Astana’s first training camp of Astana in Montecatini was overshadowed by the doping problems in the team. The brothers Maxim and Valentin Iglinsky tested positive for EPO in 2014 while the continental team had three positive cases. "We have received a lot of shit," Lars Boom tells De Telegraaf.

“When I signed with Astana, I just had the feeling that the doping discussion was gone," says Boom who joined the team from the Belkin formation. "Well, in recent months it came back. Of course I don’t like it. Especially because the doping stories always mentioned the fact that Lieuwe [Westra] and I are under contract with them. I was and am against doping. Nothing has changed. I have not been worried that Astana would lose its WorldTour license as I did never believe that it would happen.”

Boom has been annoyed by a lot of people who expressed their opinion. “I find it sad that some people who barely know me and have not spoken to me, describe me as hypocritical. It has been claimed that I have chosen this team purely for the money. But they do not even know how much I earn and what other offers (including Team Sky, ed.) I had. It's just nonsense. "

At the training camp Vinokourov talked to the team. “He emphasized the anti-doping policy of the team. Of course we felt that the world was against us. But the team speaks out against doping in the same way as Belkin.”