Astana Cycling Team

It was difficult to get the destination. There was a strike in France and I had to spend 10 hours at Amsterdam’s airport. Almost all the staff of KLM was trying to send me to France by train but I steadfastly resisted as I did not want to travel without my luggage, where was my photo equipment. Eventually the plane with me and my luggage was allowed to go to France and it seemed to me a real miracle.
The team was placed on the outskirts of Nantes in the hotel- castle, which was built in 1201 and has undergone recent alterations in 1870.

Rooms are on the old style, beams in the ceiling can confirm that.

Nine sets of the form are waiting in the room of Yuri Kulishkin.

Everyone is starting to gather for breakfast in the morning.

Work is in full swing after the breakfast around the hotel.

«Specialized» shoots a film about a new bike

There are only 6 bikes like this in the peloton, 2 of them are in Astana, with Vinokourov and Kreuziger. Photos will be published later.

«Specialized» also brought the helmets and boots.

Racers gathered for their first training session around Nantes at 9-30.

This photo is exclusively for astanafans.com

Only Kreuziger is off-camera as he is already testing the bike.

It’s time for training.

The team was accompanied by one technical car where was no place for me. 🙁
But I got some time to send the first pictures . 🙂
The presentation was after dinner.

Exclusively for astanafans.com

Alexander Gordeyev www.gordeyev.kz

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