What Bikes,Kits will ASTANA use in 2008?

[eurostyle]

Slipstram will ride Felt bikes and Zipp wheels this year, read it on cyclingnews.

[los318]

Maybe Slipstream makes sense as it is an American team with mostly (I guess) American riders. Since Trek is headquartered in the USA and they are used to working closely with a local team it might be a good fit. Also Slipstream is making an emphasis on riding clean and taking doing extra testing so there is less risk involved in that respect.

Not sure how 'local' discovery are to trek - their base was in belgium, not far from the original waterloo though!

Slipstream ride Felt bikes, I think Treks reputation took a hammering along with Bruyneels this season so going with Astana won't be a surprise given the 'win at all costs' way of thinking.

I think Trek's rep in the US will be just fine. There are a ton of new Trek's around the Austin,TX area.

[Gregorio]

slip stream still has a deal to ride Felt andTrek will not intrude on that

[Sprinter]

People here seem pretty sure it'll be Trek, but (taken from another site)...



"As for sponsoring other programs, Trek's options are many but continuing on as the sponsor of Johan's program is not one of them."
Scott Daubert - Trek

[teterider]

Felts contract with Slipstream is only through 2008 last I read. A good bet is that Trek is courting them for 2009 and beyond.

[HammerTime2]

Also Slipstream is making an emphasis on riding clean and taking doing extra testing so there is less risk involved in that respect.

Maybe, maybe not. In Washington, D.C., there were "Just Say No" basketball leagues. "Just say no" is supposed to be just say no to (illegal) drugs (recreational, habit-forming, etc., not performance enhancing drugs). Well it turns out, it was discovered that a lot of the players were (illegal) drug dealers, who liked to unwind with some basketball after a long day of selling drugs and murdering people. Some of them used the games as a place to do business as well.

It was safe for the drug dealers (so they thought) because who would ever think that a drug dealer would show up a the Just Say No games. Maybe a doping rider would think they can get away with doping because who woudlbe sto stupid to be on that team and dope. It doesn't mean they will get away with it, but what matters is if they think they will.

[BW]

Also Slipstream is making an emphasis on riding clean and taking doing extra testing so there is less risk involved in that respect.

Maybe, maybe not. In Washington, D.C., there were "Just Say No" basketball leagues. "Just say no" is supposed to be just say no to (illegal) drugs (recreational, habit-forming, etc., not performance enhancing drugs). Well it turns out, it was discovered that a lot of the players were (illegal) drug dealers, who liked to unwind with some basketball after a long day of selling drugs and murdering people. Some of them used the games as a place to do business as well.

It was safe for the drug dealers (so they thought) because who would ever think that a drug dealer would show up a the Just Say No games. Maybe a doping rider would think they can get away with doping because who woudlbe sto stupid to be on that team and dope. It doesn't mean they will get away with it, but what matters is if they think they will.

what a crazy post

[Aardvark]

Also Slipstream is making an emphasis on riding clean and taking doing extra testing so there is less risk involved in that respect.

Maybe, maybe not. In Washington, D.C., there were "Just Say No" basketball leagues. "Just say no" is supposed to be just say no to (illegal) drugs (recreational, habit-forming, etc., not performance enhancing drugs). Well it turns out, it was discovered that a lot of the players were (illegal) drug dealers, who liked to unwind with some basketball after a long day of selling drugs and murdering people. Some of them used the games as a place to do business as well.

It was safe for the drug dealers (so they thought) because who would ever think that a drug dealer would show up a the Just Say No games. Maybe a doping rider would think they can get away with doping because who woudlbe sto stupid to be on that team and dope. It doesn't mean they will get away with it, but what matters is if they think they will.

This makes ZERO sense at all. Slipstream has one of the most active anti-doping programs, it would be the WORST place to go. This would be the equivalent of your drug dealers above playing basketball in a league with vice cops. What are the guys doing at training camp this week? Getting their medical testing and baselining done. then on a regular basis they get tested and checked throughout the season.

[DiterDV]

The Astana team 2008:

- Trek bikes
- Sram group
- Bontrager wheels

(info from there team medic )

[eurostyle]

Somehow I dont feel that good about the future of cycling when reading that. I think it puts a lot of suspicion on Johan Bruyneel and Discovery, all migrating to a Astana team under a lot of suspicion already.

[drjones96]

what a crazy post

Is it? I don't think it's so unbelievable. Small time drug dealers often have bumper stickers on their cars implying they support "Just Say No", Law Enforcement, Christianity, etc etc. They think this gives the cops a different impression of who they are before they walk up to their driver side window.

What would truely suck is if some rogue riders use the "Anti-Doping Cycling Team" as a cover to do their dirty work.

[BW]

what a crazy post

Is it? I don't think it's so unbelievable. Small time drug dealers often have bumper stickers on their cars implying they support "Just Say No", Law Enforcement, Christianity, etc etc. They think this gives the cops a different impression of who they are before they walk up to their driver side window.

What would truely suck is if some rogue riders use the "Anti-Doping Cycling Team" as a cover to do their dirty work.

It doesn't add anything to the current discussion and just rambles on about nothing relavent so yes, it is crazy.

[Sprinter]

what a crazy post

Is it? I don't think it's so unbelievable. Small time drug dealers often have bumper stickers on their cars implying they support "Just Say No", Law Enforcement, Christianity, etc etc. They think this gives the cops a different impression of who they are before they walk up to their driver side window.

What would truely suck is if some rogue riders use the "Anti-Doping Cycling Team" as a cover to do their dirty work.

There's a big difference between a bumper sticker and providing homologous blood doping test. It'd be like a drug dealer offering to move to a strict anti-drugs nation such as Saudi Arabia and be subjected to daily random checks and probes.

[talktobrett]

I did hear that they were going to ride Look in 2008. This could be total nonsense though.

[Herbert]

I'd say they will ride the bikes of the bike company who will pay them the most.

h