2008 Astana season
This article lists the team Astana team won and in the 2008 season.
- 2.1 Achievements in the UCI ProTour
- 2.2 Achievements in the UCI Continental Tour
- 2.3 Additions - Disposals
- 2.4 team
Course of the season
Restructuring
For the 2008 season the team was strengthened due to the disposal of some of the top drivers with new drivers. Among other things, last year's Tour winner Alberto Contador, and the tour medalist Levi Leipheimer were required for the new year. They changed, along with the new manager of the team, Johan Bruyneel, who replaced the previous manager Marc Biver, from the end of the season defunct Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. The team chose Trek as the official team bike manufacturers for the 2008 season and beyond.
New Anti - Doping Program
As a new philosophy of the team was a strict and clear stance in the fight against doping. For a team internal control system with a budget of 450,000, was - € ready and renowned anti-doping expert Dr. Rasmus Damsgaard was engaged as director of the program. He decided completely independent, who, when and how often is controlled. The German firm PwC was then commissioned by Dr. Damsgaard with the implementation of the controls. PwC is specialized in this field and also, among other things for all controls NADA ( National Anti -Doping Agency ) in Germany responsible. PwC then took off the drivers blood and / or urine samples, leaving the then examine in approved laboratories for possible abnormalities. The results were then sent back to Dr. Damsgaard and were evaluated by him. In the final step, the results were provided to the team at your disposal, which thus could act immediately if there were discrepancies. The International Cycling Union UCI and has always had access to all dates and time. Although the team acted as the client, so it should, however, be ruled out that it could influence the results. The same was true for team physicians and caregivers. These measures should help to support the credibility of the team and to enforce the zero tolerance policy on doping - not least in order to protect the health of the driver.
The great country tours in 2008
On February 13, 2008, the organizers of the Tour de France, ASO, announced that the Astana team was not invited because of his doping past to Tour 2008.
The team was subsequently invited to the Giro d' Italia, there was Alberto Contador with Klöden as helpers overall winner.