Astana Cycling Team

Here are the riders to be present for the race Tour of Poland:

• Oscar Pereiro (SPA)
• Assan Bazayev (KAZ)
• Allan Davis (AUS)
• Alexandr Dyachenko (KAZ)
• Dimitri Fofonov (KAZ)
• Maxim Gourov (KAZ)
• Mirko Selvaggi (ITA)
• Andrey Zeits (KAZ)

Sport Manager : Alexandr Shefer

All racers started, only leaders remained.
Sasha started warming up.

Dmitry Sedoun rode the route overnight and was discussing the nuances with Vino.

Read the rest of this entry →

Here are the riders to be present for the race CLASICA SAN SEBASTIAN:

• Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ)
• David De La Fuente (SPA)
• Jesus Hernandez (SPA)
• Maxim Iglinsky (KAZ)
• Josep Jufre (SPA)
• Daniel Navarro (SPA)
• Sergey Renev (KAZ)
• Goradz Stangelj (SLO)

Astana Cycling Team
Communication Department

Hi all!

I’m completely behind of schedule, my photo report is late and I’m very sorry but I couldn’t stand pace.
To follow the team, take pictures, after that to select and process photos is the task for the whole editorial staff.
So please don’t be angry with me.

So the individual race.
It is decisive day as today the Tour’s result will be clear and we will know if yellow T-shirt will stay with Contador.
Start is at the same place where finish was yesterday.
Hotel is only 6 km from the start, that is why racers were delivered to the start one by one, one hour and a half before the start.
Bikes for individual race were prepared overnight.

Teams disposed buses, arranged awnings, set up cycling machines. Read the rest of this entry →

We have learned through a statement issued by his press service, that Alberto Contador no longer wishes to ride for the Astana team with whom he won two Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and Tour Spain. For three years, the sponsor of Kazakhstan has offered him the best working conditions to enrich his record.
 
Alberto Contador himself had desired before the start of the Tour de France to find quickly an agreement to extend his contract with Team Astana. Our proposal was superior to the contract he had so far but it should be ratified as soon as possible to arrange for future season in the best conditions. Alberto Contador had himself called for this condition to pass a more serene off season.
 
By setting a dead line on July 25 evening of the arrival of the Tour de France and then extending it to 48 hours as he had requested, we thought we had complied with the wishes of Alberto Contador. We have never put any pressure, we have always acted according to his will.
 
His decision to leave does not depend on us but on other outside proposals. We respect his choice, and wish him good luck.

Astana Cycling Team
Communication Department

Alberto Contador and Astana separate their paths
 
Alberto Contador has rejected the ultimatum of the Astana team, who had asked for a definitive answer to its bid for renewal of contract for next seasons.
Contador had asked for time at team officials to study its continuity, given the importance of this decision. Although the positions of both parties were not so fa, the team wanted to know urgently whether or not will the winner of the Triple Crown to begin to design the 2011 team, to which the positions were away.
The contract among Astana and Alberto Contador, began after the demise of the Discovery team, has been extended during three years expiring at the end of this season. During this time, Contador has won, among other races, one Giro, one Vuelta and two Tours de France.
After winning the 2010 Tour de France, Alberto Contador wants to have time to calmly explore all possibilities available to him to ride during the coming seasons, but so far none has been excluded.
(Automatic translation. Forgive inaccuracies).
 

–
Jacinto Vidarte
Jefe de Prensa / Press Officer

The morning was sunny, so everyone was happy, after cold and raining Tourmalet.

Wakening and breakfast was as usual according to the schedule.

Technicians woke up earlier this morning. Specialized requested Alberto to use new frame bike on this stage. War-horse is seldom changed during the race , only Frenchmen could afford themselves to change frames, but Astana had serious task , and horses are not to be changed during the race. The request of bikes’ suppliers couldn’t be ignored so thus the technicians prepared the bike.

The frame was unusual with its painting. There were names of people who paid 30 Euro for placing of their names on the frame. This is what I’ve got from my conversation with a technician. The conversation was “with fingers” as we spoke different languages.

Read the rest of this entry →

17 stage – Tourmalet

Hello everyone from the Tour!
Today was my first day on this great race.
The day was long and full of impressions, I would like to tell about many things but I’m almost out of energy and dope is not welcomed in Astana. So I’m sorry for briefness.
The morning starts with personnel’s awakening at about 7am, everyone is coming for breakfast where I was invited as well. It was calm and drowsily until Yura Kulishkin appeared, in 5 minutes everybody laughed and joked a lot but not for a long as there was hard day ahead.
Masseurs went to prepare food and water for racers, I mean they filled the bottles with water and put jelly and energy bars in to the bags.

Read the rest of this entry →