Astana Cycling Team

Astana waives Paris-Roubaix participation in agreement with race organization

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Astana manager Yvon Sanquer made an agreement with the ASO during Paris-Nice that Astana not compete in the next edition of Paris-Roubaix.

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After Astana explained to the organization that they didn’t have specialists for competing in this very hard race, Jean François Pescheux accepted the proposal on behalf of the ASO, since it will leave a place open for one of the many other teams who have shown interest in riding Paris-Roubaix this year but have no invitation.

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Yvon Sanquer has committed to presenting a powerful Astana team at the start line of Paris-Roubaix in 2011.

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Astana Cycling Team
Communication Department

Alberto Contador has decided to change his next competition schedule after an analysis by the astana technical staff about his performance in the Tour of the Algarve and Paris-Nice.

"I had very good results in the first two races, my preparation is well under way and so we decided to change the calendar, to seek a less wear racing for me and for my team”, said Alberto Contador.

After a Paris-Nice that has been very taxing physically and mentally, Alberto Contador has decided to dismiss both the Volta a Catalunya and the Basque Country Tour. In return, the leader of Astana will ride in the Criterium International (27 and 28 March), in the Tour of Castilla and Leon (14 to 18 April), Fleche Wallonne (April 21) and Liege-Bastogne-Liege (April 25).

“The Criterium is a race that suits my characteristics very well and I also look forward to run because it has much prestige”, said Alberto. “The Tour of Castilla and Leon is a race for what I have a special affection and this year change dates has been good for me and give me the opportunity to go to the classics, where I especially hope to take some experience. I'm excited to ride there, because they have a special charm, but I realize that there will be more skilled riders than me to fight for victory”.

Alberto Contador finished saying he had decided to “sacrifice Catalonia and the Basque Country because of my preparation, because it is doing very well and do not want to risk exceeded. Also, I'll have the opportunity to meet other team riders that will be in the Tour, like Vinokourov”.

After this new program Contador will start a short rest period beginning with the preparation of the Tour de France, before which will ride the Dauphiné Libéré.

Here is the list of riders to be present for the race Milan San Remo:

• Assan BAZAYEV (KAZ)
• Allan DAVIS (AUS)
• Valeriy DMITRIYEV (KAZ)
• Enrico GASPAROTTO (ITA)
• Andriy GRIVKO (UKR)
• Maxim IGLINSKIY (KAZ)
• Sergey RENEV (KAZ)
• Mirko SELVAGGI (ITA)

Astana Cycling Team
Communication Department

Photo by Les filles Jambois, Yaroslav Popovych Fan Club

Contador:   “Winning Paris-Nice means a lot to me"

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Alberto Contador managed to win his second Paris-Nice today, and by doing so he has equaled the record of most wins by a Spanish rider held by Miguel Induráin, who also rode to two triumphs on the mythic Promenade des Anglais. “Winning Paris-Nice means a lot to me, it’s an incredibly prestigious race and I’m especially happy with this victory,” said the leader of Astana.

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Alberto Contador finished Paris-Nice 2010 strengthened not only as a rider, but also as the leader of a team—Astana—which has passed the difficult test of this race, fraught with difficulties and by challenged by rivals in great form. After both of the first stage races of the year with Alberto, Astana has continued to prove that they are on the path to becoming the team Contador needs in the next Tour. Over all, as their leader said, “because all the riders are turning themselves inside out for me and are striving to do things well.”

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Contador has gotten the win after a week full of difficulties, after a crash and missing a split that put his place in the classification in jeopardy, a bit like what happened last year, although on this occasion he managed to surmount all the problems. “You learn from everything,” says Alberto. “Last year things were also difficult and, what’s more, my own strength faltered. This year has had a lot situations requiring decision-making and the tactics worked. Now, a year later, things are very different.”

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Despite missing out on another split because of the wind, Alberto isn’t especially worried about this type of stage. “That day I wasn’t in front, but it wasn’t due to not paying attention, because both my team and I were near the front all day. Of course these are important and difficult stages and you just have to pay close attention, that’s all there is to it.”

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Alberto said that Paris-Nice “is like a mini Tour de France, it’s complete madness that can’t be controlled by just one team. But when it comes to organizing and making decisions, I think it was a good rehearsal for the Tour.”

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Moreover, this second Paris-Nice, compared to the 2007 edition, has also been “extremely important, but it’s true that 2007 served to get everyone better acquainted with Alberto Contador. What’s important this time is that my legs responded and, when it comes time to animate the race, that gives me a lot of confidence for the future.”

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Alberto Contador also says that his method of planning is “to go to the races to fight for the GC, but even though I won the last two, I’m not obsessing over victories. Sometimes you can win, and sometimes you can’t.” Finally, he referred to the good work of his teammates, of whom he said that, on television, “you only see the last 40 or 50 kilometers, and you forget that they also worked very hard in the 150 kilometers before that. My team did a good job in this race, even though there were other interests from teams like Caisse and Euskaltel that were able to help us,” he concluded.

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(Official press release, Alberto Contador press office)

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Also see the Alberto Contador Notebook

Alberto Contador retained the yellow jersey on a day that was announced too complicated for their interests. The Astana team responded well to attacks and the stage was resolved with a win for Xavier Tondo and a second place for Alejandro Valverde, who added another 6 seconds of bonus and is now at 14 second in overall. “The forces have responded to me”, said a Alberto Contador who warmly congratulated Tondo and said he is very happy with this result, waiting, tomorrow, the last stage.

Contador said that during the stage also took into account the interests of rival teams. “At the end they are more interested than me to win”, said about Caisse D'Epargne. “They're at very close in GC both Luis Leon and Valverde and have a very powerful team. I'm also here to win, but I know how I am and how my team is and I can not take responsibility for the entire race. At the end, the interests of Caisse, Garmin and Liquigas also have to be in action”. Read the rest of this entry →

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Maxi was in the 10-man break. They stopped working together with 5km to go and got caught by the peleton about 2km from the finish. Baza, Maxi and Enrico finished with the winner.
Vino and Alby were involved in a crash. Didn't look like Alby went down. They lost 3+ seconds.
Andrey missed the crash but couldn't quite catch back up to the main group. Still, he was only 1:41 behind the leaders. He got enough camera time to see he is looking strong. I think we will see him mature into a competitive rider this year. Remember he's still barely 23.

First place team after 3 stages
GC after stage 3
14   Assan Bazayev at                    0:14
18   Maxim Iglinskiy
25   Enrico Gasparotto
91   Alexandre Vinokourov      3:42
92   Allan Davis
100 Andrey Zeits                             5:00
124 Mirko Selvaggi                       13:00
137 Valeriy Dmitriyev               15:25

Today, Alexander Vinokourov has fallen at the last 4km before the arrival of the 3rd stage in the Tirreno-Adriatico, at Monsummano Terme.
He suffers of contusions at the left elbow which requires some stitches. Anyway, this incident doesn’t affect his participation on this Italian race.

Astana Cycling Team
Communication Department

Alberto Contador in Paris-Nice

“It was like a Tour stage, but the hard ones”

Photo ContadorInfo

Alberto Contador retained the lead jersey today in Paris-Nice after a particularly tough day, which was done at a great pace and where he fought from the first km to last. “It was like a Tour stage, but the hard ones”, said the Astana’s leader.

“You have to be super attentive and there has been a moment”, said Contador, “that I had to answer to an attack because they where Joaquin Rodriguez, Kreuziger and Luis Leon. That's what this race is that there are many riders in a few seconds and is very difficult to control. Although I wear the yellow jersey now, I will not take the whole responsibility because neither my team nor I can”.
Contador said his team “has done what it could. The stage seemed for the sprinters, but nothing at all, has been a very hard stage and almost impossible to control, because in the kilometer 100 had not yet made the break”.
Alberto said he is “feeling good, but in this race you need a very, very strong team to keep it under control, it is a race that is easier to win at counter-attack than being defensive. Tomorrow will be very difficult and I will not take more responsibility than me and my team can take”.
Finally, Alberto said he is not a duel “between Valverde and me, although I wish it were. Tomorrow will be like to start the race again, although I have in my favor the Sunday’s stage. If I keep the yellow tomorrow, I would prefer that was not the last stage, but depending on what happens tomorrow, also I can play my cards on Sunday”, he said.

(Automatic translation. Forgive imprecisions).

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Jacinto Vidarte
Jefe de Prensa / Press Officer