Astana have announced they will ride Wilier Triestina bikes next season as their partnership with Argon 18 comes to an end.
The Kazakh WorldTour team will be racing the Wilier 0 SLR machine and the time trial-specific Wilier Turbine.
Astana have ridden Canadian bikes Argon since the 2017 season but are now switching to Italian brand Wilier and will be working with the manufacturer to design future bikes.
Astana general manager Alexandr Vinokourov said: “We are happy to cooperate with this brand, I’m sure they can raise the bar for us while we can do the same for them. We’ve tested their road and TT bikes, both are an excellent piece of equipment. At Astana Pro Team, we hope that this bike helps us to win even more races next year. I thank them for their trust in our team and look forward to a successful partnership.”
The Wilier Turbine time trial bike (Picture: Wilier Triestina)
The main bike the team will be riding is the all-rounder Wilier 0 SLR, which is designed with a combination of lightweight design and aerodynamics.
For the TTs, Astana will race on the Turbine – a triathlon-based machine built around four main areas – aerodynamics, braking efficiency, ride position and ease of transportation.
The team will be racing in a very striking teal, black and silver fade colourway.
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Wilier CEO Andrea Gastaldello said: “We are proud to announce this agreement that we are certain will play a central role in Wilier Triestina's growth and overall success. Astana Pro Team concretely shares our ambition to return to winning the world’s top races.
“It is an essential contribution to continue creating increasingly innovative products, as the highest expression of the value of the Wilier Triestina brand. The cycling season that has just ended brought major successes to Astana Pro Team and we look forward to celebrating exciting new victories with them.”
Wilier will now be present at all levels of pro racing, with Total Direct Energie representing the brand at Professional Continental level.
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