Tag Archive: Team Astana
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Team Astana Now Sponsored By Finish Line
Team Astana Names Finish Line Official Technical Sponsor of Lubricants & Degreasers
Bay Shore, NY (February 22, 2010) – Finish Line Technologies, Inc., a leading manufacturer of premium bicycle lubricants and care products, will partner with UCI ProTour Team Astana as an official technical sponsor for the 2010 season.
Team Astana will utilize Finish Line’s [...]
Previous Stories
- No Armstrong, No Problem For Contador
January 20th, 2010MADRID, Jan 20, 2010 (AFP) Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, buoyed by his undisputed number one status following his rocky relationship with Lance Armstrong, hailed his new-look Astana team on Wednesday.
The Spaniard insisted that the 2010 Astana model had “nothing to do” with the 2009 line-up, which catered [...] - Davis Looking For A Big Miracle Down Under And A Race Radio
January 19th, 2010The Reigning 2009 Tour Down Under champion Allan Davis admitted he was looking for a “big miracle” on Tuesday after a disastrous first day left him more than eight minutes off the pace.
Davis was slowed by a mass pile-up at the start and was also hampered by Astana’s decision [...] - Contador To Kick Off Season At Tour of the Algarve
January 1st, 2010MADRID, Jan 1, 2010 (AFP) – Reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador confirmed on Friday he will kick off his 2010 season during the Tour of the Algarve cycling race in Portugal mid-February.
“Last year I liked the race and I think it’s ideal to start the season,” [...] - Pereiro To Return To Tour Down Under
December 14th, 20092006 Tour de France winner Oscar Pereiro will compete with his new Astana team at the 2010 Santos Tour Down Under in January.
Santos Tour Down Under Race Director, Mike Turtur, today said that the return of Pereiro will be another big boost to the race.
“Pereiro raced here this January and it’s great that he’s decided [...] - Team Astana And Contador Had Easy Ride On Dope Tests Claims Newspaper Le Monde
October 5th, 2009The International Cycling Union (UCI) on Monday rejected accusations by the French Anti-doping Agency (AFLD) that they showed the Astana team preferential treatment over drug tests at the Tour de France.
French newspapers Le Monde and Le Figaro alleged that the team of race winner Alberto Contador and third-placed Lance [...] - Hand Fracture For Horner in Tour of Spain / Vinokourov Continues After Crash
September 1st, 2009LIEGE SEPTEMBER 1st – Team Astana’s Chris Horner broke his left hand in the high-speed massive crash in the 4th stage of the Tour of Spain. Besides the undisplaced fracture of the left metacarpal IV Horner was further diagnosed in the Citadelle Hospital of Liège with a hematoma of the right hip and a [...]
- Levi Leipheimer and Team Astana Heading To Tour of Missouri
August 28th, 2009Current World’s No. 1-ranked Team Astana Confirms Top American Levi Leipheimer and 2007 Tour de Georgia winner Janez Brajkovic for upcoming Tour of Missouri
Half of Astana team comprised of the winning team from July’s Tour de France
JEFFERSON CITY, MO (August 28, 2009) — The world’s No. – 1 ranked team Astana has named three-time Amgen [...] - Team Astana in Tour of Spain with Alexandr Vinokourov
August 24th, 2009Disgraced cyclist Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan has been named in Astana’s squad for the Tour of Spain, which begins this Saturday.
Vinokourov, who recently returned from a two-year doping ban handed out for blood doping at the 2007 Tour de France, is likely to spearhead the Kazakh-backed team’s bid for a top finish [...] - Armstrong Mobbed At Tour of Ireland
August 22nd, 2009DUBLIN, Aug 21, 2009 (AFP) – US cycling star Lance Armstrong stole the show as he was mobbed by hundreds of fans during the Tour of Ireland.
The seven-time Tour de France champion was competing in the race for the first time in 17 years and fans flocked to the [...] - Klöden Out In Eneco / No Contador In Plouay
August 20th, 2009Andreas Klöden had to abandon in the Eneco Tour due to a wrist injury. Klöden was involved in a crash with five riders just before the climb of the Old Kwaremont, after 50 kilometer in the stage from Ardooie to Brussels. At the top of the climb he was unable to continue the race because [...]
- Astana Announce Team for the Tour of Ireland
August 15th, 2009The Astana team has announced the line up for this year’s Tour of Ireland, in association with Fáilte Ireland.
Lance Armstrong will head up a seven man team of young talent and seasoned professionals which is sponsored by the capital city of Kazakhstan. The team features three of the team that rode this year’s Tour De [...] - Alberto Contador To Ride For 2010 Astana Cycling Team
August 15th, 2009In order to clarify some misunderstandings reported in the media, the Astana Cycling Team Management reconfirms that 2009 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador is expected to ride for Team Astana in 2010. Prior to the 2008 season, Contador signed a three-year contract with Team Astana, ensuring that the rider will represent the Kazakh sponsored [...]
- Astana Says Contador Going Nowhere in 2010
August 15th, 2009PARIS, Aug 15, 2009 (AFP) – Tour de France champion Alberto Contador has been warned he may have to fight if he is to be granted his wish of leaving top cycling team Astana.
The two-time yellow jersey winner is reported to be poring over offers from rival teams following [...] - Armstrong Hits Back Hard At Contador’s Comments
July 28th, 2009Seven-time Tour de France champion, and 2009 3rd place finisher Lance Armstrong on Tuesday hit back following a stinging attack on him by this year’s Tour winner Alberto Contador.
Contador won the Tour de France title for the second time here on Sunday, with US rider Armstrong, who came out of retirement, [...] - Defiant Contador Wins The Tour His Way
July 27th, 2009by Justin Davis
PARIS, July 27, 2009 (AFP) – Newly-crowned Tour de France champion Alberto Contador showed more than impressive climbing and time trialling skills on his way to victory in this year’s race.
The 26-year-old Spaniard belied his unassuming nature to show nerves of steel in the face of a [...] - Bruyneel Says It’s Time To Quit Astana
July 21st, 2009Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel announced he is set to quit the Kazakhstan-backed outfit.
“It’s time to turn a page in my career,” Bruyneel told Flemish language channel VRT just before the 16th stage in Martigny, Switzerland.
With current yellow-jersey holder Alberto Contador and seven-times Tour de France [...] - Astana Truck Searched By Police At Swiss border
July 21st, 2009BOURG SAINT MAURICE, France, July 21, 2009 (AFP) – A truck belonging to the Astana team, whose leader Alberto Contador holds the Tour de France’s yellow jersey, was searched for three hours on Tuesday by police, it was confirmed.
The truck, containing spare bikes, equipment and food, was making its [...] - Armstrong Hits Back At Special Favors Allegations
July 17th, 2009by Ryland James
COLMAR, France, July 17, 2009 (AFP) – Lance Armstrong has hit back at allegations that his Astana team are being treated leniently by anti-doping controllers on the Tour de France.
Armstrong, who is bidding to win the Tour for an eighth time, is angry about [...] - Leipheimer Out Of Tour With Broken Wrist
July 17th, 2009Lance Armstrong’s Astana team-mate Levi Leipheimer has withdrawn from the Tour de France with a broken wrist, his Astana team announced on Friday.
The 35-year-old American, one of the main riders for the Astana team along with seven-time Tour winner Armstrong, 2007 Tour winner Alberto Contador and Andreas Kloeden, sustained [...] - Contador Down Plays The Armstrong Rivalry Talk
July 13th, 2009by Ryland James
LIMOGES, July 13, 2009 (AFP) – Alberto Contador on Monday played down the tension between him and Astana teammate Lance Armstrong as both prepare to launch respective bids for the 2009 Tour de France yellow jersey.
As Contador, the 2007 race winner, welcomed the media [...] - Serene Sastre Says Follow Astana
July 13th, 2009by Justin Davis
LIMOGES, France, July 13, 2009 (AFP) – Defending yellow jersey champion Carlos Sastre said Monday he would be choosing his moments carefully when the Tour de France moves up a gear next week in the Alps.
“Astana are the strongest team in the race at [...] - Astana Manager Wants Armstrong To Win Tour, Says Saiz
July 13th, 2009Astana’s Belgian manager, Johan Bruyneel, wants Lance Armstrong to win the Tour de France this year, former Spanish cycling manager Manolo Saiz was quoted as saying Monday.
“He wants Armstrong to win the Tour. That is his goal, above all,” he said in an interview published in Catalan daily [...] - Armstrong Admits To Tension In Astana Camp
July 12th, 2009by Justin Davis
SAINT GAUDENS, France, July 12, 2009 (AFP) – Lance Armstrong has finally admitted that tension exists in his Astana team as both he and Spanish teammate Alberto Contador bid to win the Tour de France.
Armstrong finished the ninth stage here Sunday still only eight [...] - Armstrong Unfazed By Contador’s Attack
July 11th, 2009by Ryland James
ARCALIS, Andorra, July 10, 2009 (AFP) – Lance Armstrong brushed off any concerns after Astana team-mate Alberto Contador usurped him to move into second place in the Tour de France’s general classification on Friday.
Contador, the 2007 Tour winner, is now second overall, six seconds [...] - Contador Steals Back Precious Seconds From Armstrong
July 10th, 2009by Justin Davis
ARCALIS, Andorra, July 10, 2009 (AFP) – Alberto Contador relaunched his bid for the 2009 yellow jersey on the first mountain stage of the Tour de France after taking back time previously lost to teammate Lance Armstrong.
Speculation since before the race that Contador’s Astana [...] - Astana’s Strength Could Be A Handicap, Says Redant
July 9th, 2009by Justin Davis
BARCELONA, Spain, July 9, 2009 (AFP) – A series of unpredictable alliances could conspire to disrupt the yellow jersey hopes of Lance Armstrong and his Astana team on the seventh stage of the Tour de France on Friday.
The first summit finish of the race is at the [...] - Armstrong Predicts That Contador Will Soar In Andorra
July 9th, 2009by Ryland James
BARCELONA, Spain, July 9, 2009 (AFP) – Lance Armstrong is backing Astana team-mate Alberto Contador to come out fighting when the Tour de France moves up into the Pyrenees on Friday on the road to Andorra.
Spaniard Contador, the 2007 Tour winner, goes into Friday’s [...] - Press Release: Astana, Armstrong, and Contador Speak
July 8th, 2009Astana Cycling Team won the 4th stage in the Tour the France, a team time trial in Montpellier over 39 km (24 miles). In the process of winning today, Lance Armstrong just missed taking another maillot jaune by tenths of a second to Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) who remains in yellow since his opening [...]
- Armstrong’s Yellow Jersey Miss Helps Astana, Admits Bruyneel
July 7th, 2009by Ryland James
MONTPELLIER, France, July 7, 2009 (AFP) – Astana team boss Johan Bruyneel said they would prefer to keep Lance Armstrong temporarily out of the yellow jersey if it helps keep the pressure on Saxo Bank’s Tour de France leader Fabian Cancellara.
Armstrong dramatically missed out [...] - Armstrong Just Misses Yellow Jersey As Astana Dominates TTT
July 7th, 2009Lance Armstrong dramatically missed out on the yellow jersey by the slimmest of margins here on Tuesday after his Astana team smashed their rivals apart in the Tour de France’s fourth stage time trial.
Astana came over the finish line of the 39km race against the clock 40secs ahead of the [...] - Armstrong Back For Another Shot At TTT
July 6th, 2009LA GRANDE MOTTE, France, July 6, 2009 (AFP) – Lance Armstrong will Tuesday get reacquainted with the Tour de France team time trial, an exercise which played a small but important role in his seven yellow jersey triumphs.
During reign on the race between 1999-2005 a team time trial was [...] - Armstrong’s Astana Team Fined For Late Registration
July 6th, 2009MARSEILLE, France, July 6, 2009 (AFP) – Lance Armstrong’s Astana team were fined on Monday after failing to sign on within the specified time at the start of the third stage of the Tour de France here.
Heavy traffic in Marseille city centre meant Astana broke the organizers’
rule that teams [...] - Armstrong Happy To Get Into Tour Groove
July 5th, 2009by Ryland James
BRIGNOLES, France, July 5, 2009 (AFP) – Lance Armstrong endured his first testing day of racing on his return to the Tour de France before avoiding a potentially dangerous finish among the safety of the main peloton.
The 37-year-old was given the same finishing time [...] - We Didn’t Expect Any Less, Says Astana Boss Bruyneel
July 4th, 2009by Justin Davis
MONACO, July 4, 2009 (AFP) – Astana boss Johan Bruyneel made a dramatic re-entry to the world’s biggest bike race after seeing his team dominate the top ten on the opening stage of the Tour de France on Saturday.
While Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara claimed the [...] - Contador’s Form Overshadows Armstrong As Tour Start Looms
July 4th, 2009Lance Armstrong’s bid to win another Tour de France title is of high interest here, but Alberto Contador will start the 2009 edition as Astana’s number one rider with good reason, insists the team boss.
After nearly four years of retirement, Armstrong will line up for Saturday’s first stage [...] - Jani Brajkovic Slovenian Champion Time Trial
June 25th, 2009Team Astana’s Jani Brajkovic took the golden medal on the national championships time trial. Brajkovic (25) was the fastest rider on the circuit of Solkan. Gregor Gazvoda was second, Kristjan Koren third.
In his fifth year as a professional rider, Jani Brajkovic took his first gold in the event. “Simply because I never participated [...] - Astana Names Contador As Astana Team Leader
June 25th, 2009Astana has chosen former yellow jersey champion Alberto Contador as team leader for the Tour de France, which begins in Monaco and will run from July 4-26.
Contador, who won the 2007 Tour de France but did not compete last year, is the pre-race favourite to succeed Spaniard Carlos Sastre.
[...] - Astana Names Their Six-Man Pre-Selection For Tour de France
June 19th, 2009Astana on Friday named six of the nine riders who will battle for overall and stage glory in next month’s Tour de France, where Alberto Contador of Spain will start as the yellow jersey favorite.
Contador, the 2007 champion, will be joined in Astana’s team by seven-time winner Lance Armstrong, [...] - Financial Problems For Astana Cycling Team Resolved
June 18th, 2009The Khazakstan government has agreed to back cycling’s Astana outfit for the rest of the 2009 season, including the Tour de France, a team spokesman said on Thursday.
The promise of support guarantees the involvement of seven-times Tour winner Lance Armstrong and 2007 winner Alberto Contador in the race which starts at [...] - Armstrong ‘Just Another Team-Mate’ – Says Contador
June 6th, 2009NANCY, France, June 5, 2009 (AFP) – Spain’s Alberto Contador on Friday said that he considers Astana team-mate and Tour de France rival Lance Armstrong as “just another member of the team”.
Armstrong, 37, has returned to the sport after a three-and-a-half-year absence in a bid to win an eighth [...] - Astana Makes Good On Financial Obligations, UCI Now Happy
June 3rd, 2009Astana, the team of seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador, and Levi Leipheimer, have provided financial guarantees to the International Cycling Union (UCI) allowing them to retain their license, the sport’s governing body said on Wednesday.
The UCI had threatened to rescind the team’s Pro-Tour competition license [...] - Astana Top Team At Giro d’Italia
May 31st, 2009The Astana Cycling Team won the Team’s classification in the Tour of Italy. The team under the guidance of Johan Bruyneel, Alain Gallopin and Viatcheslav Ekimov had an advantage of 24 minutes and 15 seconds over Team Columbia-High Road and 27 minutes and 17 seconds over Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni – Androni.
Yaroslav Popovych finished 4th in [...] - Giro Result “Promising” For Tour de France, Says Armstrong
May 31st, 2009Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong said his 12th-placed finish in the Giro d’Italia, which ended on Sunday, was “promising” ahead of this year’s French test.
The 37-year-old American, who broke a collarbone in a crash on the Tour of Castilla and Leon in March, and his Astana team [...] - Driving Up To The Peloton: 2009 Giro d’Italia
May 29th, 2009have you ever wondered what it looks like to be in a team car and get the call to the peloton to deliver some bottles?
Well her is our very own Cynthia Lou in the Astana team car doing just that.
Great vantage view point. - Small Fracture for Chris Horner of Astana
May 29th, 2009An MRI scan in San Diego revealed a hairline crack in the lateral tibia plateau of his left leg. Chris Horner crashed in the 10th stage of the Tour of Italy (Cuneo-Pinerolo). He finished the stage but was not able any more to start in the eleventh stage. After one week rest Chris Horner resumed [...]
- Out Of Time, Money, And Good Ideas – The Astana Story
May 27th, 2009…Or, “What I Learned This Summer At The Giro D’italia”
Cutting to the chase, it’s been a lousy month for the squad whose paychecks are mailed from Kazahkstan.
First, they packed wrong for their Italian holiday; namely, they failed to bring along Alberto Contador in case they encountered a serious bike race in their travels. Instead, they [...] - Cynthia Lou Hanging With The Astana Mechanics
May 23rd, 2009Our very own Cynthia Lou “The Scoop With Lou” had the opportunity to hang with the Astana mechanics as they ready the bikes for the Giro’s TT.
She shows them working the night before the TT getting the bikes ready. - Giro d’Italia: The Team Behind The Team
May 21st, 2009The Riders Are Off – Now What? Setting The Stage For the Rockstars: The Chef, The Mechanics, The Soigneurs
Before the riders wake up, and often times after the riders are fast asleep, supporting the rock stars on the bike are the rock star support team.
For example, Duffy, Operations Director and team Chef for Team Astana [...] - New Jersey, And No Sponsor On Armstrong’s Angry Team Kit
May 15th, 2009American Lance Armstrong’s Astana team admitted Friday they have been forced into desperate measures in a bid to publicize a never-ending financial dispute with their key sponsors.
Seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong and his Astana teammates started the Tour of Italy’s seventh stage Friday with new jerseys and [...] - Armstrong Continues To Write Off Giro Chances
May 7th, 2009VENICE, Italy, May 7, 2009 (AFP) – Lance Armstrong insisted again on Thursday that there will be no miracle Tour of Italy victory, preferring to concentrate on helping his Astana team out of their worrying financial crisis.
The seven-time Tour de France winner makes his comeback this weekend after suffering [...] - Lance Armstrong To Head A Strong Astana Team In Italy
May 5th, 2009The Astana cycling team on Tuesday named an international line-up to support Americans Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer in the Tour of Italy, which starts in Venice on Saturday.
Six nations are represented in the group containing Leipheimer and seven-time Tour de France champion Armstrong, who has returned to [...] - Leipheimer Grinds out Solo Victory Against Powerful Bissell Team
April 18th, 2009By CORBY ANDERSON
MONTEREY, Calif. – Levi Leipheimer picked up a close victory Friday at the 2009 Sea Otter Classic road race in a competition that he deemed to be a “training run.”
The Santa Rosa resident was racing on his own without the benefit of his world-beating Astana team, but still, he had the superior fitness [...] - Contador Wins Tour of Basque Country
April 11th, 2009MADRID, April 11, 2009 (AFP) – Spain’s Alberto Contador, riding for the Astana team, on Saturday won the Tour of the Basque Country after clinching the sixth and final stage, a 24km time trial around the town of Zalla.
It was the second straight Tour of the Basque Country title [...] - Astana Still Optimistic Over Armstrong’s Giro Bid In 2009
April 11th, 2009Lance Armstrong’s Astana team expressed optimism Wednesday over his prospects of recovering from his broken collarbone in time to line up for next month’s Tour of Italy.
The seven-time Tour de France winner’s participation in the Giro which starts on May 9 was thrown into doubt after he required surgery [...] - Fractured Collar Bone For Sergey Renev
March 28th, 2009Team Astana’s Sergey Renev suffers from a fracture of the right clavicle (collar bone) after a crash in the first stage of the Critérium International (France). At five kilometers from the finish in Charleville-Mézières a massive crash occurred in a peloton getting nervous for the bunch sprint. Four Team Astana riders were involved in the [...]
- Lance Armstrong Goes East Ahead Of Milan-San Remo
March 16th, 2009PARIS, March 16, 2009 (AFP) – Lance Armstrong will return to the first one-day classic of the season, Milan-San Remo, this weekend backed by a largely eastern European contingent of Astana riders.
The seven-time Tour de France champion last competed at San Remo in 2002 and his participation in one [...] - Spain’s Sanchez Trumps Contador For Paris-Nice Title
March 15th, 2009by Jean Montois
NICE, France, March 15, 2009 (AFP) – Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez trumped compatriot Alberto Contador to win the 67th Paris-Nice cycling race after the eighth and final stage here on Sunday.
Sanchez, riding for the Caisse d’Epargne team, finished the race one minute ahead of [...] - Tour of Missouri Announces Participation of Powerful Astana To Team Line Up
March 14th, 2009JEFFERSON CITY, MO (March 11, 2009) Event organizers and Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder today announced the participation of Team Astana, widely considered the world’s top stage racing team currently, to the line up for the Tour of Missouri, an elite professional cycling race scheduled for September 7-13, 2009.
The Kazakstan-registered Astana team joins previously announced [...] - Contador Back In Lead After Stage 6 Win At Paris-Nice (Results)
March 13th, 2009MONTAGNE DE LURE, France, March 13, 2009 – Spain’s Alberto Contador, riding for the Astana team, won the sixth stage of Paris-Nice cycling race on Friday to take the leader’s yellow jersey with two day’s racing left.
Contador, winner of the 2007 Tour de France and last year’s Tour of [...] - Brajkovic – Concussion in Tirreno-Adriatico
March 13th, 2009Team Astana’s Jani Brajkovic crashed in the second stage of the Italian stage race Tirreno-Adriatico. The Slovenian rider landed on his head and suffers from a concussion. He was forced to abandon due to a headache and vertigo. Jani Brajkovic will have to rest for minimum three days, after which he can resume the training. [...]
- An Injured Levi Leipheimer Pulls Out Of Paris-Nice As Reported by Astana
February 28th, 2009America’s Levi Leipheimer, the recent winner of the Tour of California, has been ruled out of the Paris-Nice race from March 8-15 because of a lower back injury, his Astana team announced on Saturday.
The injury was a result of a fall Leipheimer suffered during the third stage of the [...] - Johan Bruyneel Receives 2009 Flanders-America Award
February 26th, 2009(New York, NY) – On Wednesday night, Johan Bruyneel, the eight-time winning Tour de France sports director received the 2009 Flanders-America Award from the Flanders House New York. The annual award is given to an individual who has significantly contributed to the relationship between Flanders (a region of Belgium) and America. Bruyneel, most known for [...]
- Team Astana’s Levi Leipheimer Becomes Three-Time Amgen Tour of California Champion
February 24th, 2009PRESS RELEASE: TEAM ASTANA
Astana Cycling Team’s Levi Leipheimer captured his third consecutive Amgen Tour of California title. The victory comes on the same day that teammate Alberto Contador won the Tour of Algarve, giving Team Astana four total victories in the early part of 2009. Over the 9 days and 1256 km (780 miles) [...] - Contador Starts Season With A Win
February 22nd, 2009LISBON, Feb 22, 2009 (AFP) – Spain’s Tour of Italy and Tour of Spain champion Alberto Contador began his quest to recapture the Tour de France this year on a victorious note in the Tour of the Algarve on Sunday.
Contador, who will take on Astana team-mate and seven-time Tour de France [...] - Leipheimer Triples – Takes his Third Tour of California
February 22nd, 2009ESCONDIDO, California, Feb 22, 2009 (AFP) – American Levi Leipheimer won his third consecutive Tour of California cycling crown here Sunday after an eighth and final stage that was won by Frank Schleck of Luxembourg.
Astana’s Leipheimer finished 36 seconds ahead of compatriot David Zabriskie of Garmin with Australian Michael Rogers of Columbia [...] - Alberto Contador States “Armstrong and I Will Be Equals”
February 18th, 2009LISBON, Feb 18, 2009 (AFP) – Spain’s Alberto Contador said Wednesday that he would be “equal” to Astana team-mate Lance Armstrong during the next Tour de France and stressed that they both deserved “the status of leader”.
“I think that we will be equal,” Contador said, shortly before the start of the [...] - Leipheimer Takes 2nd On Stage 2 But Captures Tour of California Lead
February 16th, 2009Levi Leipheimer had to settle for second place to US countryman Thomas Peterson in Monday’s second stage of the Amgen Tour of California, but he was able to take the overall lead with a risky and difficult ride today.
Astana’s Levi Leipheimer launched his decisive break entering the last climb in the 186.6km [...] - Armstrong Comeback Gaining Speed In California
February 13th, 2009by Benoit Petit
SACRAMENTO, California, Feb 13, 2009 (AFP) – Lance Armstrong’s much-hyped comeback continues on Saturday when the seven-time Tour de France champion tackles the Tour of California.
“Now I’m fresh. I feel as good now at age 37 as I did at age 27,” Armstrong said [...] - Astana Training Camp – Exclusive Photo Essay
February 6th, 2009On Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 Team Astana held a training camp in Santa Rosa, CA. Bicycle.net was fortunte enough to be able to attend, and we were able to get some excellent photographs. All of these fantastic photo’s were taken by our very own Brian Hodes.
Lance Armstrong Looking FitLance Armstrong’s New Trek Ride with [...]
- Lance Armstrong Eyes Astana Podium Sweep At 2009 Tour
January 7th, 2009LOS ANGELES, Jan 6, 2009 (AFP) – Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance
Armstrong says his Astana team has a chance at a podium sweep in this year’s
Tour de France and he might ride in 2010, according to an Internet interview.
Armstrong, who won the Tour de France from 1999 through 2005, told [...] - Team Astana Deny Armstrong To Race Tour Of The Sarthe/Loire
December 21st, 2008PARIS, Dec 21, 2008 (AFP) – Astana cycling team on Sunday denied Lance
Armstrong would compete in next year’s Tour of the Sarthe/Loire following the
announcement by race organisers this weekend.
Organisers said on Saturday the American seven-time Tour de France winner
had confirmed his participation in the April 7 to 10 event.
The [...] - Yaroslav Popovych Completes 2009 Astana Cycling Team Roster
November 13th, 2008Yaroslav Popovych, a top ten Tour de France and Giro d’Italia finisher, has signed a two-year agreement with the Astana Cycling Team. Starting in January 2009, the Ukrainian cyclist will join Johan Bruyneel’s team, which already includes top Grand Tour riders Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Klöden.
Popovych (Drogobych – January 4th, [...] - Alberto Contador Will Not Take Part In 2009 Giro To Focus On Tour de France
October 29th, 2008MADRID, Oct 29, 2008 (AFP) – Spaniard Alberto Contador, winner of last year’s tours of Italy and Spain, has confirmed that he will not take part in the Italian race next year in order to concentrate on preparing for the Tour de France.
“I will not participate in the Giro. [...] - Lance Armstrong Likes 2009 Tour Plans, Excited About Future
October 24th, 2008AUSTIN, Texas, Oct 22, 2008 (AFP) – Seven-time Tour de France winner
LanceArmstrong was pleased with the 2009 Tour de France route announced Wednesday
and looked forward to the possibility of trying to win the race once again.
The US cycling legend, returning after a three-year hiatus, released a
reaction statement that also expressed his [...] - Disgraced Vinokourov Looks To Join Up With Armstrong At Team Astana
October 4th, 2008BRUSSELS, Oct 4, 2008 (AFP) – Disgraced Tour de France star Alexandre Vinokourov has announced plans to return to professional cycling, with the Astana team of Lance Armstrong, according to reports here Saturday.
The 35-year-old from Kazakhstan was handed a one-year ban after testing positive for blood doping at the [...] - Lance Armstrong’s Motivation Undented, Says Astana Manager Johan Bruyneel
October 3rd, 2008PARIS, Oct 3, 2008 (AFP) – Lance Armstrong’s will to succeed is one
“intangible” that his manager at Astana, Johan Bruyneel, will be counting on
come next July when the Tour de France icon aims for an eighth yellow jersey.
While hoping to appease record-setting team leader Alberto Contador of
Spain, Bruyneel – who steered [...] - Johan Bruyneel Prepares Team Astana for 2009
October 2nd, 2008While the riders are finishing their last races of a very successful 2008 season, the Astana Cycling Team Management is beginning to focus on 2009. Johan Bruyneel took some time to answer questions about the 2009 season, including the arrival of the seven-time Tour de France Champion.
The World Championships do not involve the teams, yet [...] - Contador Claims Team Backing From Astana Solid
September 26th, 2008MADRID, Sept 26, 2008 (AFP) – Spain’s Alberto Contador says he has been given assurances from his Astana team that he will remain team leader even if Lance Armstrong returns to the outfit.
The seven-times Tour de France winning American announced his shock return to competition earlier this month and [...] - Lance Armstrong Confirms That He Will Ride For Team Astana In Historic Comeback
September 24th, 2008NEW YORK, Sept 24, 2008 (AFP) – Cycling legend Lance Armstrong said Wednesday he would join Kazakhstan’s Astana team for his competitive comeback
– but he didn’t promise an eighth Tour de France victory.
“I will race in 2009 with Astana,” he told journalists in New York.
Armstrong, 37, said he [...] - Lance Armstrong Set To Join Team Astana, Say Kazakh Federation
September 24th, 2008American cyclist Lance Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France winner, was set to join Kazakhstan-based professional team Astana, according to an official from the country’s cycling
federation.
“On Wednesday Armstrong will announce his decision to join our team at a
news conference,” federation deputy president Nikolai Proskurin told Bicycle.net.
“This case is a sealed one.
[...] - Alberto Contador Not Happy With The Idea Of Lance Armstrong As Astana Teammate
September 23rd, 2008MADRID, Sept 23, 2008 (AFP) – Alberto Contador, who won the Tour of Spain
on Sunday, hinted he may quit the Astana team if it hires Lance Armstrong, who
has announced he is coming out of retirement to seek a record eighth Tour de
France title.
The Spaniard was asked by the sports newspaper AS [...] - Levi Leipheimer Wins, As Alberto Contador Tightens His Golden Grip For Tour of Spain History
September 20th, 2008NAVACERRADA, Spain, Sept 20, 2008 (AFP) – Alberto Contador’s bid to join an elite club to have won all three major Tours appears intact after the Spaniard finished second in the final time trial of the Tour of Spain Saturday.
American Levi Leipheimer claimed victory in the race’s penultimate [...] - Chechu Rubiera Re-Signs with Astana Cycling Team
September 19th, 2008José Luis “Chechu” Rubiera, a twenty-time Grand Tour finisher, has re-signed a one-year agreement with the Astana Cycling Team. Rubiera, who planned to retire after this season, performed so strong this season, that he reconsidered his retirement. The Asturian rider is one of the strongholders of the Astana Cycling Team. In 2000 Rubiera (35) joined [...]
- Boonen Scores The Double, As Contador Keeps Gold Jersey
September 16th, 2008ZAMORA, Spain, Sept 16, 2008 (AFP) – Belgium’s Tom Boonen dominated a bunch sprint on the 16th stage of the Tour of Spain, held over 186.4km between Pontferrada and here on Tuesday, to claim his second win of this year’s race.
Spaniard Alberto Contador, of the Astana team, retained the [...] - Contador Retains Gold Even After Crash, And Garcia Wins Vuelta’s 15th Stage
September 15th, 2008PONFERRADA, Spain, Sept 15, 2008 (AFP) – Alberto Contador continued his march towards claiming his third major Tour within 14 months after the Tour of Spain’s 15th stage won by fellow Spaniard David Garcia on Monday.
Garcia broke free of a group of 17 riders that had escaped from [...] - Contador Flying High As He Wins Tour of Spain 14th Stage And Retains Overall Lead
September 14th, 2008FUENTES DE INVIERNO, Spain, Sept 14, 2008 (AFP) – Spain’s 2007 Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, who rides for Astana, won the 14th stage of the Tour of Spain here Sunday to retain the overall race lead.
He completed the 158.4 kilometre mountain ride from Oviedo to the Fuentes [...] - Flight Of The Contador As He Takes Lead Of The Tour of Spain
September 13th, 2008ANGLIRU, Spain, Sept 13, 2008 – Spain’s 2007 Tour de France champion Alberto Contador of Astana took the lead of the Tour of Spain after winning the 13th stage here on Saturday.
The 25-year-old finished the 209-kilometre (129.6-mile) mountain stage from San Vicente de la Barquera to Angliru in [...] - David Moncoutie of Cofidis Wins Stage 8, Leipheimer Takes Over Lead In Spain
September 7th, 2008MADRID, Sept 7, 2008 (AFP) – Frenchman David Moncoutie of Cofidis won the eighth stage of the Tour of Spain on Sunday, a 151km ride from Andorra to Pla de Beret but it was US rider Levi Leipheimer of Astana who bagged the leader’s golden jersey.
Home favourite Alberto [...] - Alberto Contador Comments After The Team Time Trial At The Tour of Spain
August 30th, 2008“The time differences are small and not so important”
Alberto Contador crossed the finish line as first rider of the Astana Team, losing 14 seconds to the winner of the first stage. The differences, in his opinion, are not significant.
“This first stage has been a beautiful show and the team gave everything. I am [...] - Dirk Demol Joins Astana Cycling Team As A Team Director
August 30th, 2008The Astana Cycling Team is happy to announce that Team Director Dirk Demol will join the Astana Team family in 2009. The Belgian is a former winner of the famed Paris-Roubaix (1988) and most recently worked as a Team Director with QuickStep-Innergetic, where he led Stijn Devolder to the biggest win of his career at [...]
- Alberto Contador Leads Team Astana in the Tour of Spain
August 25th, 2008Astana Cycling Team General Manager Johan Bruyneel and Sports Director Alain Gallopin announced the nine riders who will participate in the Tour of Spain, starting this Saturday, August 30th, in Granada.
The nine riders are: Assan Bazayev, Alberto Contador, Andreas Klöden, Levi Leipheimer, Dmitriy Muravyev, Benjamín Noval, Sérgio Paulinho, José [...] - Andreas Kloden of Astana To Compete At The Tour of Spain
August 24th, 2008RENNES, France, Aug 24, 2008 (AFP) – German rider Andreas Kloden, who was twice runner-up in the Tour de France, will compete in the Tour of Spain from August 30 to September 21, his Astana team said Sunday.
Kloden, opted for the Vuelta over the Tour of Germany, to support [...] - Levi Leipheimer Wins Clásica a los Puertos. Alberto Contador Is Second
August 24th, 2008Astana Cycling Team ready for the Tour of Spain.
Levi Leipheimer was the best rider in the 31st Clásica Internacional a los Puertos de Guadarrama, a preparatory race for the Tour of Spain, which starts next Saturday in Granada. Leipheimer won after a solo effort of 20 kilometers. The Olympic time-trial bronze medalist had an advantage [...] - Haimar Zubeldia Signs with Astana Cycling Team
August 18th, 2008Haimar Zubeldia Agirre, a three-time top ten Tour de France finisher, has signed a two-year agreement with the Astana Cycling Team. Starting in January 2009, the Spanish cyclist will join Johan Bruyneel’s team, which already includes top Grand Tour riders Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Klöden.
Zubeldia (Usurbil – April 4th, 1977), a professional [...] - Chris Horner Out For Tour of Spain / Astana in Spain and France
August 4th, 2008Chris Horner (Astana Cycling Team) broke his left collar bone after a crash in the final sprint of the 2nd stage of the Tour of Elk Grove, IL, USA on August, 2nd. Chris Horner was able to finish the race (as 34th) but was transported to a nearby hospital where the break was diagnosed.
Chris [...] - Nine Riders Re-sign With Team Astana
July 31st, 2008Astana Cycling Team General Manager Johan Bruyneel announced today that nine riders have re-signed for the 2009 season. Assan Bazayev, Chris Horner, Maxim Iglinskiy, Andreas Klöden, Steve Morabito, Dmitriy Muravyev, Daniel Navarro, Gregory Rast and Michael Schär have recommitted their services to Team Astana and will rejoin a formidable team that includes 2008 Giro [...]
- Sergey Ivanov of Team Astana Wins Tour de Wallonie
July 30th, 2008Russian Champion Sergey Ivanov took the overall victory in the Tour the Wallonie (Belgium). For Astana Cycling Team it is the seventh overall victory in a stage race in 2008.
Sergey Ivanov finished third in the last stage, behind Patrice Halgand (Crédit Agricole) and Rik Verbrugghe (Cofidis). Those three riders escaped earlier in the [...] - Team Astana Terminates Vladimir Gusev Contract
July 26th, 2008Astana Cycling Team management has terminated the contract of Russian cyclist Vladimir Gusev due to irregular values. The values were gathered during internal out-of-competition control tests, under the supervision of anti-doping expert Dr. Rasmus Damsgaard. The Team has applied the contractual clauses based on these physiological and biological abnormalities.
“Vladimir Gusev has been officially [...] - Chris Horner of Astana Wins In Canada
July 21st, 2008Chris Horner (Astana Cycling Team) captured the Tour de White Rock Road Race on Sunday, July 20th. That race was the finale of the 10-day, eight-race British Columbia Superweek Series (a Series that has Lance Armstrong on his list as a former winner). The Tour de White Rock is one of Canada’s classic races, on [...]
- René Haselbacher Stage Winner in Tour of Austria
July 11th, 2008Astana Cycling Team stays with its winning style. Austrian rider René Haselbacher won the 5th stage of the Tour of Austria from Wiener Neustadt to Bad Vöslau. He beat his companion Emanuele Bindi in the sprint. Both riders successfully ended a breakaway of 150 K. Haselbacher is the new leader in the points classification and [...]
- Tour de France Winner Alberto Contador May Not Be Guaranteed 2008 Start
February 1st, 2008Tour de France winner Alberto Contador not guaranteed 2008 place
Feb 1, 2008 (AFP) – Reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, who has signed for the disgraced Astana team, will not be a guaranteed a starting place in the 2008 race.
Patrice Clerc, the president of Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) [...]
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