The RTL L’Equipe podcast is a good listen, one of the best podcasts going. Monday’s edition included a telephone interview with Astana’s Yvon Sanquer, the DS imported at the end of 2009 to replace Bruyneel and his entourage.
Stuck in the middle with you
When asked who was the team leader, Sanquer was firm that in July, the team is fully behind Contador, “this is unarguable and definitive, it’s Alberto“. One of the podcast’s panel, Jean-Paul Brouchon asked Sanquer what would happen “if the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan was on the phone… and asked you to favour Vinokourov over Contador“, and Sanquer replied with an “I don’t want to answer that question“.
Clearly the team has to know where its money come from but I’d suggest that all the riders and staff know where money really comes from: Contador. If the Kazakh money dries up one day, Contador – as a guaranteed stage race winner – is always going to be able to attract sponsors and Vinokourov only has a year or two left at best.
It was great radio. need more of that sort of thing. A commercial station not afraid to ask a really difficult question. much as I like cyclingnews and have tried to encourage them to improve, I notice they tiptoe around doping issues and other thorny issues. Need to get to the nub of things!