Astana Cycling Team

Апрель:

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www.cyclingnews.com  December 3, 2010

Kazakh aiming for podium, yellow and polka-dot at 2011 Tour de France

Alexandre Vinokourov today dismissed the suggestion that he helped force French manager Yvon Sanquer out of the Astana team. Speaking to Cyclingnews from Astana’s first training camp of the winter in Tuscany, Italy, Vinokourov claimed that reports to that effect were the result of a mistranslation.

“I was quoted as talking about ‘a problem’ with Yvon, but that was a mistranslation from a Russian website,” the Kazakh said. “I wasn’t aware of any issue with Yvon. In any case, it’s not me that makes the decisions. Everyone’s always going on about ‘Vinokourov deciding this, Vinokourov deciding that’, but it’s not my team. We have a general sponsor, the president of the Kazakh federation and, now, a new manager in Giuseppe Martinelli. They make the decisions. I might give a bit of input if asked but that’s it. We’re very grateful for what Yvon did. He took on the team in difficult circumstances last year and led us to Tour victory. There was no ‘problem’.”

The Tour victory to which Vinokourov referred of course came courtesy of Alberto Contador, and the 37-year-old has already spoken out in support of his embattled former team-mate. On Thursday, Vinokourov also revealed that he had called Contador at the end of October to offer “whatever help he needed”. Read the rest of this entry →

www.velonation.com

With less than a month to go until the start of 2011, the Astana team has released the design of its new jersey for next season. Using team leader Alexander Vinkourov to model it, the 2011 version is a simplified version of that worn in this year’s races. It features the team title in a more futuristic logo but lacking the golden sun found on the country’s national flag.

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Kazakh leaders are happy and proud to announce that the American brand of cycles Specialized committed again with their team for the 2011 season.This proof of confidence confirms the quality of Astana squad around its leader Alexandre Vinokourov and the great hope Czech Roman Kreuziger.

This commitment is the result of close collaboration that began in 2010 and will continue with the same interest and motivation to achieve great goals of victories for 2011.

While renewing its contract with Astana, Specialized is also committed to equipping the junior and hopes of the team, and thus marks its interest in the development of cycling in Kazakhstan for years to come.

www.cyclingtribe.com

October 4, 2010

Q. Vino, thanks for taking the time to have a chat ahead of the Tour of Hainan . Will you be targeting the race win for this event, or are you using it as preparation for the Asian Games?

The Tour of Hainan is an important race in China and I'm not going there to make up the numbers. But it will be very important indeed for the preparation of Asian Games. I'll find my bearings.

Q. How do you feel your first full year back in the Pro Tour has gone?

I feel like a junior! I suffered at times but I am surprised that I recovered well and quickly. It encourages me to continue a little longer. Q. How have you found the reaction to your return? Have most of the guys in the peloton been positive?

Public response has been wonderful, everyone was really supportive. In the peloton, it was the same, we are a big family, we’re very respectful of each other. My return was watched with curiosity and then with respect when I showed that I had not lost any of my qualities. Read the rest of this entry →

Original interview - Valentine Leschinskiy/ kapital.kz

21/09/2010

Alexander, will you continue to race for Astana next season?
Yes, I feel I'm still able to ride on top-level. I think I proved it this year.

Astana's Pro-Tour license expires in 2010. Do you afraid that the team has a problem to renew it?
No absolutely, I hope that troubles we had last year gone. All we need - just to send full pack of docs to UCI at time. There shouldn't be problems.

There were a lot of rumors that Astana wanted to sign Denis Menchov. Why it wasn't happened?
Of course, Menchov was one of the main candidates we reviewed. But there was not that fight between us and Katusha as it was written everywhere. Yes, of course, Menchov is one of the best riders, he was on the podium of Tour de France, but these days we don't desperate for only him. He's got planes for next TdF, but I've got such planes as well. I don't think that Menchov is much stronger than me.

Is Astana going to talk with Andrey Kashechkin about signing him?
Yes, in future it's possible. If Andrey will prove his strength, his ability to fight on top-level and to get results, why not - he could come to Astana

So, you suppose he didn't prove it on Vuelta?
Not yet . Read the rest of this entry →

The Kazakh direction of the team Astana just learnt yesterday from a press release issued by his press officer that Alberto Contador had an abnormal doping control during last Tour de France.
The headers are now expecting further explanations from Alberto Contador and support the UCI who suspended him provisionally, before taking any other decision which would be premature given the complexity of the case.

Astana Cycling Team
Communication Department

Expert opinion of the origin of unexpected presence of clenbuterol in biological samples

Code of report : 02RAMOS10.u
Client : Mr. Andy Ramos
Date : September 3rd, 2010
Commission :
On August 31th, 2010 Mr. Andy Ramos requested to Dr Douwe de Boer to assist him in a case of an Adverse Analytical Finding of CLENBUTEROL, which was found in a urine sample of the cyclist Mr. Alberto Contador. Read the rest of this entry →