With the 2009 cycle road racing season about to heat up in Europe with the Spring Classics imminent, here is the low-down on Team Astana.
Who are Team Astana?
Team Astana is a team backed by the country of Kazakhstan and is named after the Kazakh capital. The team was put together to champion the talents of Kazakhstan cycling's favourite son Alexandre Vinokourov before he was banned from cycling. Despite the absence of their golden boy, Kazakh companies continue to sponsor the team. Other partners include Trek, who provide the them with bike frames, LOOK and Nike.
The team's manager is Johann Bruyneel, architect of Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de France wins. Among his management team are former riders Viatcheslav Ekimov and Sean Yates.
Who are Team Astana's Riders?
The roster of Team Astana reads like a who's who of successful stage racers over the past few years. They have no fewer than four riders who have finished on the Tour de France's podium in recent years – Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Kloden.
Armstrong has of course famously won the Tour a record seven times, Contador, who in cycling terms is still relatively young at 26 years old, has won all three Grand Tours already, whilst both Leipheimer and Kloden have finished on the Tour's podium whilst not designated as a team leader and therefore riding for other riders – left wondering what they could have done had they been riding for themselves with their team's support. Frankly, as far as Grand Tours go, Astana has a truely frightening roster.
Team Astana's full roster:
Lance Armstrong; Assan Bazayev; Jani Brajkovic; Alberto Contador; Valeriy Dmitriyev; Alexandr Dyachenko; Jesús Hernández; Chris Horner; Maxim Iglinskiy; Roman Kireyev; Andreas Klöden; Berik Kupeshov; Levi Leipheimer; Steve Morabito; Dmitriy Muravyev; Daniel Navarro; Benjamín Noval; Sérgio Paulinho; Yaroslav Popovych; Bolat Raimbekov; Gregory Rast; Sergey Renev; José Luis Rubiera; Michael Schär; Tomas Vaitkus; Andrey Zeits; Haimar Zubeldia.
How Did Team Astana Perform in 2008?
On the surface of it Astana's record of 26 wins in 2008 looks a little unremarkable however, what stands out is the quality of those wins. Of the year's three Grand Tours, Astana won two of them with Alberto Contador taking victory in the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana. Add the fact that the only Grand Tour the team didn't win was the one they were not permitted start, thanks to indiscretions whilst under a previous management team, and you quickly realise that this team is utterly dominant in three week races.
In addition to contador's achievements Kloden picked up a win in the tough Tour of Romandy and Leipheimer successfully defended his Tour of California title.
What are the Targets for Astana in 2009?
With the return of Armstrong to professional cycling and a rekindling of the Bruyneel – Armstrong partnership an already high media focus on the team has only intensified. Speculation continues as to whether both Armstrong and Contador (without doubt the best stage racer currently riding) can ride together for the same team and realise their individual ambitions.
The team will again be focussing on the Grand Tours and with four riders all capable of reaching the podium in any three week race, the odds must be shortening on the team winning all three – a feat that would be unprecedented.
Expect Armstrong to target the Giro, a race he has never won, whilst Contador will focus again on the Tour. However, should Armstrong be in form in July, don't count against him trying for an unbelievable eighth Tour.
References
Cycle Sport Magazine, April 2009
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