According to Sport24.co.za, the Kazak...

According to Sport24.co.za, the Kazakh Cycling Federation deputy president Nikolai Proskurin said on Tuesday that the UCI had demanded a bank guarantee equivalent to Astana’s annual budget of $22 million.

 

"It seems to me that they don't want an Asian team in the ProTour, and for it to beat European teams," Proskurin alleged. 

 

Or, perhaps, they don't care for megalomaniacal dopers who return from a suspension and oust the current management of "his" team, which was delinquent in it's salary payments all year.

 

This story serves as the political backdrop to what is now cycling's hottest property.  Alberto Contador?

 

No, no, no.

 

I am referring to Asian rider, and Michael Rasmussen wannabe, Fumiyuki Beppu. 

Several weeks ago Rasmussen signed a contract with Italian team CDC-Cavaliere.  Rasmussen's then suffered a case of buyer's remorse and claimed he had signed a pre-contract, not an actual contract.

 

Beppu was announced Monday as a member of Armstrong's new RadioShack team.  That news was a surprise to Beppu's current team, Skil-Shimano, which announced Beppu as part of their 2010 team on November 11.

 

Beppu apparently feels that he was only on Skil's pre-team.