Nibali's Vuelta a España disqualification caps difficult year for Astana

Can Astana pick themselves up again after Vincenzo Nibali's ejection from the Vuelta a España in a season of ups and downs for the team?

Astana chases on stage two of the 2015 Tour of Spain

(Image credit: Watson)

Movies based on the world of cycling are rarely very good, but should someone write a screenplay of Astana's turbulent season they could strike cinematic gold.

We've had doping scandals, confusion in the ranks, managers criticising riders, poor results, great results and now a disqualification from a Grand Tour - all while under the highest scrutiny from the UCI and cycling fans.

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