The Sticks in the Wind Have Gathered.

I reported back in August the sad disbandment of the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. Johan Bruyneel, the team manager who led 8 of the last 9 men to victory in the Tour de France (7 with Lance Armstrong, 1 with Alberto Contador) announced his retirement. Many of the cyclist, including team leaders Levi Leipheimer and Contador were left without contracts. Scattered, as sticks to the wind, with no team to go to for the 2008 season.

Only a month before, during the fabled Tour de France, another team battled to keep itself together. Astana Pro Cycling Team, sponsored by a conglomerate of companies based in the capital of Kazakhstan, was amidst a meltdown with three riders testing positive (at different times) for blood doping or illegal drugs. Eventually the team was forced to withdraw in shame, only showing up to a handful of races later in the season, always chastised and disrespected. Riders were released from contracts, management was under the microscope.

Then, in late September, the rumours started. Was Johan Bruyneel in talks with Astana to manage the next season? Will Contador and Leipheimer follow him?
All the while other Discovery riders were finding homes. George Hincapie signed with T-Mobile, Egoi Martinez will be racing with Euskatel-Euskadi in 2008. Other notable moves were Yaroslav Popovich to Predicor-Lotto and Jason McCartney to Team CSC. Some of the Americans returned home. Antonio Cruz signed with Team BMC who competes mainly in the U.S., and Tom Danielson moved to Team Slipstream, the new American hope for the European peloton.

Then, it was confirmed, Bruyneel signs a three year contract with Astana as the general manager, and not the director sportif. A new "challenge" is what drew Bruyneel to the role. He won't be behind the wheel following his new team, but his influence will be felt.

And soon after, that influence began to show. The former director sportif of Astana was sent packing in favor of Alain Gallopin of Team CSC. Bruyneel brought with him assistants Sean Yates and Viatcheslav Ekimov to work with Gallopin.

Riders soon followed, Contador was signed. Leipheimer was signed. Then in one fell swoop, the core of the former Discovery Channel Team latched on. The sticks began to gather again. This time in the capital of Kazakhstan.

Today, the announcement came that Jose Luis "Chechu" Rubiera was signed to a one year contract with Astana. The migration continued.

I was a little lost as to whom to root for in the coming cycling season. Any other sport it's pretty easy, Minnesota or Hawai'i based teams get my vote. When I started riding in the 1980's, the natural tendency was to root for the American team. Starting with 7-Eleven Hoonved, to Motorola, to USPS to Discovery. There, the bloodline ended. Now what? Root for the new American upstarts on Team Slipstream? Follow Hincapie to T-Moblie?


With todays announcement, I can feel my heart turn. Astana is my new team. The core of the team I followed for years has moved there, as will my heart. I'll still pay close attention to Team Slipstream and all the peloton for that matter. Cycling is in my blood. But for now, go Astana!Bruyneel also promised to change the jersey for the new year. Less baby blue. I agree. Yeech.

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