ONCE (cycling team)

ONCE

The team at the 1993 Tour de France
Team information
UCI code	ONC
Registered	Spain
Founded	1989 (1989)
Disbanded	2006
Discipline(s)	Road
Status	ProTour
Key personnel
General manager	Manolo Saiz
Team name history
1989–1998 1999–2000 2001–2003 2004 2005–2006 2006 2006 2006	ONCE ONCE–Deutsche Bank ONCE–Eroski Liberty Seguros Liberty Seguros–Würth Würth Team Astana–Würth Team Astana 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 [1] [2]. 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 [3].

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.^[1][2] 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.^[3]

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,^[4] 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.^[5] On 16 December 2006, the UCI withdrew the ProTour license of Saiz's Active Bay company.^[6]

Major victories

Notable riders

Name	Nationality	Years
Eduardo Chozas	Spain	1989–1991
Anselmo Fuerte	Spain	1990–1992
Marino Lejarreta	Spain	1990–1992
Melcior Mauri	Spain	1990–1992, 1995–1998
Juan Llaneras	Spain	1991–1995
Alex Zülle	Switzerland	1991–1997
Johan Bruyneel	Belgium	1992–1995, 1998
Laurent Jalabert	France	1992–2000
Erik Breukink	Netherlands	1993–1995
Laurent Dufaux	Switzerland	1993–1994
David Etxebarria	Spain	1994–2000, 2005–2006
Patrick Jonker	Australia	1995–1996
Íñigo Cuesta	Spain	1996–2000
Mikel Zarrabeitia	Spain	1996–2003
Carlos Sastre	Spain	1997–2001
José Iván Gutiérrez	Spain	1999–2001
Peter Luttenberger	Austria	1999–2000
Isidro Nozal	Spain	1999–2006
Abraham Olano	Spain	1999–2002
David Arroyo	Spain	2001–2003
José Azevedo	Portugal	2001–2003
Joseba Beloki	Spain	2001–2003, 2005–2006
Igor González de Galdeano	Spain	2001–2005
Jörg Jaksche	Germany	2001–2003, 2005–2006
Iván Parra	Colombia	2001–2002
Giampaolo Caruso	Italy	2002–2006
Alberto Contador	Spain	2002–2006
Allan Davis	Australia	2003–2006
Koldo Gil	Spain	2003–2005
Luis León Sánchez	Spain	2003–2006
Carlos Barredo	Spain	2004–2006
Roberto Heras	Spain	2004–2005
José Joaquín Rojas	Spain	2005–2006
Michele Scarponi	Italy	2005–2006
Andrey Kashechkin	Kazakhstan	2006
Alexander Vinokourov	Kazakhstan	2006

References

External links

Media related to ONCE (cycling team) at Wikimedia Commons