Contador and Astana

[RC Vikings]

http://www.velonews.com/article/1001...ut-astana-deal

This will be interesting. I'm curious to see who they will put with Contador and it will put Armstrong and Contador head to head next July. It will be epic.

[creekster]

http://www.velonews.com/article/1002...mp-with-astana

Astana's team is not very strong, at least onpaper. I suspect that most fo the Spaniards (noval, de le fuente) will ride with Contadro and the kazakhs will stickwith vinokorouv. Supposedly Vino will not be part of the grand tour teams. This is not the calibre of team Contador had last year, but they way he was riding I am not sure if it will matter. If LA and AC were both in their prime i would give the nod to LA easily based on the teams. But they are not both in their prime. Instead, LA is most certainly on the downhill side of his career. Can LA deep and best the young and impressive AC? who knows, but as RC says, it shoudl be epic.

[Coach McGuirk]

The mountain stages for this year,