BRUSSELS, Belgium -- Cyclist Yaroslav Popovych rejoined Lance Armstrong on the Astana team Thursday, hoping to create a winning combination at the Giro d'Italia.
Popovych was a support rider who helped Armstrong win his record seventh straight Tour de France in 2005. He will work again with Johan Bruyneel, the Astana team director who guided Armstrong during his Tour victories.
"When I heard that Yaroslav was free, I was immediately interested," Bruyneel said in a statement. "We will most likely count on him to support our leaders in the Giro and the Tour."
Armstrong, making a comeback after three years in retirement, hasn't decided whether he will try for an eighth Tour de France title in 2009. He has committed to racing in the Giro.
The 28-year-old Popovych won a Tour de France stage in 2006 and finished eighth overall in last year's race.
"It may have surprised people that I would go to a team that has a number of leaders," Popovych said. "However, Johan's organization is the perfect fit for me."
The Astana team also features Alberto Contador, the Giro and Spanish Vuelta winner this year, along with American veteran Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Kloeden of Germany.
Popovych's move follows a disappointing year with Silence-Lotto, where he was supposed to help Cadel Evans win the Tour's yellow jersey. The Australian finished second.
Popovych won the white jersey as the most promising rider in the Tour in 2005 and added two top-five finishes in the Giro. Despite such talent, the Ukrainian never made it as a leader on a team.
Contador won't race in the Giro and may miss the Spanish Vuelta to focus on winning his second Tour de France.
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Cyclist Popovych joins Astana team
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Cyclist Popovych joins Astana team
Hopefully they can get the maximum out of him. I remember before Lance retired this guy was the next big thing and they were grooming him as the next GC title contender. Hasn't done a hell of a lot since. In fact poor old Cadel didn't have too much support this year from his team. It appeared none of them could stay with him into the big mountain stages.
Suprised he changed thou...he was on a really good salary at Loto...wouldn't have been hard to buy that contract out!.
I wouldn't be surprised if S-Lotto was keen to boot him out too. Based on all the hype and advertising, S-Lotto as well as their sponsor (eg. Ridley) had a lot on the TdF. And as it turned out, he never lived up to expectation.
Bianchi, Ridley, Montague, GT, Garmin and All things Apple
That's an understatement. He was just crap and left Cadel hanging stage after stage on the climbs. And he was protected earlier in the tour so that he could offer the maximum benefit to Cadel when it counted. He failed. If he turns around and does wonders suddenly for Astana then I'll be very skeptical of their "program" as chuck puts it. Actually, I'll be skeptical of Astana anyway. J. I'm a runner, but I sure love to ride!
He seams like a v strong cyclist but he was selfish and only really went for breakaways in the last few stages of 08 instead of offering any help for Cadel, I remember one of the last stages before the 2nd time trial where Cadel himself said before the stage that the decent of this stage is going to be more important than the climb then I see popovych in the lead with 3 others and think he will drop and help Cadel gap Menchov, but he never did, good thing he didn't win that stage, Lets see if he goes for breakaways next year, especially in mt stages.
 Last edited by toolonglegs on Wed Jun 16, 2010 9:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
is bruyneel still TD of Astana?
-Drugs are for people who can't handle reality-
You would think so. I was watching some of my past TDF dvd's and he was quite incredible in the mountains in some past years. Fastest Century: 100km in 2:52 at 35 km/h
2008 Merida Scultura Evo Team
Better anti-dope culture in Silence-Lotto? Bianchi, Ridley, Montague, GT, Garmin and All things Apple
Haha possibly.. Fastest Century: 100km in 2:52 at 35 km/h
2008 Merida Scultura Evo Team
omerta = silence
I have a cunning plan, as cunning as a fox who's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University
Didn't he just have a 1 year deal ? At the end of the day, if you don't fit in a team, you don't fit. At the end of the day, he wasn't worth holding on to from Silence's point of view. Be interesting to see how he goes at Astana tho'
Astana is going to murder the TDF in 2009... Imagine the team time trial... Quite sure we could be in for the fastest TTT speed of all time. Just look at their TT potential - Armstrong, Leipheimer, Contador, Kloden.
Fastest Century: 100km in 2:52 at 35 km/h
2008 Merida Scultura Evo Team
Vino ? Yep it's gonna be quick. But they're going to bring plenty of suspicion with them too. Astana seem to be out of step with some of the other teams who, on the surface anyway, are determined to clean the sport up. Astana head to head with Stuey, Jens and their mates (Saxo Bank ?) will be interesting.  FPR Ragamuffin
Vino may sneak back in...that remains to be seen.But very unlikely he will ever ride a TDF again...if they insist he rides then they may lose their invite.
After all ASO seem to be able to do what they like. Garmin will have an amazing TTT as well.
If Vinos on the team theres no way there going to be at the TDF, even if his not on there list for that event the fact that they would sign that rider would give the ASO and now the UCI ( remmember the UCI fought the exclusion of Astana this year) a very good reason to exclude them. It may cause LA some issues next year getting into ASO run events.
We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that works (Douglas Adams)
Don't forget Fabes Fastest Century: 100km in 2:52 at 35 km/h
2008 Merida Scultura Evo Team
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) obviously works better for him. You wouldn't feed him for what he did at Silence this year.
