CycLog

Astana-gate

I like cycling. No, I love cycling. I spent five years of my life doing cycling as a teenager back home. I did the Nationals, I did track, I did cyclo-cross, time-trial, I did everything. Those days, in that age, in Greece, we were doing everything. I even did a triathlon, once. So, if you haven’t understood yet, I love cycling.

But now, at the age of 40, I have the ability to look at the pro cycling scene with a more objective eye. I come across people who dismiss cycling as a sport of cheats and dopers but it still bothers me. So the news that 5 Astana riders have tested positive for doping, this year, does not please me. So if you haven’t been following the news I;ll tell you briefly what has happened.

• During the first half of September we hear that Valentin Iglinskiy tested positive during the Eneco Tour. Valentin rides for Astana Pro Team. According to the news, Valentin Iglinskyi confessed. So, no arguments there.
• Less than a month later Maxim Iglinskyi (Valentin’s older brother) returns a positive test. The test was taken during the Tour de France but as is usually the case it kaes some time for the results to be announced. From what I understand it takes some time to carry out the tests and obviously there is a number of samples taken every day, so there is some backlog. Maxim rides for Astana Pro Team, too. He is the winner of the 2012 Liège – Bastogne – Liège which puts a shadow over that result.
• Then a few days later we hear that Ilya Davidenok returns a positive from the Tour de l’Avenir. Ilya rides for the Astana Continental Team. and since 1 August 2014 he has been a stagiaire for Astana Pro Team. After this, UCI announces that they will be reviewing the Astana WorldTour licence.
• If this wasn’t enough less than 10 days later there is news that Victor Okishev returns a positive. Victor rides for Astana Continental Team. UCI are not happy, Vincezo Nibali (who won the 2014 Tour de France) says he has nothing to do with those imbeciles, and the management of Astana Team are not happy, I guess.
• Then 3 days ago Artur Fedosseyev returns a positive from a sample taken on 16 August. Artur rides for Astana Continental Team. Now, the proverbial has hit the fan.

So from this point there is all sorts of reaction. First, Alexandre Vinokourov, Team Manager of Astana Pro Team suspends the Astana Continental Team. Then, Kairat Kelimbetov, the president of the Kazakhstan Cycling Federation, has resigned and has been replaced by Darkan Mangeldiev, a close friend of Alexandre Vinokourov. Then, Darkan Mangeldiev of the Kazakhstan Cycling Federation suspends the Astana Continental Team.

I would like to bring to your attention that Alexandre Vinokourov had tested positive at the 2007 Tour de France and he served a 2-year ban. Also, there is the biological passport on-going case of Roman Kreuziger since he was riding for Astana Pro Team (now with Saxo Tinkoff). BTW, I will stick to doping and not race fixing that Alexandre Vinokourov is accused of.

So, I am really looking forward to see what will the UCI do after all this.

Photo: © Bettini Photo