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- Just like Euskaltel did recently, Orbea will stage a team get-together in Derio from the coming Thursday 'til Saturday. It will mainly be a bonding, team-building kind of camp, but it won't be all fun as they'll do two team rides, undergo some medical tests and meet up with the directors to plan for the season ahead. All 13 riders are expected to be present.
- Aitor Hernández continued his rich vein of form by grabbing 14th in the Asteasuko cyclo-cross event yesterday. The race was full of top-level riders like Nys, Albert and Pauwels, so 14th is not bad. Aitor Galdós also took part, but found the going a little tougher and finished 21st.
- Euskaltel will indeed be present at the three Grand Tours next year after the major race organisers and the UCI for once managed to broker a deal that guarantees all 18 ProTeams a ride in the World Tour events.
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14 comments:
Extremely random question, didn't know where else to ask it...but is Mikel Astarloza due back after the TDF for Euskaltel?
He could be a handy assistant in the Vuelta if so.
No thank you! But I fear that Euskaltel are thinking the same as you...
That's a good question, I've been trying to figure that out myself. All I know is that he's training seriously, and I suspect Euskaltel are very interested in taking him on once he's suspension is up. I'll digg a little deeper to find out more. Stay tuned.
I heard some rumors some months back that he indeed may return to Euskaltel. I don't know where, but I wouldn't be surprised if he indeed returns.
I don't have problems with that, he served his penalty and he should be treated like that.
I don't take nicely on liars. Until he can act like an adult and admit what he did he can stay in a fuckass small continental team! One thing is cheating, that's bad enough in it's self. But pissing on cycling ass a sport and all us fans by trying to make everyone else the "bad guy", well that's just to much for me...
Even if Astarloza did dope (don't want to get into that debate), he was still a stool pigeon for the UCI. They just felt like nabbing someone to make it seem like they were cleaning up the sport, so they chose a guy who had a good enough Tour that the casual fan would know his name. Then the casual fan can praise the UCI for getting rid of all the "cheats," while Astarloza is jobless for 2 years, and guys more doped up than him continue to ride for their pay.
I agree with Nick. Once the UCI says that you are positive you have no change of clearing your name.
I can't guarante it, but from what I've heard lately he might very well return, and it's likely to be with Euskaltel.
For fucks sake guys, that's some hard ass facts you're delivering here ;) I must say it's really funny how obvious cheats like Astarloza can fool people, and that's exactly what I'm talking about! In a time where we should make progress in this sport, people are still lulled in this fantasy that people who are caught are actually innocent because they say so themselves. With that logic, we shouldn't condemn a judged murderer for his actions, because he still claims he's innocent, and that the system is "out to get him".
Doping test are EXTREMELY accurate, and would never ever be valid for proof if they were not very, very close to 100% accurate. To question those test based on your own gut feeling, well that's just foolish, sorry guys, but I imagine that you are the same guys who think we have never been on the moon, that elvis is still alive and so on... Can't take that kind of bullshit serious...
But we can agree that a lot of things are wrong with the UCI. Sadly, corruption will always exist where there is money to be made. But the right way to go is NOT to defend those who are caught, instead we should encourage and push the UCI and other institutes in cycling to do more to fight this ghost, who quite honestly is a very real danger for our sport....
That was my little speech for tonight :)
A killer will also return to society after serving his penalty.
Comparing a murderer with a doping cyclist is a bit steep IMO.
I'm not comparing a doper with a killer, I compare the situation. To me it's very strange how people doubt the legal system when it comes to doping. The funny thing is that a lot of people don't have any clue of what it takes to get a positve test, what these dopingtests must pass to be used in real life. And without this knowledge, they make up crazy conspiracy theories. To me, that is the definition of being ignorant.
And yes, a killer will also return society, and a doper should be allowed to race again at some point, of course. But you miss my first point, I would never hire a bastard who couldn't even confess to what he did. How on earth can I as a fan, believe that Astarloza has learned anything at all, if he's not even willing to be honest in the first place? Not only that, but he tries to blame it on everyone else, hurting the reputation of cycling even more.
With McQuaid in charge the UCI is hopeless. It will only start to clean up once he his out.
@Bolsen3: I do believe that Astarloza did dope, and the positive test was indeed true, but I don't feel he has any obligation to come clean about it. A 2-year suspension is enough of a penalty in that regard.
If you feel that Astarloza should apologize, should all the other riders who got away with doping during career apologize as well? In essence they are just as guilty as Astarloza, they just happened to sideswipe the system for whatever reason.
I'd rather have Astarloza quietly return instead of turning into the next David Millar, carefully preaching lawyer written press releases about how bad doping is and no one should do what he did in his "dark past."
I'm totally with you on this one, Bolsen. Astarloza was not "nabbed" by the UCI, at least that's not what I feel, and he should be a man about it and admit it. No matter how much I liked Astarloze whilst with Euskaltel, there's no hiding riders like him are to blame (along with all the other dopers in denial) for cycling's current predicament. Euskaltel should NOT sign him back. That would be a very bad move and would not score them any ethical points with the UCI. Unless he comes clean they would be wise to let him ride somewhere else. Give him Savio's phone number or something.
One more thing: if cycling is ever going to get past the doping problems, we have to confront it! We have to stop running around like gullible idiots, hiding our heads in the sand...
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