ONCE cycling team, () 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 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
1989 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
1990 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 & Eduardo Chozas Stages 1 & 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 & 4, Marino Lejarreta Clásica a los Puertos de Guadarrama, Stephen Hodge
1991 Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Melchor Mauri Stage 1, José Luis Villanueva Stages 3 & 6, Melchor Mauri Overall Vuelta a Murcia, José Luis Villanueva Stage 4a, Eduardo Chozas Overall Vuelta a España, Melchor Mauri Stages 1, 8 & 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
1992 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 & 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
1993 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 & 8b, Alex Zülle Stage 3 (TTT) Stage 8a, Laurent Jalabert Overall Critérium International, Erik Breukink Stage 3, Erik Breukink Stages 1, 6 & 21 Vuelta a España, Alex Zülle Stages 3 & 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 & 4 Volta a Catalunya, Laurent Jalabert Aalsmeer Criterium, Erik Breukink Overall Vuelta Ciclista a la Rioja, Laurent Jalabert Stage 1, Kiko García Stages 2 & 3, Laurent Jalabert
1994 Stage 2 Vuelta a Murcia, Herminio Díaz Zabala Points classification Vuelta a España, Laurent Jalabert Stages 2, 3, 5, 12, 13, 16 & 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
1995 Overall Bay Cycling Classic, Neil Stephens Stages 1, 3 & 4, Neil Stephens National Road Race Championships, Neil Stephens Overall Summer Tour Stages 1, 4, 5 & 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 & 2, Laurent Jalabert Overall Vuelta al País Vasco, Alex Zülle Stages 3 & 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 & 6 Tour de Suisse, Alex Zülle Overall Volta a Catalunya, Laurent Jalabert Stages 1 & 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 & 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
1996 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 & 4 Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclismo, Alex Zülle Stages 3 & 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 & 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 & 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 & 13, Laurent Jalabert Stage 15, Alex Zülle Stage 17, Oliviero Rincón UCI Road World Championships, Time Trial, Alex Zülle UCI Road Ranking, Laurent Jalabert
1997 Trofeo Soller, Laurent Jalabert Overall Challenge Mallorca, Laurent Jalabert Overall Paris–Nice, Laurent Jalabert Stages 1 & 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