Aleksandr Vlasov to aim for Grand Tour podium as Astana try to stop departure to Ineos
Ineos Grenadiers are circling the young Russian who has one year left on his contract with the Kazakh team
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 crashes into road sign after riders neutralise racing on descent at Tour de France
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Astana rider diagnosed with coronavirus before Il Lombardia
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Jakob Fuglsang takes a dominant Monument victory at Il Lombardia 2020
The 2019 Liège-Bastogne-Liège winner beat George Bennett after Remco Evenepoel crashed out
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Aleksandr Vlasov puts in a commanding display to take the Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge 2020
The second addition of the one-day race saw a series of big attacks before the man from Astana took control
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Gorka Izagirre and Alex Aranburu make it a one-two for Astana at the Gran Trittico Lombardo
Extremely heavy rain meant that live pictures were very hard to come by and made for some intense racing
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Astana rider racks up 11 hours and 368km on Zwift
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Astana riders and staff have not been paid since start of 2020, Vinokourov confirms
The team boss says wages will be paid this week
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Alexey Lutsenko says he ‘didn’t make any mistake in the final’ after missing out to Tadej Pogačar
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Alexandre Vinokourov calls for CADF to conduct investigation into leaked Fuglsang report
The Astana general manager also said he respects the UCI's fight against doping in cycling
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Anti-doping investigators release statement on leaked Jakob Fuglsang and Michele Ferrari report
The anti-doping investigators behind a leaked report have released a statement over allegations that two Astana riders had met with Dr Michele Ferrari.
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Michele Ferrari denies links to Jakob Fuglsang and Astana
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Astana release statement responding to Jakob Fuglsang allegations
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Leaked report links Jakob Fuglsang to banned doping doctor Michele Ferrari
Alexey Lutsenko is also accused of being present at one alleged meeting between the Dane and the doctor
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Astana will ride Wilier Triestina bikes in 2020
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Alexandre Vinokourov crowned Ironman 70.3 world champion (for his age group)
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Jakob Fuglsang extends contract with Astana
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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
