Astana Says Contador Going Nowhere in 2010
PARIS, Aug 15, 2009 (AFP) – Tour de France champion Alberto Contador has been warned he may have to fight if he is to be granted his wish of leaving top cycling team Astana.
The two-time yellow jersey winner is reported to be poring over offers from rival teams following a tumultuous three-week race in which much of the focus was on his in-team rivalry with Lance Armstrong.
Seven-time champion Armstrong has since announced he will ride next year for Team RadioShack, but Contador’s wish to start anew could be stymied by the fact he still has a year left on his contract.
Astana said they want the 26-year-old Spanish ace, who appears on the verge of greatness having also won the Tour of Italy and Tour of Spain, to honor their deal until the end of 2010.
“In order to clarify some misunderstandings reported in the media, the Astana Cycling Team Management reconfirms that 2009 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador is expected to ride for Team Astana in 2010,” said a statement.
Astana were created by and for disgraced Kazakh cyclist Alexandre Vinokourov, who was thrown out of the 2007 Tour de France for blood doping.
Having recently returned to competition Vinokourov wants to race for Astana again and has thrown his weight behind keeping Contador in the team.
A spokesman for the Kazakh-sponsored outfit, Rinus Wagtmans, said the team intended to remain within the peloton until 2013.
And he claimed that Contador, who admitted after the Tour that Armstrong’s arrival last year had left to an uncomfortable cohabitation, would this time be given the team’s full support.
“It is clear that Alberto Contador will be our absolute leader of the Team for next season,” said Wagtmans.
“We are surprised to read that many other teams have reportedly shown their intention to engage our Tour winner when he remains under contract. A transfer is not negotiable and we will honor the signed contract. We look forward to more victories from Alberto in 2010.”
Team manager Johan Bruyneel, who led Armstrong to his seven Tour wins and was in charge of Contador for both his victories, is expected to follow Armstrong to RadioShack.
Press release from Astana can be found in our NEWS SECTION
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If you are inclined to bet, I’d bet that Contador wont be defending his title again next year. Astana was built by and for Vinokurov was banned for 2 years for doping. Vino’s suspension is up and he will be returning to the Astana team, which oh by the way Contador is locked down to for one more year. The TDF will NOT be letting Vino or Astana into their race, so no Contador. Why do you think Lance and Bruno beat it to Radio Shack, there is no chance in hell TDF will allow Vino back. Also, European cycling is very political and attacking the true team leader is career suicide. Yes, Lance was the true team leader, Lance and the Director Sportif Bruno are a team and Lance was the true leader of the team. My bet is that Contador is on a long black list for attacking his teamates and not just Lance. Contador should have supported Lance period end of sentence. Just ask Greg LeMond who was in a position to win the TDF but was ordered back to help Bernard Hinault who was the true team leader, Politics of Eruopean cycling. If LeMond had attacked Hinault his career would have been over just like Contadors is about to be. Contadors watch is reading 14:59, his 15 minutes of fame is just about up, good by.