2007 Astana season
This article lists the team Astana team won and in the 2007 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
Right at the beginning of the season, the team celebrated its first successes. Antonio Colom won the Trofeo Sóller and Andreas Kloden made with the overall victory at Tirreno- Adriatico stage race which for the first success in the ProTour. He left in April to win a stage and the overall success in second-rate tour Circuit Cycliste Sarthe follow, Paolo Savoldelli celebrated wins and the ProTour race Tour de Romandie and the Giro d' Italia and Eddy Mazzoleni surprised with a third place overall in the Giro.
Doping
But the joy at this success was at the Italian Mazzoleni only for a short time, which he soon after doping allegations from 2004, was faced with, and the prosecutors announced an investigation. No two weeks after the Giro Mazzoleni broke his contract with Astana on.
Also to Alexander Vinokourov came on doping rumors, as the International Cycling Association accused him to train in black jerseys without endorsement of the team's sponsor, to thereby evade unannounced doping tests. Vinokourov justified wearing neutral jerseys, because it would otherwise be recognized by fans immediately and could not work out in peace. Moreover, his former teammate Jörg Jaksche brought him in an interview with the doctor indirectly Eufemiano Fuentes in context, is said to have performed in professional cyclists blood doping.
The end of June was a positive doping test at Matthias Kessler known, was tested positive for testosterone in April. The ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone was 84:1, the limit is, however, significantly lower in 4:1. Early July 2007, Matthias Kessler was finally released after positive B sample of Astana.
Success in Dauphiné
Alexander Vinokourov took part in the preparation for the Tour de France at the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré stage race, considered as a dress rehearsal for the tour. The Astana team was the dominant team during the eight days and was able to post a total of four days wins, two by Vinokourov and one each by Antonio Colom and Maxim Iglinski. However, despite its successes two stage Vinokourov could not intervene in the fight for overall victory and ended up with over nine minutes behind. His teammate and countryman Andrei Kaschetschkin finished third in the overall standings, Vinokourov himself won the points classification and the team Astana team classification.
Tour de France 2007
The tour however was for Astana debacle. In the first week, the tour is beaten as favorite Alexander Vinokourov and Andreas Klöden injured. In Klöden the injury was not serious, but at Vinokourov quickly became clear that he could not meet his captain role in Astana. At first mountain stages Vinokourov could not keep up with the favorites and had over eight minutes behind, while Andreas Klöden still was after the Alps with a place in the top ten drivers in the circle of favorites. During the time trial in Albi Vinokourov presented recovered from his injuries and won by a wide margin, but lost the next day on the first Pyrenean stage almost half an hour on the favorite one. At the second stage in the Pyrenees Vinokourov attacked and won his second stage victory. A day later, on the day of rest, it was announced that he had tested positive during his first stage victory on doping with foreign blood. The entire team Astana subsequently withdrew from the Tour de France. A little later it turned out that Vinokourov was doped in its second stage win. The B sample confirmed the result and he was dismissed from the team management.
Provisional retreat and Next doping case
On 31 July, it was officially announced that all activities of the team are set for the month of August. In time, the team management took counsel about the future and new regulations, team structures and ethics rules.
On August 8, it was announced that with Andrei Kaschetschkin another top rider of the team was tested positive. In an unannounced inspection on August 1 Kaschetschkin was tested in the A- sample positive for homologous blood doping. Astana suspended the Kazakhs immediately.
On August 13, the organizers of the Vuelta a Espana withdrew the invitation of the team for the beginning on September 1, three-week tour of Spain.
The team went on 2 September at the ProTour race GP Ouest France- Plouay first time after the self-imposed break from racing back to the start.
Money problems in 2007
In November of this year it was announced that the team's drivers had gotten paid by the separation of manager Marc Biver and its agency Zeus since August no salaries. Then put the drivers of the team leadership an ultimatum to turn to the UCI, if by Christmas no salaries should be paid. Meanwhile, however, the funds were paid by the Kazakh Cycling Federation as a ProTour license holder to an escrow account, from which then the outstanding salaries still employed at the, and to be paid to migrated athletes.
Season 2007
Successes in the UCI ProTour
Successes in the UCI Continental Tour
Additions - Disposals
Team
* Kessler, Vinokourov and Kaschetschkin were dismissed. ** The contracts with Mazzoleni and Redondo were dissolved.