Alexandre Vinokourov crowned Ironman 70.3 world champion (for his age group)
Alexandre Vinokourov proved his longevity by winning the Ironman 70.3 world title for his age category in Nice.
Astana
Photo : Yuzuru SUNADA
Kazakhstan | Team Website
Astana is a team that would have gladdened the hearts of the people behind the UCI’s original globalisation project: a Kazakh squad, led by an Italian and a Dane.
Since appearing on the scene in 2007, the squad has become a mainstay of the top-flight, with a host of wins in the world’s biggest races.
Most natably, Italian Vincenzo Nibali won the 2014 Tour de France after finishing third overall in the 2012 edition and claiming the Giro d’Italia victory in 2013.
The team successfully nurtured a new Grand Tour talent in the shape of Fabio Aru, who won the 2015 Vuelta a España after placing second in the Giro behind Alberto Contador (Tinkoff) earlier in the year.
With Nibali moving to Bahrain-Merida in 2017 and Aru to UAE Team Emirates in 2018, the squad is now without a big Grand Tour leader.
However, they have a couple of other riders quickly gaining momentum in bigger stage races: not least Jakob Fuglsang and Colombian prospect Miguel Ángel López.
Astana has also found success in one-day races and individual stages, with Michael Valgren, Omar Fraile, Alexey Lutsenko, Magnus Cort Nielsen and old hand Luis Leon Sanchez all claiming victories in recent seasons. Valgren’s wins in the 2018 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Amstel Gold Race shows that the team can be a force in the Classics.
Astana’s success, however, has been tempered by controversy over the years, including several doping cases within the team, including Maxim and Valentin Iglinskiy both failing tests for banned blood booster EPO in late 2014.
The UCI conducted a review into the team and its management, and while the team’s WorldTour status looked in jeopardy, it was awarded a licence for 2015.
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Miguel Ángel López steals race lead on stage five after first mountain at Vuelta a España 2019
Nicolas Roche has lost his race lead in the Vuelta a España, handing the red jersey back to Miguel Ángel López after a revealing stage five.
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Jakob Fuglsang extends contract with Astana
Jakob Fuglsang has extended his contract with Astana, having ridden the best season of his career.
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Jakob Fuglsang returns to racing at Vuelta a España as Astana take strong squad
Miguel Ángel López, who finished on the podium last year, will also feature
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Unlucky Jakob Fuglsang was in his best shape ever at Tour de France, say Astana
The Dane was forced to abandon with injury on stage 16
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Jakob Fuglsang abandons Tour de France 2019
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Magnus Cort will continue in the Tour de France with a broken finger he suffered in a crash on stage four.
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Jakob Fuglsang feeling better than feared after heavy crash on Tour de France opening stage
The Dane says he believes he can ride himself back to 100 per cent condition ahead of the mountains
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Jakob Fuglsang hopeful of continuing after suffering knee & eye injuries on Tour de France 2019 opener
The Astana rider finished the stage with blood pouring down his face
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Pello Bilbao wins rapid stage seven of the Giro d'Italia 2019
Valerio Conti holds on to the pink jersey after an unrelenting day of racing
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Ion Izagirre wins overall as Adam Yates takes thrilling final stage victory at Tour of the Basque Country
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Miguel Ángel López takes overall lead with victory on stage four of Volta a Catalunya 2019
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'We'll ride this wave as long as possible': Fuglsang victory adds to Astana's amazing start to 2019
The Dane won stage five at Tirreno-Adriatico as Ion Izagirre won the final stage of Paris-Nice
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Jakob Fuglsang triumphs on Tirreno-Adriatico stage five as Adam Yates extends overall lead
Adam Yates finishes second on the stage to extend his lead as Fuglsang wins from solo attack
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'I crashed twice but still won, it shows you never know what can happen'
Alexey Lutsenko took a phenomenal win on Tirreno-Adriatico stage four despite crashing twice
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Alexey Lutsenko takes dramatic victory on Tirreno-Adriatico 2019 stage four
Adam Yates retains the overall lead after finishing in the lead group on stage four
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Magnus Cort takes breakaway victory on Paris-Nice 2019 stage four
Magnus Cort denied the peloton to take victory from a breakaway on stage four of Paris-Nice.
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Matteo Trentin wins stage five of Ruta del Sol as Jakob Fugslang confirms GC triumph
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Giacomo Nizzolo takes Tour of Oman 2019 final stage victory as Alexey Lutsenko seals overall
Three stage wins hands Lutsenko victory after a dominant performance
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Alexey Lutsenko wins on Green Mountain after yet another tense stage at the Tour of Oman
French breakaway rider Fabien Grellier caught in the final 50 metres of stage five
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Alexey Lutsenko tightens grip on the Tour of Oman overall with second stage win
Kazakh enters the final three stages with an 18-second lead
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Astana's Alexey Lutsenko powers to solo victory on stage two of the Tour of Oman
Kazakh moves into second overall as Kristoff retains race lead
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Ion Izagirre seals Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana overall as Dylan Groenewegen wins final stage
Basque rider finishes safely on the short, flat final stage to win the overall
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Astana's Arlenis Sierra wins Women's Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
Cuban Arlenis Sierra rode a terrific final 10km to win the fourth edition of the women's Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
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Young Astana rider forced to leave the team after being diagnosed with heart condition
Astana has dropped a 26-year-old rider from their roster due to concerns over his heart health.
