Astana Cycling Team

Saturday 28th August 2010

Third day in Sevilla and it’s getting hotter and hotter! Yesterday it went up to 50°C in the center of the city at 6 PM.

The first thing we saw this morning coming to the hotel entrance was hotel staff sweeping up the broken glass from some more cars which had just been broken into during the night. It seems to be even a bigger sport over here than cycling!!

Chatting with Yvon Sanquer. All photos by Kahane

While waiting for the riders to arrive we chatted with the French General Manager of the team, Yvon Sanquer. He said that he had been very happy with the year’s performance for Astana, and he believes the results made the Kazakh management and the Kazakh population very proud of the team.

With Astana Cycling Team General Manager Yvon Sanquer

We discussed a little bit Alberto Contador’s departure, and the fact that we thought that Astana behaved very well with the situation.

We also talked about the way the cycling world has become very volatile, with lots of riders changing teams, and lots of new sponsors and team partnerships, like the latest one between Garmin and Cervelo. Yvon said that cycling, which before had been quite stable, is becoming now like the football world.

Sports Director Alex Shefer

While all the riders left for a reconnaissance of tonight’s Team Time Trial circuit, we realized that although they all still seem very relaxed, they must be eager to start real racing. When they return from training, at 1 PM and have lunch followed by a nap and must be rather bored until dinner. The very poor internet connection must prevent them from using all their electronic devices.

Soigneur and bus driver Valentin Dorronsoro washing the new Astana bus, a real beauty

Tonight the team signature sessions start rather late and the first team to go through the 13- kilomer circuit in the centre of Sevilla, from Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza along the Guadalquivir river and back to Torre del Oro, only leaves at 10:04 pm while the arrival of the last team is scheduled for 11:42 pm. It promises to be quite a nighttime spectacle!

Valentin Iglinsky trying time trial bike for a circuit reconnaissance

The riders will leave the hotel on bike at 8pm to get to the starting point, a 3-kolometer ride.

Dima Fofonov getting all set

Enrico Gasparotto too

Tomorrow we are all on the road to Marbella, a posh town and beach resort on the Mediterraean sea.

Kind regards,
Christine