Will Astana be in Spain this September?

[mondobongo]

Interesting turn of events ASO have just acquired 49% of Unipublic who own the Vuelta. So the big question is will Astana now have their invite to the Vuelta withdrawn?

 

[Steve Austin]

I'm still expecting them to be in the TDF, so i can't imagine they will be pulled from the Vuelta.

 

[Keith Oates]

That is another nail in cyclings coffin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[yenrod]

Contador is NOW 'one of the greats in cycling' according to him !

And will be adding the Vuelta to his palmares !

Later this year...

 

[walker]

I'm still expecting them to be in the TDF, so i can't imagine they will be pulled from the Vuelta.

2 hopes

 

[Steve Austin]

I don't really expect them to be in the TDF btw, its just after getting into the Giro at the 11th hour i'm not sure we can be very sure they won't be there

 

[Keith Oates]

I think it's a racing certainty they won't be there and winning the Giro will make ASO even more determined to keep them out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[doyler78]

Is it not already being widely reported that ASO considers that Astana has paid its dues in the Vuelta as a result of their ban from last years event and in any case it is not a controlling interest?

I very much doubt that they will be invited to the tdf. Astana are being used as a pawn in their dispute with the UCI and given that ASO has announced that the Tour will be run under the French Federation rules, as Paris-Nice was, then there would be no need for them to escalate that dispute if Astana was to be allowed in given that it is the banning of Astana from all ASO events that brought the dispute to its current empasse. That's the way I read it anyway.

Glad to see that the UCI have made it clear they will not being banning any riders from the Olympics. That would have been the biggest nail in their coffin and perhaps what ASO hoped would happen given the hotheads in the UCI.

 

[yello]

winning the Giro will make ASO even more determined to keep them out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't that alters ASO's thinking at all. Astana are out of the TdF and will remain so, ASO don't need to be more determined to maintain a status quo. The opposite was probably true though, Astana were motivated to win the Giro because they wouldn't be in the TdF!

I don't see the ASO/UCI spat as anything more than a dispute about control over the TdF. ASO gets p*ssed off because it sees UCI as trying to interfere with THEIR (i.e. ASO's) race. I don't think ASO gives a toss what UCI does outside of that context. What happens over the vuelta is going to be interesting though... I'll watch and listen with interest!

 

[Keith Oates]

Of course Astana were motivated to win the Giro and will also be motivated to win the Vuelta IF they are still invited. However I do believe that even ASO won't have the power to interfere in that race during this season.

"I don't see the ASO/UCI spat as anything more than a dispute about control over the TdF. ASO gets p*ssed off because it sees UCI as trying to interfere with THEIR (i.e. ASO's) race. I don't think ASO gives a toss what UCI does outside of that context"

I think you're wrong there Yello they are very much concerned about what happens outside the TdF and want to be the controllers of European and world cycling. Their world though may be a little smaller than the actual one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mondobongo]

I think we need to be careful were ASO are concerned its plain they would like to run European Cycling and on their terms. Draconian was a description being bandied about early this week about the race contracts. Whilst I agree with their stance in not allowing Astana in this year.
We should be wary of a commercial body gaining control of a sport, just look at what Sky have done to Football.

 

[yello]

I think you're wrong there Yello they are very much concerned about what happens outside the TdF and want to be the controllers of European and world cycling.

ASO want to expand their 'business', there's no doubt about it... and the chances are high that they'll lock horns with UCI again over the Vuelta. But I do think they are, like any organisation with commercial interests, only interested in making it profitable. Whoever gets in the way of that will be opposed. One such body happens to be UCI... but it could be anyone and I don't think it's 'personal'. I may be splitting hairs, but I don't see their spats with UCI as anything other than a 'commercial selfishness' (currently, ASO's interests are cycling, golf, equestrian, the Paris Marathon and the Paris-Dakar... probably other stuff too). So UCI are just another body they have to deal with.

Don't get me wrong Keith, I'm no defender of ASO. I don't think really care about cycling, not primarily. But I can understand why they act as they do, that is, within the context of them being a commercial organisation. Which leads me neatly to...

We should be wary of a commercial body gaining control of a sport, just look at what Sky have done to Football.

Indeed. Some would say it's been a success... but I'll leave that for others to decide.

 

[Keith Oates]

Yello, we are really talking the same language over this one but the difference is that they annoy me where as you recognise it as normal business procedures and are more prepared to accept the situation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[yello]

Yes, we see the same things from different view points.

I am not passionate enough about cycling (or football) to say whether ASO (or Sky) are a good thing or a bad thing... it's just a thing thing as far as I'm concerned.