Astana Cycling Team

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A Caisse rider took out Baza at 2km to go. It looked bad.

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Okay, so things unraveled for all the teams in the final km and Astana’s results weren’t quite so stellar.

There’s still plenty to applaud.

Baza was in the 12-man break and stayed ahead with 5 others when it split in half.

Yvon Sanquer, manager of Astana, reached an agreement with ASO during Paris-Nice to not take the start at Paris-Roubaix. Astana said the organization does not have specialists to deal with this hard race, and Jean François Pescheux accepted the proposal by the ASO, and that this would give an additional place to include one of  many teams that have shown interest in Paris-Roubaix this year and have no invitation. Yvon Sanquer is committed to present at the start in Paris-Roubaix 2011, a powerful Astana team.

Astana Cycling Team
Communication Department

Alberto Contador has decided to change his next competition schedule after an analysis by the astana technical staff about his performance in the Tour of the Algarve and Paris-Nice.

“I had very good results in the first two races, my preparation is well under way and so we decided to change the calendar, to seek a less wear racing for me and for my team”, said Alberto Contador.

After a Paris-Nice that has been very taxing physically and mentally, Alberto Contador has decided to dismiss both the Volta a Catalunya and the Basque Country Tour. In return, the leader of Astana will ride in the Criterium International (27 and 28 March), in the Tour of Castilla and Leon (14 to 18 April), Fleche Wallonne (April 21) and Liege-Bastogne-Liege (April 25).

“The Criterium is a race that suits my characteristics very well and I also look forward to run because it has much prestige”, said Alberto. “The Tour of Castilla and Leon is a race for what I have a special affection and this year change dates has been good for me and give me the opportunity to go to the classics, where I especially hope to take some experience. I’m excited to ride there, because they have a special charm, but I realize that there will be more skilled riders than me to fight for victory”.

Alberto Contador finished saying he had decided to “sacrifice Catalonia and the Basque Country because of my preparation, because it is doing very well and do not want to risk exceeded. Also, I’ll have the opportunity to meet other team riders that will be in the Tour, like Vinokourov”.

After this new program Contador will start a short rest period beginning with the preparation of the Tour de France, before which will ride the Dauphiné Libéré.

Here is the list of riders to be present for the race Milan San Remo:

• Assan BAZAYEV (KAZ)
• Allan DAVIS (AUS)
• Valeriy DMITRIYEV (KAZ)
• Enrico GASPAROTTO (ITA)
• Andriy GRIVKO (UKR)
• Maxim IGLINSKIY (KAZ)
• Sergey RENEV (KAZ)
• Mirko SELVAGGI (ITA)

Astana Cycling Team
Communication Department

Alberto Contador managed their second win today in Paris-Nice, which equals the record of Spanish victories, which held Miguel Indurain, also with two wins in the mythical avenue of the ‘Promenade des Anglais’. “Paris-Nice win means a lot to me, is a very prestigious race of a great and I am especially pleased with this victory”, said the leader of Astana.
Alberto Contador 2010 Paris-Nice concludes strengthened not only as a rider but also as leader of a team, Astana, which has solved the difficult test of this race, fraught with difficulties and rivals in great shape. After the first two tours of the year with Alberto, Astana has succeeded in proving that is on the way to becoming the team he need in the upcoming Tour. Above all, as its leader say, “because all riders are turned to me and struggling to make things right”.
Contador clinched the victory after a week full of difficulties, following a fall and a cut that threatened his classification, a bit like what happened last year, but this time managed to overcome all problems. “From everything we learn”, said Alberto. “Last year was difficult and also forces did not respond to me. This year there are many situations that had to decide and the tactic has worked. With another year things look differently”.
Although he again suffered a cut by the wind, Alberto is not particularly concerned about these stages. “That day I was not in front, but it was not for no to be attentive, because both my team and me were in front all day. Of course they are important and difficult stages that will need special attention, but nothing more”. Read the rest of this entry →

Alberto Contador retained the yellow jersey on a day that was announced too complicated for their interests. The Astana team responded well to attacks and the stage was resolved with a win for Xavier Tondo and a second place for Alejandro Valverde, who added another 6 seconds of bonus and is now at 14 second in overall. “The forces have responded to me”, said a Alberto Contador who warmly congratulated Tondo and said he is very happy with this result, waiting, tomorrow, the last stage.

Contador said that during the stage also took into account the interests of rival teams. “At the end they are more interested than me to win”, said about Caisse D’Epargne. “They’re at very close in GC both Luis Leon and Valverde and have a very powerful team. I’m also here to win, but I know how I am and how my team is and I can not take responsibility for the entire race. At the end, the interests of Caisse, Garmin and Liquigas also have to be in action”. Read the rest of this entry →

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Maxi was in the 10-man break. They stopped working together with 5km to go and got caught by the peleton about 2km from the finish. Baza, Maxi and Enrico finished with the winner.
Vino and Alby were involved in a crash. Didn’t look like Alby went down. They lost 3+ seconds.
Andrey missed the crash but couldn’t quite catch back up to the main group. Still, he was only 1:41 behind the leaders. He got enough camera time to see he is looking strong. I think we will see him mature into a competitive rider this year. Remember he’s still barely 23.

First place team after 3 stages
GC after stage 3
14   Assan Bazayev at                    0:14
18   Maxim Iglinskiy
25   Enrico Gasparotto
91   Alexandre Vinokourov      3:42
92   Allan Davis
100 Andrey Zeits                             5:00
124 Mirko Selvaggi                       13:00
137 Valeriy Dmitriyev               15:25