Contador agrees to finish contract with Astana

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MADRID (AP)—Tour de France champion Alberto Contador has agreed to see out the final year of his Astana contract on condition that the team receives its Pro Tour license.

Contador said in a statement on Thursday that the initial agreement to remain with the Kahzak-based team and see out his contract through 2010 also depends on the team maintaining its strict internal doping controls.

Contador said he was convinced to see out the deal after Astana “ensured the reliability and competitiveness” of the team with several signings, including Yvon Sanquer as the new team manager and Giuseppe Martinelli as sport director.

Contador—one of only five cyclists to have won the Tour, Giro d’Italia and Spanish Vuelta in his career—is keeping his options beyond 2010 open.

“Contador does not want to abandon the possibility of making a decision on his longer term future, which he is fully capable of choosing at the end of 2010,” the statement read.

Updated Nov 19, 2:32 pm EST
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91 Comments

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  1. Cheese Curtain
    91. Posted by Cheese Curtain Tue Nov 24 7:54pm EST

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    KONG,
    I have to agree with you. I enjoy the ToC, but a lot of it has to do with when it used to take place. In many ways it is more of a tune-up event than anything else. But moving the race later in the season is senseless. Too few stages and overlapping the Giro? Just to stay topical, I wonder if this whole Contador and Astana alliance will hold up.

    Happy Thanksgiving to all posters on this site....except for one.
  2. KONG
    90. Posted by KONG Mon Nov 23 8:26pm EST

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    Ya the dates for the ToC seem to be a bad idea. Would like to think there's a good reason for it. The Giro will obviously attract the big guns. I'd also like to see more stages and an overall bigger race. This would make it more attractive to top riders.
  3. James
    89. Posted by James Mon Nov 23 3:31pm EST

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    "it"
    Thanks for including me in your email! That is the highest from of flattery that you have the nerve to actually address all of us in one of your postings. NOT!!

    You truly don't get how pathetic your postings make you look. Dopers, like you, deserve to be banned for life. Just as they are frauds, so are you!

    With that being said anyone wanna actually talk about cycling?
    What's up with the Tour of California going on the same time that the Giro is going on?

    Happy Thanksgiving to all!

    I thought they wanted to attract good talent. If I were a top-shelf rider or team There would be no doubt in my mind which race I would be doing. I think in 2011 the ToC organizers need to re-think their dates if they really want this race to be really successful. Also, how about a few more stages?
  4. Welove Oursuvs
    88. Posted by Welove Oursuvs Mon Nov 23 9:59am EST

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    IT = Fraud = Doper = ID Thief

    Note to the wise: If you see posts that have the sentence structure of a 1st grader and spelling errors of a 2nd grader, they are being made by someone who cheats and who is trying to overshadow his own doping by pointing out the mistakes of others.

    I still don't get the USPO thing?!?
  5. jackaroo
    87. Posted by jackaroo Sun Nov 22 11:59pm EST

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    IT,

    LOL, is that the best you can do? Posting under my name or anyone elses name doesn't disguise who you are.

    Do I really care that you use my post name? No, I don't care because I know who I am and what I am trying to help accomplish.

    IT that is having IT banned from the Yahoo Sports posts.

    Good night Mrs Calabash where ever you are!
  6. Welove Oursuvs
    86. Posted by Welove Oursuvs Sun Nov 22 8:47pm EST

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    "" But, you know, we're not going to be injecting anybody with synthetic hormones. And it puts me in an awkward position because when parents ask, 'Do you think those guys are taking drugs?' my answer is, 'Yes, I do.""


    IT should not be that all riders get the lashing of such a blanket statement. If you're mad at the world for some reason, I guess it's understandable to lump EVERYONE into one group.

    FAIL
  7. Welove Oursuvs
    85. Posted by Welove Oursuvs Sun Nov 22 8:40pm EST

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    IT - You really are a sorry individual. Does your wife beat you and Yahoo is the only place you feel like you can try and get an upper hand? I guess it really hits home when you read "FAIL" - because in the 'real world' you have nothing going for you. You are a failure - and you know it. No one likes you, no one want's to like you, you have never had any close friends, you feel sorry for yourself, those in your neighborhood think you're a nut-case, you do not know anything about cycling and you can only cut/paste your posts over and over and over and over and over. You're a joke. You said clowns should be at the circus. I guess that really comes from the heart doesn't it? You're a fraud, just like all the dopers. Again - YOU FAIL
  8. Matt
    84. Posted by Matt Sun Nov 22 8:15pm EST

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    Allez Armstrong!
  9. James
    83. Posted by James Sun Nov 22 7:29pm EST

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    Matt is a LIVE WRONG Nike sneaker troll.

    Marco Pantani is a DEAD Italian doper.

    Lance Pharmstrong uses an Italian blood doper & steroid specialist.

    So what?
  10. James
    81. Posted by James Sun Nov 22 7:27pm EST

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    Lance failed SEVEN drug tests in July 1999 alone.
    Lance & his steroid pose all dope
    Alberto dopes
    Tyler Liar hamilton dopes
    Floyd Roid Landis dopes
    Frankie Andreu doped at USPO & the TDF (and confessed)
    Roberto Heras dopes
    Ivan Basso dopes
    Benoit Joachim dopes
    Pavel Padrnos dopes
    Manuel Beltran dopes
    Stephen Swartz dopes (and confessed too)

    any other questions about how dirty Nike's Lance? There is much more.
  11. Ji
    80. Posted by Ji Sun Nov 22 6:55pm EST

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    Allez Contador.
  12. Matt
    79. Posted by Matt Sun Nov 22 3:39pm EST

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    Agreed Ji. All good folks here who want to post about the subject at hand have to deal with the internet terrorist Tom Morris, no matter what the topic, Tom Morris get's his dirty grubby hands involved. God knows where those hands have been. Just for grins, Lance sure does inspire on boths sides though, doesn't he. He gets the passion going either way. Some are sick of him and some love him to death. I fall somewhere in the middle but still hope he pulls a rabbit out of his hat next year.
  13. Ji
    78. Posted by Ji Sun Nov 22 2:35pm EST

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    Not dissing supporters of LA or LA,
    you already have your hands full, all activity with the terrorist = ad nauseum
  14. James
    77. Posted by James Sun Nov 22 2:18pm EST

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    die hard armstrong supporters + the terrorist = "ad nauseum"

    Matt is a LIVE WRONG Nike sneaker troll.

    Marco Pantani is a DEAD Italian doper.

    Lance Pharmstrong uses an Italian blood doper & steroid specialist.

    So what?
  15. James
    76. Posted by James Sun Nov 22 2:16pm EST

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    If Patrick Schmidt wants to use DOPER APOLOGISTS names (John T) or (Truthserum) or (Elizabeth Schmidt) or (bikedad) or (James) then he must look up to me. That's my take on this. Thanks Lar. I will be checking in from time to time this week as I am on vacation with the family following Lance's steroid doctor Michele Ferrari in the Cayman Islands. Everyone have a safe and pleasant Thanksgiving. Give the jackaroo the Cable Guy and Nike steroid programs hell...

    Swoosh and inject drugs. Lance does.

    Regards--Matt the Cancer fraud ace

    PS: Lance failed SEVEN drug tests in July 1999 alone.
    Lance & his steroid pose all dope
    Alberto dopes
    Tyler Liar hamilton dopes
    Floyd Roid Landis dopes
    Frankie Andreu doped at USPO & the TDF (and confessed)
    Roberto Heras dopes
    Ivan Basso dopes
    Benoit Joachim dopes
    Pavel Padrnos dopes
    Manuel Beltran dopes
    Stephen Swartz dopes (and confessed too)
  16. James
    75. Posted by James Sun Nov 22 2:16pm EST

    Report Abuse

    If Patrick Schmidt wants to use DOPER APOLOGISTS names (John T) or (Truthserum) or (Elizabeth Schmidt) or (bikedad) or (James) then he must look up to me. That's my take on this. Thanks Lar. I will be checking in from time to time this week as I am on vacation with the family following Lance's steroid doctor Michele Ferrari in the Cayman Islands. Everyone have a safe and pleasant Thanksgiving. Give the jackaroo the Cable Guy and Nike steroid programs hell...

    Swoosh and inject drugs. Lance does.

    Regards--Matt the Cancer fraud ace

    PS: Lance failed SEVEN drug tests in July 1999 alone.
    Lance & his steroid pose all dope
    Alberto dopes
    Tyler Liar hamilton dopes
    Floyd Roid Landis dopes
    Frankie Andreu doped at USPO & the TDF (and confessed)
    Roberto Heras dopes
    Ivan Basso dopes
    Benoit Joachim dopes
    Pavel Padrnos dopes
    Manuel Beltran dopes
    Stephen Swartz dopes (and confessed too)
  17. Matt
    74. Posted by Matt Sun Nov 22 1:59pm EST

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    It or Tom Morris (real name) who lives in Orinda California has been disrupting cycling forums for years and has been banned from numerous cycling forums, in my opinion needs to be dealt with here in the appropriate manner. Ignoring him indeed is an option but not a viable one. my 2 cents. You cannot blame other people for responding to him and then say it's the fault of the people who are responding to IT or Tom Morris. (Don't think that is the exact message I am hearing but similar) In several other well established forums this person has been banned for life. This can be done here as well but it may take some work by Yahoo. BTW, he has taken my handle but if you look at my profile, you can see that I am the real Matt. LOL. That just sounds funny...LOL

    Ji, respectfully, we all have our biases (spelling) in cycling and the normal discussions that can take place regarding this wonderful sport has been displaced on the whole by IT or Tom Morris. You have seen his work even if no one responds to his antics. I have seen him post 3-6 posts in a row time after time after time and not one poster responded to him at all. He then comes back and does it all over again. He does not care at all about other people on the forums whatsoever. As for Lance Armstrong, almost 100% of Tom Morris' posts slams him over and over again. I am a fan and proud of it for many reasons. There are just haters out there and whatever, you just can't stop the haters. However I am not blinded by this. I see a lot of great cyclists and am rooting for a great season next year in all the major tours.
  18. KONG
    73. Posted by KONG Sun Nov 22 1:51pm EST

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    Right on Jackaroo. We already have enough meaningless dialogue. Ignoring is an option that isn't working, so more drastic measures are being taken. Simple trial n error.

    Ji, be careful. You're dealing with a sensitive bunch, so do us all a favor and save the die hard LA bullsh*t. We certainly don't another IT. Be on your way.
  19. jackaroo
    72. Posted by jackaroo Sun Nov 22 1:02pm EST

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    Ji,

    What's with the die hard and ad nauseum crap.

    Are you calling IT a terrorist? I know that I am not calling IT a terrorist.

    Are you saying that anyone who wants to get rid of Spammer Dope IT, is die hard Armstrong supporter?

    I don't buy either one of those arguments. IT has a proven track record of disrupting cycling forums.

    I don't care who or what IT is attacking, IT needs to get off the Yahoo Sports posts.

    If you really have something to say, please express yourself in a more articulate manner.

    Your posts are much more important than any posted by IT, but if you don't express yourself in a way other posters can understand what you are saying, there isn't any chance for meaningful dialogue.
  20. Ji
    71. Posted by Ji Sun Nov 22 12:10pm EST

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    die hard armstrong supporters + the terrorist = "ad nauseum"
  21. jackaroo
    70. Posted by jackaroo Sun Nov 22 11:06am EST

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    Ji,

    Ignore IT, maybe yes and maybe no.

    Posters on many other cycling forums decided not to ignore IT & had IT banned from those forums.
    Sort of like removing a cancer, but more like getting rid of a nuisance.

    IT is more of a nuisance than anything else, but if a fly keeps on buzzing around you continuously, do you ignore it or swat it.

    I like that approach of trying to get Yahoo to ban IT.

    Two positive things can be accomplished:
    1. Yahoo Sports gets rid of IT
    2. Yahoo Sports accepts responsibility for what get posted and adds enhancements to the Yahoo
    Sports posts that enable other posters to block certain posts they find offensive or worthless.

    Really not something bad, but it is taking a long time for Yahoo to get off its ASSets and do something.
  22. Ji
    69. Posted by Ji Sun Nov 22 10:31am EST

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    IT should have been ignored as suggested.
    Now IT, a terrorist not a cancer, for had IT been a cancer IT would be in apoptosis.
  23. KONG
    68. Posted by KONG Sun Nov 22 10:21am EST

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    IT is a disgrace to humanity and the world would/will be a better place when IT is snuffed out. There is no rhyme or reason behind iTs postings. I don't believe IT cares either way about PEDs. I believe IT simply enjoys the controversy and arguments IT stirs up. IT offers no intelligent argument or proof to back up IT accusations. IT has nothing to offer here or anywhere else in life. With the way IT acts, how could it? I'm quite sure IT is a socio/psychopath and probably some type of sexual predator. Again, the world will be a better place when IT is terminated.
  24. Matt
    67. Posted by Matt Sun Nov 22 7:16am EST

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    Thanks Jackaroo, Tom Morris has been outed here on Yahoo. Thanks to Jackaroo and Truthserum for the work in this area. We cannot let up with the HEAT on Tom Morris of Orinda California. Their is much information about this Tom Morris dude that is out on the internet thanks to his addiction to spamming. This spammer has made enemies over the years and no one wants to have anything to do with him. Information is power.
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