Astana Cycling Team

Alberto Contador and Astana separate their paths
 
Alberto Contador has rejected the ultimatum of the Astana team, who had asked for a definitive answer to its bid for renewal of contract for next seasons.
Contador had asked for time at team officials to study its continuity, given the importance of this decision. Although the positions of both parties were not so fa, the team wanted to know urgently whether or not will the winner of the Triple Crown to begin to design the 2011 team, to which the positions were away.
The contract among Astana and Alberto Contador, began after the demise of the Discovery team, has been extended during three years expiring at the end of this season. During this time, Contador has won, among other races, one Giro, one Vuelta and two Tours de France.
After winning the 2010 Tour de France, Alberto Contador wants to have time to calmly explore all possibilities available to him to ride during the coming seasons, but so far none has been excluded.
(Automatic translation. Forgive inaccuracies).
 

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Jacinto Vidarte
Jefe de Prensa / Press Officer

The morning was sunny, so everyone was happy, after cold and raining Tourmalet.

Wakening and breakfast was as usual according to the schedule.

Technicians woke up earlier this morning. Specialized requested Alberto to use new frame bike on this stage. War-horse is seldom changed during the race , only Frenchmen could afford themselves to change frames, but Astana had serious task , and horses are not to be changed during the race. The request of bikes’ suppliers couldn’t be ignored so thus the technicians prepared the bike.

The frame was unusual with its painting. There were names of people who paid 30 Euro for placing of their names on the frame. This is what I’ve got from my conversation with a technician. The conversation was “with fingers” as we spoke different languages.

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17 stage - Tourmalet

Hello everyone from the Tour!
Today was my first day on this great race.
The day was long and full of impressions, I would like to tell about many things but I’m almost out of energy and dope is not welcomed in Astana. So I’m sorry for briefness.
The morning starts with personnel’s awakening at about 7am, everyone is coming for breakfast where I was invited as well. It was calm and drowsily until Yura Kulishkin appeared, in 5 minutes everybody laughed and joked a lot but not for a long as there was hard day ahead.
Masseurs went to prepare food and water for racers, I mean they filled the bottles with water and put jelly and energy bars in to the bags.

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Hi All!
Today I arrived to France.

I spent 10 minutes for car rent registration, 40 minutes of straying in Toulouse, 2 hours of driving highway and finally I was in team’s location .

I parked near the car of the guy in yellow T-shirt-))

Astana, Katyusha, SaxoBank и LiquiGas stayed in the same hotel today.
The first thing I saw when entered the hall was meeting of the first secretary of Kazakhstan embassy in France Mеls Torekeldi.
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Alberto Contador finished safely first stage as the Tour leader, despite the harshness of the course, where the Astana team returned to do a great job from the first pass, the Peyresourde, which attacks began. And, moreover, also solved the problem emerged with Andy Schleck on Bales climb. "We have used the day to talk and we have already arranged everything. Both of us did not want to see our friendship broken by what happened yesterday".

Alberto was happy because he had resolved a controversy that did not like. So he put up a video on Youtube. "I did it because I really wanted, I had no obligation. It is a situation that I dislike, is something that I don't want and, above all, I did it for the great relationship I have with Andy. We are friends and we talked about during the race and after. We have solved everything, because we don't want to break our friendship".

About the race, Alberto said it was "a difficult day. After the start there was a lot of attacks and after 10 kilometers of the first climb only 14 riders stayed in front of the pack. It was somewhat complicated because the peloton was broken and there were still 190 km to go, but the team has been very good".

"We kept calm everytime", he continued, "because we knew we had to control until the last km when the interests of those who are playing the honor positions come to play". Everything is now pending on what happens on Thursday, on the Tourmalet climb and Saturday in the time trial. "The stage of the Tourmalet will be a beautiful day", said Alberto, who declined to comment further on the time trial. "First we will see what happens in the Tourmalet. Then we could talk about the time trial", he concluded.

Alberto Contador showed up today to his rival and race leader that is not so easy to convince him that he is the man that have to take the initiative when not needed. The psychological war between the two riders reached its climax in the ascent to Ax 3 Domaines, where Alberto said he is not willing to do the work of others. "This position favors me for the last time trial", he said, referring to its position in the overall standings.

"We watched eachother, while the others went ahead, but this is only the first Pyrenean stage", said Alberto. "Once we saw they were going too far away we have agreed, because at the end they could take so much time".

Referring to the potential danger of riders like Samuel Sanchez and Menchov, said that always "we are concerned that they caught time, but it hasn't been too much. This pass is quite easy for doing it on the wheel and attacks were fairly predictable. It was hard to let people ... and maybe I have not had my best day", said ironic.

"Vino and all the team have done a magnificent job, but it was a relatively easy pass to go on the wheeland that's the reason the differences are much smaller than in other climbs" he said about today's result, which was an evident psychological war with Andy Schleck. "Yes, it was a battle between him and me until we saw that we had to collaborate among us for not to leave too much the others. We both are watching eachother, but last time trial favors me. With respect to Andy there are others who are very strong, as Menchov and Samuel, which go well on time trial and can be dangerous for him".

Alberto said that Andy and he are "fairly equal" and maybe all will be played at the arrival of the Tourmalet. "It is clear that this stage will be very important, but there are still other two before where many things can happen", he warned.

Jacinto Vidarte
Jefe de Prensa / Press Officer

Alberto Contador in the Tour de France

“The biggest danger in the Pyrenees is having a bad day”

Alberto Contador will face starting tomorrow the Pyrenees, where since the beginning of the race he said they were going to decide the 2010 Tour. A 31 seconds to Andy Schleck, his strategic position is quite favorable, waiting for these four stages in which, he says “the biggest danger is having a bad day”.

Contador, after having “a good day at the Madeleine and also yesterday”, added that must exercise caution. “Here, you may have a good day and then, maybe one bad. And in the Pyrenees, with the toughness they have, the question will be not to fail even than take time differences”.

The 10 seconds of Mende are “not many, but you never know if they can be definitive at the end. Psychologically were pretty good”. Although he sees Andy Schleck “fairly well. We have spoken many times and I know him well. Is a man who does not give up, I’m sure he want to reach the mountain again to see what he could do”. Read the rest of this entry →

Alberto Contador won in Mende 10 seconds on the overall leader, Andy Schleck, the same that he took on him in Avoriaz, showing at the first time the weakness of Luxembourgeois. "It's always good to get differences", said Alberto after crossing the finish line, "although it is better to get more. They still have the responsibility to the race and have the need to attack".

At 31 seconds from Schleck in the overall, Alberto says "he can run on the defensive, thinking about the last time trial. Today was an important day". Regarding the possible collaboration with Rodriguez, Alberto said it had been minimal, "because he went to win the stage and me the GC. Nor do I let him to win, of course, he has done it".

Regarding the Pyrenees this stage is very important, because it means that the legs respond well, and that's the most important. In addition to showing the weakness of his closest rival. "I've seen jumping a rider and Andy was not moving. He is a very ambitious rider so that could be a sign of weakness. I have tried and it went well. It was a pity not to win the stage, but take time was very important because sometimes you have a good day and sometimes a bad one".

In this regard, Alberto believed to have done a psychological blow just before the Pyrenees. "This is important but the differences were minimal. Also, Vino has done a great job getting into the breakaway because that prevented the team to work and today was a day incredibly hard. Speed has always been high".

Jacinto Vidarte
Jefe de Prensa / Press Officer