Spanish cycling team
ONCE cycling team, ("UCI team code:" ONC) also known as Liberty Seguros, Liberty Seguros–Würth and in succession in its final year, Astana–Würth and Astana was a Spanish cycling team. It competed in the UCI ProTour circuit.
On 25 May 2006, Liberty Mutual ("seguros" means "insurance" in Spanish) pulled out of primary sponsorship due to a doping scandal involving the directeur sportif, Manolo Saiz. On 2 June 2006, the team acquired a primary sponsor named Astana, after the capital of Kazakhstan. Würth was co-sponsor until 3 July 2006, withdrawing at the end of the 2006 Tour de France, in which Astana–Würth didn't compete. At the end of the season, Astana also withdrew due to the non-participation in the Tour. On 16 December 2006, the UCI withdrew the ProTour licence of Saiz's company, Active Bay.
Some riders and staff formed the Kazakhstan-based Astana Team.
History.
ONCE.
The team traces its lineage to the Spanish team, ONCE, sponsored by a lottery for the blind. Manolo Saiz, one of few managers who was not a former rider, introduced more professional management, closer supervision in coaching, equipment and training. In the 2003 Vuelta he was banned from the race after insulting a motorcycle-mounted TV cameraman, his comments broadcast live.
ONCE team was known for its association with Laurent Jalabert and Alex Zülle in the 1990s, dominating spring races such as Paris–Nice, La Flèche Wallonne and the Tour de Romandie. The team won the Vuelta a España in 1995, 1996 and 1997. It dominated the 1995 Vuelta with Jalabert winning overall, the points competition and the mountains. It was also best team, with Johan Bruyneel third. ONCE team in the Tour de France had stage wins from Jalabert and domination in the team time trial.
Zülle won the Vuelta in 1996 and 1997 but left the team in 1998. The team signed the 1998 winner and individual time trial specialist, Abraham Olano, who challenged in the 1999 Vuelta but never won a second Grand Tour. Joseba Beloki became leader and challenged Armstrong in the 2002 and 2003 Tours.
Isidro Nozal led the 2003 Vuelta until Roberto Heras took the lead on the penultimate day. ONCE's sponsorship was so successful that brand penetration was 100% in Spain, meaning every Spaniard surveyed knew ONCE. At the end of 2003 ONCE stopped sponsorship. Saiz obtained a new sponsor, Liberty Mutual. Most of the riders stayed, including Isidro Nozal and Igor González de Galdeano. Saiz signed Heras; he did not perform well at the 2004 Tour de France but won the 2004 Vuelta after a battle with Santiago Pérez.
Liberty Seguros.
In the 2005 the team started with wins in the Tour Down Under through Alberto Contador and Luis León Sánchez. In the 2005 Tour the team won the stage to Mende courtesy of Marcos Antonio Serrano, reminiscent of Laurent Jalabert's win in 1995.
Alexander Vinokourov joined in 2006 for three seasons to challenge for top finish in the Tour de France. Fellow Kazakhstan riders Andrei Kashechkin, formerly of Crédit Agricole, and Sergei Yakovlev also joined.
On 25 November, Roberto Heras was fired after a urine sample from the 2005 Vuelta a España, which he had won, tested positive for the blood-boosting drug EPO. Heras was stripped of what would have been a record-breaking fourth win and banned for two years.
Sponsorship Changes and 2006 Season.
On 23 May 2006, Saiz was arrested in relation to the Operación Puerto blood doping scandal. Liberty Mutual retracted sponsorship on 25 May 2006, promising only to finance current obligations. On 2 June 2006, the team acquired a new primary sponsor – named Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan – for three years, with an option to extend to six. It was headed by a consortium of five Kazakh companies. Long before Saiz was ensnared in Operación Puerto, the team had been notorious for doping dating back to its days as ONCE, and was considered one of the dirtiest teams in the European "peloton."
On June 30, 2006, Astana-Würth was excluded from the 2006 Tour de France after five riders were implicated in a doping scandal, leaving Vinokourov with three remaining teammates, below the minimum six for the Tour. Würth stopped its commitment on 3 of July.
On 26 July 2006, the five riders excluded from the Tour were cleared by Spanish officials, and the team returned to competition at the Tour of Germany in August, Assan Bazayev winning the first stage. One rider, Joseba Beloki, would never ride a professional race again.
At the end of 2006, Saiz listed Astana as his team's backer. Astana also claimed to have withdrawn support due to non-participation in the Tour. On 16 December 2006, the UCI withdrew the ProTour license of Saiz's Active Bay company.
Major victories.
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 Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Pello Ruiz Cabestany
Stage 5b, Pello Ruiz Cabestany
 Stage 1 Vuelta al País Vasco, Johnny Weltz
 National Road Race Championships, Johnny Weltz
 Stage 10 Vuelta a España, Herminio Díaz Zabala
 Stage 5 Vuelta a Burgos, Pedro Muñoz Machín Rodríguez
 Overall Vuelta a Andalucia, Eduardo Chozas
 Mountains classification, Miguel Ángel Martínez
Stage 4, Eduardo Chozas
Stage 6, Kenneth Weltz
Stage 3b (TTT), Celestino Prieto, Pedro Luis Díaz Zabala &amp; Eduardo Chozas
Stages 1 &amp; 20 Vuelta a España, Pello Ruiz Cabestany
Stage 3 Giro d'Italia, Eduardo Chozas
Stage 13 Tour de France, Eduardo Chozas
Stage 14 Tour de France, Marino Lejarreta
 Overall Escalada a Montjuich, Marino Lejarreta
Stage 1b, Marino Lejarreta
 Overall Vuelta a Burgos, Marino Lejarreta
Stages 2 &amp; 4, Marino Lejarreta
 Clásica a los Puertos de Guadarrama, Stephen Hodge
 Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Melchor Mauri
Stage 1, José Luis Villanueva
Stages 3 &amp; 6, Melchor Mauri
 Overall Vuelta a Murcia, José Luis Villanueva
Stage 4a, Eduardo Chozas
 Overall Vuelta a España, Melchor Mauri
Stages 1, 8 &amp; 19, Melchor Mauri
Stage 2b (TTT)
Stage 3 Tour de Romandie, Stephen Hodge
Stage 5 Giro d'Italia, Marino Lejarreta
Stage 13 Giro d'Italia, Eduardo Chozas
Biel-Bienne–Magglingen, Stephen Hodge
 Overall Vuelta a Andalucia, Miguel Ángel Martínez
 Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Melchor Mauri
Stage 5b, Melchor Mauri
Stage 4 Vuelta a Murcia, Melchor Mauri
Stage 1 Critérium International, Stephen Hodge
Stage 12 Vuelta a España, Johan Bruyneel
Stages 2, 5a &amp; 7 Volta a Catalunya, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 4 Volta a Catalunya, Alex Zülle
 Points classification Tour de France, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 6, Laurent Jalabert
Biel-Bienne–Magglingen, Stephen Hodge
Stage 1 Vuelta Ciclista a la Rioja, Melchor Mauri
Stage 3 Vuelta Ciclista a la Rioja, Kenneth Weltz
Decazeville Criterium, Philippe Louviot
Coppa Placci, Johan Bruyneel
Grand Prix des Nations, Johan Bruyneel
 Overall Escalada a Montjuich, Alex Zülle
Stage 1a, Alex Zülle
Subida a Txitxarro, Marino Lejarreta
Stage 1 Vuelta a Andalucia, Juan Llaneras
Trofeo Luis Puig, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 2 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Erik Breukink
Stage 6 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Paris–Nice, Alex Zülle
Stages 1 &amp; 8b, Alex Zülle
Stage 3 (TTT)
Stage 8a, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Critérium International, Erik Breukink
Stage 3, Erik Breukink
Stages 1, 6 &amp; 21 Vuelta a España, Alex Zülle
Stages 3 &amp; 7 Vuelta a España, Laurent Jalabert
Clásica Internacional de Alcobendas y Villalba, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Critérium du Dauphiné, Laurent Dufaux
Stage 5, Laurent Dufaux
Stage 6 Tour de France, Johan Bruyneel
Trofeo Comunidad Foral de Navarra, Johnny Weltz
Geraardsbergen, Criterium, Johan Bruyneel
Stages 3 &amp; 4 Volta a Catalunya, Laurent Jalabert
Aalsmeer Criterium, Erik Breukink
 Overall Vuelta Ciclista a la Rioja, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 1, Kiko García
Stages 2 &amp; 3, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 2 Vuelta a Murcia, Herminio Díaz Zabala
 Points classification Vuelta a España, Laurent Jalabert
 Stages 2, 3, 5, 12, 13, 16 &amp; 20, Laurent Jalabert
Classique des Alpes, Oliviero Rincón
 Overall Critérium du Dauphiné, Laurent Dufaux
Stage 5 GP du Midi-Libre, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 3 Vuelta a los Valles Mineros, Santos Hernández
Stage 1 Volta a Catalunya, Alex Zülle
Stage 5 Volta a Catalunya, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 3 Vuelta Ciclista a la Rioja, Johan Bruyneel
Paris–Tours U23, Nicolas Jalabert
 Overall Bay Cycling Classic, Neil Stephens
Stages 1, 3 &amp; 4, Neil Stephens
 National Road Race Championships, Neil Stephens
 Overall Summer Tour
Stages 1, 4, 5 &amp; 6, Neil Stephens
 Overall Vuelta a Mallorca, Alex Zülle
Stage 2, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Alex Zülle
Stage 2a, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 2b, Alex Zülle
 Overall Paris–Nice, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 2, Laurent Jalabert
Milan–San Remo, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 5b Setmana Catalana de Ciclismo, Alex Zülle
 Overall Critérium International, Laurent Jalabert
Stages 1 &amp; 2, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Vuelta al País Vasco, Alex Zülle
Stages 3 &amp; 5b, Alex Zülle
Klasika Primavera, Laurent Jalabert
La Flèche Wallonne, Laurent Jalabert
Calais Criterium, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 3 GP du Midi-Libre, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 14 Giro d'Italia, Oliviero Rincón
Stage 5 GP du Midi-Libre, Johan Bruyneel
Stage 4 part b Euskal Bizikleta, Alex Zülle
Stages 1 &amp; 6 Tour de Suisse, Alex Zülle
 Overall Volta a Catalunya, Laurent Jalabert
Stages 1 &amp; 7, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 6, Melchor Mauri
 National Time Trial Championships, Melchor Mauri
 Points classification Tour de France, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 7, Johan Bruyneel
Stage 9, Alex Zülle
Stage 12, Laurent Jalabert
Aalst Criterium, Johan Bruyneel
Profronde Stiphout, Erik Breukink
Villafranca de Ordizia, Neil Stephens
Ronde des Korrigans, Laurent Jalabert
Bol d'or des Monédières, Laurent Jalabert
Château-Chinon Criterium, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 3 Volta a Galicia, Laurent Jalabert
Circuit de l'Aulne, Laurent Jalabert
 National Time Trial Championships, Erik Breukink
 Overall Vuelta a España
 Points classification, Laurent Jalabert
 Mountains classification, Laurent Jalabert
Stages 3, 5, 8, 15 &amp; 17, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 16, Alex Zülle
Toulouse criterium, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Alquerias del Niño Perdido, Omnium, Kiko García
 Overall Playa de Aro Omnium, Juan Llaneras
Stage 1a, Juan Llaneras
 Overall L'Hospitalet de Llobregat Criterium, Melchor Mauri
 Overall Leganés, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Alcobendas, Laurent Jalabert
Overall UCI Road Ranking, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 4 Bay Cycling Classic, Patrick Jonker
Classic Haribo, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Vuelta a Andalucia, Neil Stephens
 Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 1, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 5b Melchor Mauri
 Overall Vuelta a Murcia, Melchor Mauri
Stage 5, Melchor Mauri
 Overall Paris–Nice, Laurent Jalabert
Stages 3 &amp; 4
 Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclismo, Alex Zülle
Stages 3 &amp; 5b
Trofeo Comunidad Foral de Navarra, Alex Zülle
Stage 1 Vuelta al País Vasco, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 5a Vuelta al País Vasco, Neil Stephens
 Overall Vuelta a Aragón, Melchor Mauri
Stage 2, Aitor Garmendia
Stage 4b, Melchor Mauri
Stage 3 Vuelta a Asturias, David Etxebarria
 Overall GP du Midi-Libre, Laurent Jalabert
Stages 2 &amp; 5, Laurent Jalabert
Classique des Alpes, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Vuelta Ciclista a la Rioja, Roberto Sierra
 Overall Volta a Catalunya, Alex Zülle
Prologue, Stages 3 &amp; 6, Alex Zülle
Stage 4, Patrick Jonker
 Overall Route du Sud, Laurent Jalabert
Prologue Tour de France, Alex Zülle
GP Llodio, David Etxebarria
 Overall Tour de l'Avenir, David Etxebarria
 Overall Vuelta a España, Alex Zülle
 Points classification, Laurent Jalabert
Stages 3 &amp; 13, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 15, Alex Zülle
Stage 17, Oliviero Rincón
UCI Road World Championships, Time Trial, Alex Zülle
UCI Road Ranking, Laurent Jalabert
Trofeo Soller, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Challenge Mallorca, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Paris–Nice, Laurent Jalabert
Stages 1 &amp; 6, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Critérium International, Marcelino García
Stage 2, Marcelino García
Stage 3, Aitor Garmendia
Trofeo Comunidad Foral de Navarra, Mikel Zarrabeitia
 Vuelta al País Vasco, Alex Zülle
Stages 2 &amp; 4, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 5b, Alex Zülle
 Circuit Cycliste Sarthe, Melchor Mauri
Stage 4, Melchor Mauri
Klasika Primavera, Mikel Zarrabeitia
La Flèche Wallonne, Laurent Jalabert
 Vuelta a Aragón, Aitor Garmendia
Stage 3, Mikel Zarrabeitia
Stage 4b, Aitor Garmendia
 Volta ao Alentejo, Aitor Garmendia
Stage 5, Aitor Garmendia
Stage 3 Vuelta a los Valles Mineros, David Etxebarria
Stage 6 Tour de Suisse, David Etxebarria
Callac Criterium, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 1 Vuelta Castilla y Leon, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Volta a Galicia, Aitor Garmendia
Stage 3b, Aitor Garmendia
 Overall Vuelta a Burgos, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 2, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Vuelta a España, Alex Zülle
 Points classification, Laurent Jalabert
Stages 6 &amp; 20, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 9, Melchor Mauri
Stage 21, Alex Zülle
1997 UCI Road World Championships, Time Trial, Laurent Jalabert
Milano–Torino, Laurent Jalabert
Giro di Lombardia, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Escalada a Montjuich, Laurent Jalabert
Stages 1a &amp; 1b, Laurent Jalabert
UCI Road Ranking, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Vuelta a Andalucia, Marcelino García
Stage 3, Marcelino García
Tour du Haut-Var, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 2 Paris–Nice, David Etxebarria
Stage 1 Vuelta al País Vasco, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Circuit Cycliste Sarthe, Melchor Mauri
Stage 4, Melchor Mauri
 Overall Vuelta al País Vasco, Iñigo Cuesta
Stage 5b, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Volta ao Alentejo, Melchor Mauri
Stage 5, Melchor Mauri
 Overall Vuelta a Asturias, Laurent Jalabert
Stages 1 &amp; 6, Laurent Jalabert
GP du Midi-Libre, Melchor Mauri
Stages 3 &amp; 4a Euskal Bizikleta, Laurent Jalabert
Classique des Alpes, Laurent Jalabert
Prologue, Stages 3 &amp; 8, Tour de Suisse, Laurent Jalabert
 National Road Championships, Road Race, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 3 Volta a Galicia, Rafael Díaz Justo
Subida a Txitxarro, Alberto Leanizbarrutia
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat Criterium, Melchor Mauri
 Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclismo, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 5b, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Vuelta al País Vasco, Laurent Jalabert
Stages 1 &amp; 5b, Laurent Jalabert
 Overall Tour de Romandie, Laurent Jalabert
Prologue, Stages 2 &amp; 3b, Laurent Jalabert
Stage 2b Vuelta a Asturias, Abraham Olano
 Overall Euskal Bizikleta, David Etxebarria
Stage 4b, Abraham Olano
 Points classification Giro