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引用第18楼寒夜梦飞于2008-02-15 00:43发表的:
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Astana Not Invited by ASO
With surprise, disbelief, incomprehension, but dignity as well, Astana Cycling Team has been informed by the press of the non selection of the team for the races of ASO, including the 2008 Tour de France.
"Since breaking with the ProTour, the Tour de France is free to issue its own invitations. After the non-selection for the Tour of Italy, we knew that there would be a chance that ASO as well would consider not to invite us", says Team General Manager Johan Bruyneel. "The Giro argument, that we do not come to the race with our best riders, is no longer valid. With the Tour number one and three of last year, Alberto Contador and Levi Leiphemer, and with two times runner up Andreas Klöden, we maybe have too strong a team now?"
"That the happenings of last year in Tour de France, prompted the Tour organizers to leave Astana out of the season's most important race, sounds understandable. However, Astana Cycling Team 2008 has nothing to do with the team of last year. We have done everything to change the dynamics of the team. New management, new riders, new philosophy. Only the name of the sponsor remained. The Kazakh authorities gave me "carte blanche" to run the team. No pressure was put on us, there was no demand for big wins. We are spending 460,000 Euros on internal anti-doping efforts for 2008. What more can we do? The fact that UCI accorded us a ProTour license proved that our new system functioned well. Maybe that is a part of the problem. Is Astana this year a victim of the war between UCI and ASO?"
"ASO asked us in December for open communication. We communicated a lot but never got a reply. ASO probably has the right to not invite us", continued Bruyneel. "They want to augment the credibility of their races after the happenings of last year. Unfortunately, the Tour de France will now lose much of its credibility by not letting some of the world's best riders participate, even those who were never were implied in doping scandals. The name of Alberto Contador was sometimes linked to the famous "Operation Puerto" affair. A Spanish judge cleared him. Even afterwards, Alberto was always available to the justice authorities to give required information. He really has nothing to do with that sad affair."
Sports Director Alain Gallopin said, "We cannot force anything. It is probably impossible to appeal against their decision. We will prove in other races that we are left home unjustly. But it is better to know early than late that we cannot participate. There are still other races on the cycling calendar. I am disappointed for Alberto. Now I need to make a new program - and soon - for the riders and staff and go forward."
"What is strange," says Bruyneel, "is that ASO does not invite us because of the past of a team that had the same name. Many other teams, with a similar suspicious past, that did not change management or structure, can participate without problems. Where is the consistency? Is the Tour de France not losing all credibility now?"
Tour de France winner Alberto Contador is deeply disappointed. After the 4th stage in the Tour of Mallorca, a stage he dominated, he declared with tears in his eyes, "The last weeks I never thought that it would be possible not to do the Tour de France. It is my race, I dream of that race. Yesterday I even did special tests at the velodrome in Palma to improve my time trial capabilities. Now we are not invited. What can we do? Tonight I will look at the calendar. We have to change everything. Don't ask me for the moment which races I will or can do. Anyway, I thank our sponsors who stand behind us, but I'm afraid other sponsors might leave because of what happened today. It is a sad day for cycling."  |
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发表于 2008-2-15 03:23:30
