Comments on: The end of a PR campaign http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/ neweurasia\'s Kazakhstan blog Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:07:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 By: ja http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-39102 ja Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:57:48 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-39102 your web so cool your web so cool

]]> By: KZblog http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-38049 KZblog Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:53:23 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-38049 Don't forget that the whole point of Team Astana was that last year Vinokurov's team members got disqualified for doping so he said, "Enough relying on other people! I am making my own team next year to show what I can do (and for the glorious benefit of Kazakhstan)!" Now he gets busted for doping himself. Good job. Don’t forget that the whole point of Team Astana was that last year Vinokurov’s team members got disqualified for doping so he said, “Enough relying on other people! I am making my own team next year to show what I can do (and for the glorious benefit of Kazakhstan)!” Now he gets busted for doping himself. Good job.

]]> By: Global Voices Online » Kazakhstan: Election (and Cycling) Races http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-37255 Global Voices Online » Kazakhstan: Election (and Cycling) Races Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:51:05 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-37255 [...] government, was disqualified from the race after alleged blood transfusion. Ben of neweurasia comments: “Astana’s display during the fifteen stages has not been very conducive to Kazakhstan’s [...] […] government, was disqualified from the race after alleged blood transfusion. Ben of neweurasia comments: “Astana’s display during the fifteen stages has not been very conducive to Kazakhstan’s […]

]]> By: Andrew http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-36288 Andrew Sat, 28 Jul 2007 14:43:02 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-36288 I used to love watching the Tour, and now I could care less. Casual attitudes towards doping and steroids are not unique, by any stretch of the imagination, to Kazakstan. Many American, European, and South American cyclists have been caught cheating. The casual attitude seems more specific to the sport itself than any particular cohort within. I used to love watching the Tour, and now I could care less. Casual attitudes towards doping and steroids are not unique, by any stretch of the imagination, to Kazakstan. Many American, European, and South American cyclists have been caught cheating. The casual attitude seems more specific to the sport itself than any particular cohort within.

]]> By: Arthur http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-36205 Arthur Fri, 27 Jul 2007 07:05:50 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-36205 I don't think it really matters for our blog whether this is "the deepest crisis ever" for cycling. But Ben is right that it is a PR disaster for Kazakhstan. A European friend here who follows cycling (which I, admittedly, do not), told me that the approach to doping is just far more casual in Kazakhstan than in Europe, his implication being that almost everyone in Kazakhstan does it. I don't know if he's right, but it would seem to make sense historically, considering how <a href="http://www.ukrweekly.com/Archive/2003/450319.shtml" rel="nofollow">widespread</a> performance enhancing drugs were during the Soviet period. I don’t think it really matters for our blog whether this is “the deepest crisis ever” for cycling. But Ben is right that it is a PR disaster for Kazakhstan. A European friend here who follows cycling (which I, admittedly, do not), told me that the approach to doping is just far more casual in Kazakhstan than in Europe, his implication being that almost everyone in Kazakhstan does it. I don’t know if he’s right, but it would seem to make sense historically, considering how widespread performance enhancing drugs were during the Soviet period.

]]> By: Ben http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-36028 Ben Tue, 24 Jul 2007 20:23:17 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-36028 Not having been being interested in the sport for too long, I just came across the name <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djamolidine_Abdoujaparov" rel="nofollow">Djamolidine Abdoujaparov</a>, arguably the most successful Central Asian biker cyclist ever ("The Tashkent Terror" was one of his nicknames). Unfortunately, his career was overshadowed by doping as well. Not having been being interested in the sport for too long, I just came across the name Djamolidine Abdoujaparov, arguably the most successful Central Asian biker cyclist ever (”The Tashkent Terror” was one of his nicknames). Unfortunately, his career was overshadowed by doping as well.

]]> By: andrew curry http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-36026 andrew curry Tue, 24 Jul 2007 19:20:24 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-36026 For the sake of accuracy: German TV stopped covering the tour after a German rider, Patrick Sinkiewicz, was found to have high testosterone levels in his bloodstream (Floyd Landis had the same problem last year). But I don't think that this is cycling's worst crisis ever. I think that the older riders have been brought up in a culture of drugs cheating, and if the sport continues to be aggressive about it and testing continues to be effective, it will clean up as younger riders come through. Provided they can keep the sponsors onboard in the meantime. But there are also some double standards here. Arnold Palmer made some strong allegations a week ago about drug-taking in golf - and we had four days of coverage of the British Open in which it was, as far as I can see, not mentioned at all. I know what the tests are on cyclists and how they work (even if the UCI and the national federations need to clear up the way the 'whereabouts' rules work and how they are enforced). Athletics seems pretty murky to me, judging from the comments of Dick Pound of WADA. Golf? I'm not sure there are any testing procedures at all. For the sake of accuracy: German TV stopped covering the tour after a German rider, Patrick Sinkiewicz, was found to have high testosterone levels in his bloodstream (Floyd Landis had the same problem last year).

But I don’t think that this is cycling’s worst crisis ever. I think that the older riders have been brought up in a culture of drugs cheating, and if the sport continues to be aggressive about it and testing continues to be effective, it will clean up as younger riders come through. Provided they can keep the sponsors onboard in the meantime.

But there are also some double standards here. Arnold Palmer made some strong allegations a week ago about drug-taking in golf - and we had four days of coverage of the British Open in which it was, as far as I can see, not mentioned at all. I know what the tests are on cyclists and how they work (even if the UCI and the national federations need to clear up the way the ‘whereabouts’ rules work and how they are enforced). Athletics seems pretty murky to me, judging from the comments of Dick Pound of WADA. Golf? I’m not sure there are any testing procedures at all.

]]> By: Nick http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-36023 Nick Tue, 24 Jul 2007 18:09:20 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-36023 <i>Professional cycling is in its deepest crisis ever.</i> Possibly. Remember, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_Landis" rel="nofollow">defending Tour de France champion</a> is absent owing to numerous doping allegations, which was the thought to be the deepest crisis ever ... <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operación_Puerto_doping_case" rel="nofollow">since the one before</a> ... <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_Tour_de_France" rel="nofollow">and the one before that</a> ... ad infinitum Professional cycling is in its deepest crisis ever.

Possibly. Remember, the defending Tour de France champion is absent owing to numerous doping allegations, which was the thought to be the deepest crisis ever … since the one before … and the one before that … ad infinitum

]]> By: Ben http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-36021 Ben Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:21:38 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-36021 As an aside, it's quite tragic for former FM Tokayev, whom Winokurov allegedly personally appealed to for help when no sponsor could be found. He reportedly lobbied on Team Astana's behalf and got the whole business establishment such as Air Astana, ENRC, KMG, etc. to sponsor the money. As an aside, it’s quite tragic for former FM Tokayev, whom Winokurov allegedly personally appealed to for help when no sponsor could be found. He reportedly lobbied on Team Astana’s behalf and got the whole business establishment such as Air Astana, ENRC, KMG, etc. to sponsor the money.

]]> By: Global Voices Online » Kazakhstan: Team Astana withdraws http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-36019 Global Voices Online » Kazakhstan: Team Astana withdraws Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:14:16 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2007/07/24/the-end-of-a-pr-campaign/#comment-36019 [...] neweurasia reports that this year’s Tour de France is over for the Kazakhstani Team Astana following the positive doping test of the team’s captain Alexander Vinokurov. Share This [...] […] neweurasia reports that this year’s Tour de France is over for the Kazakhstani Team Astana following the positive doping test of the team’s captain Alexander Vinokurov. Share This […]

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