Astana Cycling Team

Alberto Contador crossed the finish line today after starring with Andy Schleck a tactical maneuver that left the two riders in the top two positions overall. The last stage of the Alps, the hardest, proved who are the strongest riders of Tour de France’s bunch. “The differences have been bigger than expected”, Alberto said to summarize.

Then another day Contador thanked the collaboration of his team mates. “The team has done an extraordinary work. Dani (Navarro) and Paolo (Tiralongo) are brilliant on the mountain. I have decided to follow Andy, who has tried several times and finally we decided to work together. I have also decided the same and I think we won both of us”.

Alberto was clear about today’s tactics. “We had to join the others, the circumstances were like this. Now we have to be very vigilant with each other, but I'm very happy with the result and my feelings, I felt very good”.

About Schleck attacks at first, Contador said that he is now better than in Avoriaz “because the tactics were different. It is much easier to focus on a single rider. I'm also happy because my body recovers well and the team is also good”, he repeated.
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“It was another day marked by the heat”, said Alberto Contador on the finish line explaining the tactics of Astana. “We took the responsibility because we have seen that Lance was behind and the rest was pretty just”.

Alberto was very happy with the work of their team mates and, in particular, Dani Navarro. “In the last climb has done an extraordinary work, has been incredible, because everyone was on the limit. Perhaps we have been too much in front on the wind. When they started to attack, I could contest well, but then Andy Schleck has attacked and has caught me a bit behind, I made the attempt to goo, but when I see that they took some meters, I prefered to sit and wait for people coming from behind. Finally we have lost a few seconds but the result is good, the team is good and my sensations are good, although I had the impression that I had a little trouble to breath with this heat. Now I’ll rest and come back again on Tuesday to battle”.

About Lance Armstrong said he had lost a lot of time. “I haven’t seen yet the overall, but it seems that he lost many minutes, although there is still more than enough stages to attack”.

About Andy Schleck he said he becomes the most dangerous rival. “He was very good. Last year he put me into troubles and this year will be the most difficult rival on the mountains”. And also congratulated Samuel Sбnchez. “I am delighted that he has been ahead. We're great friends. I’m happy for him, because it now seems that things are going well”.

Finally, Alberto made a first analysis of this stage. “It has become so hard and there were so much differences due to the tremendous heat. We've been at 35 or 40 C degrees with high humidity. Where I live in Madrid also is very hot, but is totally different, here you can drink 10 or 12 liters of water a day”. And then, he will supported the Spanish national soccer team. “Now I will stand in front the TV like any other Spaniard encouraging the Red”.

Photo: (c) Jacinto Vidarte

Press Conference

Alberto Contador will offer a press conference Monday morning, rest day, at 15:00 pm in the Astana team hotel (Chalet Au Coin du Feu, Les Prodains 74 110 Morzine. T: 0450790321)

Photo: (c) Blandine Roquelet

The riders climbed the Col de la Ramaz which is the first pass of the first class of the Tour de France 2010. At kilometre 38 before arrival in the rise of this pass the riders of the Astana team, Daniel Navarro, Paolo Tiralongo, Alberto Contador and Alexander Vinonokourov were placed ahead of the bunch and took control of the race. In this ascent, we saw the Kazakh rider to let go for two kilometres, then head back to his companions, he says "It was a hard moment for me so I just let go, but when I saw that Lance Amstrong had been dropped by the bunch, I decided to come back strongly with my team mates and I knew that few time after there was the descent." In that descend, Alexander went ahead when he realized that his team mates were a little behind him, then "of course I waited, he said, no interest if I go without them was at full speed but I took the opportunity to recover a little ". With the pace set by the four riders of Astana team half of the bunch hasn’t been able to follow and were dropped by the bunch "The team did a fantastic job, Tiralongo and Navarro were impressive running beside Alberto, said Alexander, it’s too bad that he didn’t win the stage but I think it might be an arrival with a profile that suited me better, but I had already been dropped a bit before and today I gave as much as I could for Alberto and the general ranking team.”
Astana Cycling Team
Communication Department

Hello dear Team Astana fans!

We’ve already met on this site but I probably should introduce myself once again.

My name is Alexander Gordeyev.

I’m a fan of Astana team and big fan of Alexander Vinokurov for many years.
Photography is also one of my passions.
You can see here some of my photos.

http://gordale.photosight.ru

And you can meet my photos now on the site of Astana fans.

I had a dream deep in my sole to visit Tour, to root for Vino with my own eyes but not from the TV screen, to plunge into the real atmosphere of the Tour and it’s events. But I couldn’t even dream about making photos of the team and Vino on the Tour.

But fortunately dreams come true especially when you eager and work for it. And in the beginning of the June when almost just a short time left before the Tour the events started to develop so quickly so I couldn’t believe in what happened and still can’t.

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July 8, 2010 - MARCA - Alberto Contador has already decided his future. He will stay with Astana, save some last-minute surprise. His brother and representative, Fran Contador, has confirmed the situation in an interview for Biciciclismo in which he says that only “some nuances” are lacking before closing on a contract that will tie the Pinteño to the Kazakh team for the next “two or three years.”

“We’ve already had a meeting with the sponsors, we only have to come to an agreement about some nuances and I think that there won’t be major problems. The duration of the contract isn’t definite, although it will be a minimum of two years, it’s something that we have to discuss but it will be two or three years,” he said.

Alberto is very happy with the effort made by the Kazakh directors to round up a team confident of success for this Tour after going through the dismantling of his team following the departure of Bruyneel and Lance Armstrong to form a new team, RadioShack.

Furthermore, he is in perfect sync with the squad’s directors, Yvon Sanquer and Giuseppe Martinelli. Not in vain, they have taken care of his requests whenever they could, like the hiring of Óscar Pereiro as super-domestique, even though in the end he wasn’t included among the nine cyclists that they took to the startline of the Tour in Rotterdam.

Contador’s brother expects that the agreement will be resolved as soon as possible so that he can focus on this season’s goals, among whch could be the Vuelta a España. “We don’t have a specific date marked on the calendar. As soon as we’re square about things, it will be fully closed. During the Tour or when the Tour finishes, but as soon as possible,” he underscored.

Contador’s intention to stay with the Kazakh team caused other options which have been the talk in the last few months to evaporate, like the creation of a team by Fernando Alonso in which the Madrileño would be the biggest star. Non-Spanish teams like Quick Step were also interested in his services, but it seems that Contador does not want to take on a new venture blindly.

“The sponsors are very interested in staying with this project and in making the best team around Alberto. It is his wish. This year, in spite of all the disadvantages and being behind schedule, they’ve taken a good team forward and it can get better,” said Contador’s brother and representative, who is now entrusted with closing the contract deal according to the financial requirements of the two-time Tour-winner.

For updates, see the Alberto Contador Notebook

Today two our riders celebrate their birthdays.
There are Paolo Tiralongo (08/07/1977) and Dani Navarro (08/07/1983)!
We wish all the best, be happy, get more from your life and may all your plans find their way to success!
These are three photo-collages for Dani and Paolo Read the rest of this entry →

Alberto Contador passed today the quieter day so far on this Tour, with a short stage in which the wind did not blow, perhaps the only danger to be expected. "If it would be windy the day would have been completely different, but we were lucky?, said Alberto.
"However, we have always been near the head because we knew that any change of direction would do that some teams try to attack, like RadioShack".

The last few kilometers of the stage have been the worst, as often happens when a sprint finish. "At the end there has been much danger of fall, especially in the last five kilometers, which had nine roundabouts. We have to be well placed because if there is a cut you lost time, but you also know that if you are in the fall for going well placed some times this is almost worse", said Contador. "Often you don't know where to go, but today, at least we have recovered strength in the first part of the stage. Things are going better, and I start to think little by little at the weekend", he said referring to the arrival at the Alps.

Contador was not surprised to see the RadioShack most of the day ahead. "It's a team that always has a strong presence in the race and is always ahead. Especially today, but my team is very focused because we know that these days are even more important to us that the mountains. We are alert to any hint of fan to be there".

Tomorrow this day can be repeat, but everything "depends on the wind. If so, it will be more dangerous, but I hope we will have a day like today", Alberto said before to encourage the Spanish soccer team. "I wish they fight with everything they can to try to win. The other day Germany played in an incredible way, but in Spain we have more than enough quality to beat them. I don't lose the game in my hotel".
Contador 7-7-10

Arrived at the team bus, Alexandre Vinokourov talks about his relationship with Alberto Contador and returns to the final stage yesterday: "I am proud to help Alberto Contador to win his third Tour de France. Since the beginning, our understanding is perfect and flawless. Unfortunately yesterday in the cobblestones I couldn’t see he was having trouble in the last few miles because I was leading the pursuit. With the strong effort to catch up the headphones were no more useful. There was no time to it put back. But there will be other opportunities to show the strength of our cooperation and solidarity of the Astana team."

Alberto Contador: "At the end there was great danger"

Alberto Contador passed today the quieter day so far on this Tour, with a short stage in which the wind did not blow, perhaps the only danger to be expected. "If it would be windy the day would have been completely different, but we were lucky”, said Alberto.
"However, we have always been near the head because we knew that any change of direction would do that some teams try to attack, like RadioShack”. Read the rest of this entry →