Astana
Kazakhstan | Team Website
Astana Qazaqstan Team 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 notably, 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 also 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.
However, with Nibali moving to Bahrain-Merida in 2017 and Aru to UAE Team Emirates in 2018, the squad lacked a Grand Tour leader. Nibali is back for the 2022 season though, with four-time 2021 race winner Miguel Ángel López also joining him to make the squad considerably stronger.
Alexey Lutsenko, who was already with the team before this year, and Gianni Moscom, joining from Ineos Grenadiers, will act as team leaders alongside the aforementioned Nibali and López for the 2022 season.
Astana are hoping these additions to the team will help rediscover the form that saw them climb to such meteoric heights some years ago now, after the team finished an underwhelming twelfth in the UCI World team ranking for 2021.
Just three top-ten finishes in the Classics and Monuments last year highlights the team's lack of strength at fighting for podiums at cycling's most prestigious races, but Aleksandr Vlasov's fourth-place finish in the Giro d'Italia GC did provide reason for optimism within the team, but the Russian has since departed for Bora-Hansgrohe.
Sponsored by the Samruk-Kazyna, a coalition of Kazakhstani state-owned companies, and named its capital city Astana (now renamed Nur-Sultan), Premier Tech left the team at the end of 2021 due to financial reasons. They have now been renamed as Astana Qazaqstan Team.
Astana's success has been tempered by controversy over the years too, 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.
Astana Qazaqstan Team 2022 squad
Leonardo Basso (ITA)
Samuele Battistella (ITA)
Manuele Boaro (ITA)
Gleb Brussenskiy (KAZ)
Valerio Conti (ITA)
Stefan de Bod (RSA)
David de la Cruz (ESP)
Joe Dombrowski (USA)
Yevgeniy Fedorov (KAZ)
Fabio Felline (ITA)
Michele Gazzoli (ITA)
Yevgeniy Gidich (KAZ)
Dmitriy Gruzdev (KAZ)
Sebastián Henao (COL)
Miguel Ángel López (COL)
Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ)
Davide Martinelli (ITA)
Gianni Moscon (ITA)
Yuriy Natarov (KAZ)
Antonio Nibali (ITA)
Vincenzo Nibali (ITA)
Nurbergen Nurlykhassym (KAZ)
Vadim Pronskiy (KAZ)
Alexandr Riabushenko (BLR)
Javier Romo (ESP)
Harold Tejada (COL)
Simone Velasco (ITA)
Artyom Zakharov (KAZ)
Andrey Zeits (KAZ)
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Miguel Ángel López takes Astana to court over ‘unlawful’ breach of contract
The Colombian was dismissed by Astana Qazaqstan in December, and is now seeking damages
By Tom Davidson Published
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Mark Cavendish signs for Astana-Qazaqstan and will remain on the WorldTour for 2023
The transfer saga is over, Mark Cavendish has officially found a team, and will chase the Tour de France stage win record
By Tom Davidson Published
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Is Mark Cavendish heading to Astana?
The Manx Missile has been heavily linked to Astana since the departure of their GC rider Miguel Ángel López
By Adam Hart Published
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Astana Qazaqstan drops Miguel Ángel López over 'probable' doping case links
The 28-year-old had extended his contract last month
By Tom Davidson Last updated
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Italian neo-pro Michele Gazzoli banned for one year for 'non-intentional' anti-doping violation
23-year-old has Astana-Qazaqstan contract terminated as a result of sanction
By Adam Becket Published
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Miguel Ángel López suspended by Astana-Qazaqstan over reported links to doctor under police investigation
Team suspend Colombian rider until circumstances of the Police investigation are clarified
By Tom Thewlis Published
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Vincenzo Nibali rolls back the years with shark attack on stage 16 of the Giro d'Italia
37-year-old up to fifth on general classification with five stages left
By Adam Becket Published
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The general classification just got even tighter: Five talking points from stage 16 of the Giro d'Italia 2022
There was climbing, climbing, and more climbing on Tuesday
By Adam Becket Published
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Miguel Ángel López forced to abandon Giro d'Italia on stage four
Astana-Qazaqstan rider suffering from hip injury
By Adam Becket Published
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Joe Dombrowski 'on track' for the Giro d'Italia, his 'favourite race'
The Astana-Qazaqstan rider ready to support team and look for opportunities in Italy
By Adam Becket Published
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Public prosecutor's office opens judicial investigation into Astana Qazaqstan's license holder
Abacanto SA has held the WorldTour team's license since 2010, but is being charged with violations of the Luxembourg criminal code
By Ryan Dabbs Published
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Vincenzo Nibali will not ride Paris-Roubaix in order to focus on the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France
Italian says it would have been "really cool" to ride all five monuments but it wasn't "possible"
By Adam Becket Published
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Astana release new rap video starring Vincenzo Nibali and Alexander Vinokourov
Kazakh team have history of strange social media posts, but this one is quite something
By Adam Becket Published
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Which WorldTour team has the best kit for 2022? We take a look through the wardrobe
Now almost all the kits are out, here are our measured ratings of racing kit ahead of the 2022 season
By Adam Becket Published
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Vincenzo Nibali to tackle Paris-Roubaix for first time in 2022
Italian is down to race all five monuments in 2022 for Astana-Qazaqstan
By Adam Becket Published
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'Top three in the Tour de France is a goal for me and the team': Alexey Lutsenko's ambitious plan
The Kazakh rider finished seventh at the 2021 Tour and second at the Critérium du Dauphiné
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Published
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'I have been portrayed as a person that I am not': Gianni Moscon looks to a fresh start with Astana in 2022
The Italian can see himself competing in all five of the Monument Classics in the future
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Published
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'It's like coming back home': Miguel Ángel López on returning to Astana after Movistar contract termination
The Colombian climber has set himself the challenge of winning the Giro d'Italia in 2022
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Published
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Miguel Ángel López returns to Astana following turbulent year with Movistar
The Colombian climber had his contract terminated by Movistar after he abandoned the Vuelta a España 2021
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Published
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Astana reveal new name for 2022 as headline sponsor Premier Tech pulls out of team
The Kazakhstani team has been through some major upheaval in recent years, including some unusual leadership changes
By Alex Ballinger Published
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Vincenzo Nibali returns to Astana for the 2022 season
The 'Shark of Messina' returns to the Kazakhstani team after five seasons away
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Last updated
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Alexandre Vinokourov returns to Astana as team confirms its future is secure for 2022
The team boss was ousted in June before now returning a couple of months later
By Jonny Long Published
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Aleksandr Vinokourov fired by Astana-Premier Tech on eve of Tour de France
The founding member of the team has been ousted, reportedly for ‘personal reasons’
By Alex Ballinger Published
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Aleksandr Vlasov says 'it was not easy to breathe' through dust on gravel stage of Giro d'Italia 2021
The Russian climber put in a very solid performance to move up to second in the overall standings
By Tim Bonville-Ginn Published
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Fabio Aru achieves the impossible to take Vuelta a España to the wire
The Vuelta could barely be closer after Astana leader stays within touch of Tom Dumoulin after a time trial performance that few thought he had in him
By Gregor Brown Published
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Dr Michele Ferrari denies claims he helped Astana team
Banned doping doctor Michele Ferrari issues statement on his website dismissing allegations he met with Astana team as 'media bullshit'
By Nigel Wynn Published
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Matteo Trentin wins stage five of Ruta del Sol as Jakob Fugslang confirms GC triumph
Mitchelton-Scott's Matteo Trentin comfortably won an uphill sprint on stage five of Ruta del Sol as Jakob Fugslang sealed his overall win.
By Richard Windsor Published
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Breakaway succeeds again at the BinckBank Tour 2018 as Magnus Cort wins stage five
Mohoric holds on to overall lead of the BinckBank Tour with crucial stages to come over the weekend
By Stephen Puddicombe Published
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Vincenzo Nibali wins 2016 Giro d'Italia as Nikias Arndt awarded final stage
Vincenzo Nibali took the overall classification at the Giro d'Italia as Giacomo Nizzolo secured the final stage victory
By Richard Windsor Published