Riders on the Astana team are unsure of their positions after former Discovery Channel director Johan Bruyneel the team, bringing along nine riders to a team with 24 in the midst of a two year contract. In the Belgian newspaper La Dernière Heure, 26 year-old Belgian Igor Abakoumov expressed frustration with the mana𒅌gement, saying that he hasn't heard whether or not the contract would be honoured or whether the team will solve its in time to gain a ProTour license.

"I have no news: [Marc] Biver is 'dead'; Bruyneel is 'dead'; the UCI was told to wait," said Abakoumov, who⛄ is hoping to have his future resolved soon so he can either take an available spot at Mitsubishi or remain on the ProTour squad. "I have a contact, it's true, but I prefer to remain in the ProTour."

was positive for testosterone, was suspended after being named in the 'Oil for Drugs' scandal, while both and tested positive for blood doping. However, the exit of these four as well as being let go for disciplinary reasons, the open spots still do not accommodate the nine riders brought in by Bruyneel: , , , , , , and as well as .

With the voluntary exit of to LPR and Guennadi Mikhailov to Mitsubishi, the team's roster is one rider above the normal team size of 3𓄧0, and far above the minimum 25 required by UCI ProTour regulations. With the days counting down to the December 15 deadline for submitting contracts to the UCI, the riders are getting nervous.