference in priorities and strategies... Kash has targeted this race to win and Vino targeted this TT as a test = take a blood bag out of the fidge... others are likely saving there blood bags for later in this race where they want to test themselves.. look for Lipiemer to be amazingly resurected on Mt Ventoux after he takes a blood bag out of the fridge

remember T-Mobile dropping the entire Discovery team except for Armstong on a TdF stage when nothing was really supposed to happen but the very next day they were resurected and rode like supermen...

all we are seeing here is different riders with different priorities and differ stategies for when to remove a blood bag from the fridge

Vino beating Dave Z by 30sec is not out of line by any stretch of the imagination though...

I am not buying it.

The world championships have been seriously devalued since they were moved to the ass end of the season. Rogers has three TT titles but I am not buying him as the best TTer in the world.

Vino has improved but to think it's natural you have to ignore everything else that is going on with him and his team. Vino has always had problems in the high mountain, but in last year's Vuelta he was an unstoppable climbing machine in the second half of the race--after missing a dope control. And who was right by his side laying down the hurt? Kash, Vino's sidekick, who just so happens to have also made a huge step up in climbing and time trialing. Then there is Eddy M., who has transformed himself into a GT GC contender. If not for Di Luca becoming a climbing specialist and the surprising and young Schleck, Eddy [censored] M would have won the Giro.

The whole situation stinks.

Andrew76 said:

Cadel is a better climber than those guys - perhaps Kloden might be equal to or better than Cadel....but not Kash or Vino.

You want to bet on it? Before Astana Vino and Kash were not better than Cadel. But they are now.

Watch Kash crush the field in the Dauphine and then Vino to put on a repeat performance during the Tour.