Astana Cycling Team

Here’s Team Astana’s roster for Paris-Nice (March 7-14):

• Alberto CONTADOR (SPA)
• Dimitri FOFONOV (KAZ)
• Maxim GOUROV (KAZ)
• Daniel NAVARRO (SPA)
• Benjamin NOVAL (SPA)
• Gorazd STANGELJ (SLO)
• Oscar PEREIRO (SPA)
• Andriy GRIVKO (UKR)

Astana Cycling Team
Communication Department

Because of dental problems, the Kazakh rider won’t be present for the start of the Strade Bianche, this Saturday, March 6. He will consult his doctor tomorrow but will be back on the road to the Tirreno-Adriatico from 10 to 16 March 2010.

Astana Cycling Team
Communication Department

Here are the riders of Team Astana to be present in Italy for the race Strade Bianche :

Assan BAZAYEV (KAZ)

Allan DAVIS (AUS)

Valeriy DMITRYEV (KAZ)

Enrico GASPAROTTO (ITA)

Maxim IGLINSKIY (KAZ)

Mirko SELVAGGI (ITA)

Alexandre VINOKOUROV (KAZ)

Astana Cycling Team
Communication Department

Gourov concentrates before Stage 2 of the Volta ao Algarve (photo by C. Kahane)

Maxim Gourov is joining the Astana team for the second time in his life. He’s already a very experienced rider and we hope he’ll find himself at home on the team. I tried for two weeks to catch him, but he was moving from one place to another in training to find a place with weather that wouldn’t interfere with riding—It’s not so easy in France this winter. This talk was recorded just prior to departure for Calpe training camp. Read the rest of this entry →

Alberto Contador: “It’s a very important victory for team’s morale”

Photo by Jacinto Vidarte

Alberto Contador managed to score the second fastest time of the final time trial of the Tour of Algarve, just 13 seconds behind stage winner Luis Leon Sanchez, which earned him the overall victory in the final with full credit on each nearest rivals, Tiago Machado and Levi Leipheimer, who even lost his third podium place.

Despite having suffered continual setbacks due to the last minute ban to use his new TT bike and be required to prepare urgently a obsolete frame in order to contest the race, Alberto Contador proved that it is a rider that grows against adversity and, thanks to the speed of reaction from Specialized and his mechanics, could solve the difficult ballot to be raised in his season debut. Read the rest of this entry →

Март:

• 10 – 16 марта – Tirreno-Adriatico: Андрей Гривко, Асан Базаев, Энрико Гаспаротто, Александр Винокуров, Максим Иглинский, Андрей Зейц, Алан Дэвис, Валерий Дмитриев, Мирко Сельваджи
• 20 марта – Milano-Sanremo: Андрей Гривко, Асан Базаев, Алан Дэвис, Энрико Гаспаротто, Максим Иглинский, Валерий Дмитриев, Мирко Сельваджи, Сергей Ренев, Александр Винокуров
• 22 – 28 марта – Volta Ciclista a Catalunya: Хосе Хуфре, Александр Дьяченко, Паоло Тиралонго, Хесус Эрнандес, Сергей Ренев, Оскар Перейро, Андрей Зейц, Горазд Стангели, Альберто Контадор, Даниэль Наварро, Бенджамин Новаль, Дмитрий Фофонов.
• 27 – 28 марта – Critérium International: Александр Винокуров, Оскар Перейро, Максим Гуров, Роман Киреев, Альберто Контадор…
• 28 марта – Gent – Wevelgem: Андрей Гривко, Валентин Иглинский
• 30 марта – 1 апреля – KBC-Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde: Асан Базаев, Валентин Иглинский, Максим Гуров

Read the rest of this entry →

www.albertocontador.com

Photo by Jacinto Vidarte

Alberto Contador got today the first victory of the year in the Alto de Malhao, the same place where he was second in 2009, behind Toni Colom, before to win the time trial and the overall of the Volta ao Algarve.

The Astana team prepared today a very clear strategy to leave Contador at the bottom of the last climb with a chance of winning and all plans were fulfilled. “I’m thrilled by the work has done all the team, both yesterday and today. Everything worked out perfect. I was able to finish the job, but victory is especially of my teammates”, said Alberto Contador after getting off the podium.

Contador said yesterday’s stage had been “very hard, like today, because we knew we had to make it hard to score some differences. At the end there were not many seconds ahead, because the climb was short, but the balance is pretty good”.

Alberto reached the final 2.5 km climb, placed in front, “though a little behind”, he explained, “around on 20 place. I had to go up a bit, but De la Fuente had searched me and then we have been alone together until 1.5 km to go, where I went to finish line”.

When asked if it was something special to win a RadioShack rider, Tiago Machado, he said no, that he only thinks “to fight for victory. I prepare to win, but not over them, all I have very clear is that I dedicate this victory to each Astana’s riders”. Read the rest of this entry →

The roster of the Team Astana for the TROFEO LAIGUEGLIA – 20/02/2010
Here is the list of the riders of the team Astana who will attend the race of Laigueglia:
Scott DAVIS (AUS)
Valeriy DMITRIYEV (KAZ)
Roman KIREYEV (KAZ)
Yevgeniy NEPOMNYACHSHIY (KAZ)
Bolat RAIMBEKOV (KAZ)
Mirko SELVAGGI (ITA)
Paolo TIRALONGO (ITA)
They will be supervised by the sport director Alexandr Sheffer.

Astana Cycling Team
Communication Department