An Astana united

Looking far from the disbanded team they were at the close of last season, Anthony Tan is seeing an Astana united: together, one that may be even stronger than in 2009.

Four days before the close of last year's Tour de France, the entire press corps at the TdF centre de presse in Annecy received an email.

The heading: "Lance Armstrong Partners with RadioShack to Form New Cycling Team in 2010".

"RadioShack Corporation (NYSE:RSH) is proud to announce a partnership with seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong to form a new American ProTour cycling team," began the statement from RadioShack's PR department.

"Beginning in 2010, Lance Armstrong will compete for Team RadioShack as a cyclist, runner and triathlete in events around the world, including the 2010 Tour de France."

Said Armstrong in the release, "To be able to compete for an American team comprised of the world's top cyclists, supported by the best coaches and staff – I couldn't be happier to partner with RadioShack, a truly iconic American brand."

Given that Paris was a few days away and there was still three months' racing left on the European race calendar, no details were disclosed on who apart from Armstrong would be joining Team RadioShack.

At that stage, neither Alberto Contador – who was wearing the maillot jaune, and who, in that final time trial, outclassed all and sundry to further an already unassailable advantage – nor Armstrong had confirmed rumours of what amounted to an uncomfortable seven-month rift between them. It was two days after the Tour ended before 'El Pistolero' told a packed news conference in his hometown of Pinto outside Madrid: "My relationship with Lance Armstrong is zero."

And so on and so on.

Still, it didn't take a genius to figure Contador would not be joining 'The Shack', and that then-Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel would.

Post the distribution of that press release, the questions were essentially twofold: 1.) Who would be joining Armstrong and Bruyneel (and by default, who would stay with Contador)? and 2.) Would Contador stay with Astana, or either join a new team or form his own team?

As if the Black Plague had struck, it turned to be a complete exodus at Astana. Armstrong took 10 of his Astana buddies with him and left Contador with almost nothing.

Contador, managed by his brother Francisco, looked like he was trying to get out of his contract that still had a year left to run. Astana offered a lucrative four-year deal – that was knocked back. Caisse d'Epargne, Quick Step, Garmin and Liquigas were all interested.

Though by November 19, it was announced AC would stay.

Said the release: "[Contador] has taken the decision to complete his contract with Astana having confirmed that both Yvon Sanquer, the new team manager, and sports director Giuseppe Martinelli guarantee the seriousness and competitiveness of the new Astana project.

"In a short space of time they have managed to bring together a group of riders of great quality with which to tackle the sporting challenges of the next season."

"The duration of the contract will be only one year because, apart from being a new project for Astana, Alberto Contador does not wish to renounce the option of making a decision about his longer term future," added the statement.

At the start of the season Astana looked shaky, despite new management and a renewed, solid group of riders that included the topical though controversial signing of Alexandre Vinokourov. Meanwhile, over at RadioShack, ostensibly the Tour-winning team of 2009, it appeared to be a case of business as usual.

In recent months, however, things have begun to change.

Armstrong rode just the one Spring Classic at the Tour of Flanders before becoming ill and returning home to the United States. Apart from Chris Horner who rode a superlative Tour of the Basque Country to beat Alejandro Valverde, and the always consistent Andréas Klöden, RadioShack's leading men have been unspectacular to date.

Conversely, Astana's Maxim Iglinksy has experienced a breakthrough season, winning Italy's version of Paris-Roubaix, the Montepaschi Strade Bianche, and finishing top-10 in Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo, Gent-Wevelgem and Flanders. He was also instrumental in guiding Contador during last Wednesday's Fleche Wallonne where the Spaniard finished third.

Leading by example, Contador has won three out of the four stage races he entered including his second Paris-Nice title – as auspicious a start as it was for him last year.

Then in Sunday's Liege-Bastogne-Liege, although not as his best, he rode for his team-mate Alexandre Vinokourov, softening the opposition before Vinokourov and another Alexander, Kolobnev of Katusha, made their winning move 17 kilometres from the finish, on the false flat after the Cote de la Roche aux Faucons.

From there, Vinokourov's strength and experience made his second Liege victory a formality, crossing the line with hands aloft in the typical 'V' salute, though among a noticeably subdued crowd in Ans.

And who was the first to congratulate Vino with an embrace that was far from stage-managed, but an embrace one reserves for only the closest of friends?

That's right – Contador.

And so with little more than two months before the 2010 Tour de France, Astana is beginning to resemble a team united. As strong, maybe even better, then they were 12 months ago.

On a perhaps related aside, has anyone noticed how quiet Armstrong has been on the Twitterfront of late?

You can follow Anthony on Twitter at twitter.com/anthony_tan