Check out the rider list. On paper looks to me like the strongest all-around team in the Pro Tour. There are multiple legit contenders for the hilly classics and stage race GC's. The only real hole is the cobbled races, although Ivanov and Kessler have shown they can compete.

Igor ABAKOUMOV 30.05.81 BEL Jartazi
Assan BAZAYEV 22.02.81 KAZ Astana-Würth Team
Antonio COLOM MAS 11.05.78 ESP Caisse d'Epargne
Koen DE KORT 08.09.82 NED Astana-Würth Team
Thomas FREI 19.01.85 SUI New Pro
Maxim GOUROV 30.01.79 KAZ Ex Pro
René HASELBACHER 15.09.77 AUT Gerolsteiner
Maxim IGLINSKIY 18.04.81 KAZ Team Milram
Serguei IVANOV 05.03.75 RUS T-Mobile Team
Benoît JOACHIM 14.01.76 LUX Discovery Channel
Andrey KASHECHKIN 21.03.80 KAZ Astana-Würth Team
Aaron KEMPS 10.09.83 AUS Astana-Würth Team
Matthias KESSLER 16.05.79 GER T-Mobile Team
Andreas KLÖDEN 22.06.75 GER T-Mobile Team
Alexey KOLESSOV 27.09.84 KAZ New Pro
Julien MAZET 16.03.81 FRA Auber 93
Eddy MAZZOLENI 29.07.73 ITA T-Mobile Team
Guennadi MIKHAILOV 08.02.74 RUS Discovery Channel
Andrey MIZOUROV 16.03.73 KAZ Cycling Team Capec
Steve MORABITO 30.01.83 SUI Phonak
Dmitriy MURAVYEV 02.11.79 KAZ Jartazi
Daniel NAVARRO GARCIA 08.07.83 ESP Astana-Würth Team
Grégory RAST 1 7.01.80 SUI Phonak
Jose Antonio REDONDO 05.03.85 ESP Astana-Würth Team
Paolo SAVOLDELLI 07.05.73 ITA Discovery Channel
Michael SCHÄR 29.09.86 SUI Phonak
Evgeniy SLADKOV 15.12.83 KAZ New Pro
Alexandre VINOKOUROV 16.09.73 KAZ Astana-Würth Team
Serguei YAKOVLEV

Do most Pro Tour teams have that many riders? 29 seems like more than I'm used to seeing

The Vino and Kloden combo looks really strong. I expect Kloden to be the steady contender at the Tour, so if all else fails he will be a podium contender. Vino, of course, will be racing his own race either lighting it up or trailing way behind but always keeping it exciting.

Vino will win the tour. simple. . . teams are to uncertain to control him. this will allow for his attacks to work. with armstrong he controlled the peleton. now with nobody in control Vino will be at his best.

It will be less controlled which I think is great. However if...no no....when Vino attacks in the later part of a stage he will be marked I think by Valverde, Basso(if there) and they will go at it together or the attack will be neutralized and a team will come back to the front. But what am I talking about, its only January!

That is interesting, that Kloden and Mazzolleni joined Vino at Astana after all that crap at tmobile. I thought Vino left under some pretty negative circumstances. All I remember is Paul Sherwin saying "that is pathetic team tactics" when Kloden brought Ulrich back up to the attacking Vino. Hopefully Vino will be the team leader at the tour since he has a tour wn in the bag.

astana is damn solid this yr... i have my money on either kloden and vino to win the tour...

they will be the team to beat...

I personally don't think Astana will light the pro-tour on fire this year.I think that Valverde will win the tour and come close for the Vuelta. What i do think is that if Astana get through their first year without any scandals or implications in anything too big, 2008 will be big. Tour De France and Vuelta wins among the classics. They've got good leaders and good domestics!

Do most Pro Tour teams have that many riders? 29 seems like more than I'm used to seeing

That's the protour team size. I think some might have 27 or 28...

That's the protour team size. I think some might have 27 or 28...

One of the biggest complaints by the teams is that every pro tour team must compete in every pro tour event. The teams sometimes have riders at 2 mandatory events. If you have to field 9 guys for each race, plus take 1 or 2 alternates if someone drops out at the last minute, you have nearly 20 to 22 riders committed to riding at any one time. Then riders need a break during the season to recover.

for that move. when you have the ds screamin in your ear you do what you are told. vino is smart enough to know that.

i just hope vino wins. after all he went through with tmobile (granted he could have left any time) and then unable to ride the tour because his team didnt have enough riders after some were suspended, only to later have the suspension lifted after there was not enough evidence.

although i see him somehow missing another unplanned control before a race and the uci relegating him.

That is interesting, that Kloden and Mazzolleni joined Vino at Astana after all that crap at tmobile. I thought Vino left under some pretty negative circumstances. All I remember is Paul Sherwin saying "that is pathetic team tactics" when Kloden brought Ulrich back up to the attacking Vino. Hopefully Vino will be the team leader at the tour since he has a tour wn in the bag.

Vino is going to come riding a bicycle forged in the fires of hell, with a manic kazakh grin. Oh, and yes he is going to tear it up. My only sadness is that we can't see his domination start here in the states.
Matt
All joking aside, looking at his performance in the Vuelta, and his super team, he should tear up the protour and the tour this year.

It looks like they've got a new American sponsor too. Here is the press conference link:

http://caliradocyclist.blogspot.com/2007/01/astana-wu-tang-cycling-team-press.html

I don't think that this will help the doping allegations though.

What a great post, much better than the Jan one they did.
Matt