The Astana Team (UCI Team Code: AST), is a prfessional road bicycle racing team sponsored by the Astana group, a coalition of state-owned companies from Kazakhstan – including Air Astana – named after its capital. The UCI ProTour license commission first informed Astana Team that they would not be granted a ProTour License for the 2007 season. Following UCI's decision not to grant a ProTour license, the organizers of the three Grand Tours informed Astana Team that they would be included, regardless of ProTour license status. On December 20, 2006 the UCI License Commission awarded Astana Team with a 4 year ProTour license.
2007
Recently Arcelor Mittal decided to be co-sponsor for at least the 2007 season. The team has UCI ProTour status,[1] is Swiss-based and managed by former Tour de Suisse organiser Marc Biver. The team's leader was formerly Alexander Vinokourov until he was sacked following a positive test of his B-sample for blood doping during the Tour de France. Some riders and staff joined the team from the former Liberty Seguros-Würth team, also known as Würth Team and Astana-Würth Team.
Team roster
As of September 5, 2007.[2]
Staff
- General manager – Marc Biver
- Team manager – Mario Kummer
- Technical manager – Walter Godefroot
- Assistant Team Managers – Adriano Baffi, Giovanni Fidanza and Alexander Sheffer
Major results
Withdrawal from Tour de France 2007 and sacking of Vinokourov
After a positive blood doping (transfusion) test following the winning time-trial by team-leader Alexander Vinokourov, organisers invited Team Astana's management to withdraw the entire team from the 2007 Tour de France; this invitation was immediately accepted.[3] Following confirmation that Vinokourov's B-sample had also tested positive, the Astana Team announced that he had been sacked with immediate effect.[4] Additionally the team decided to suspend its activities during the month of August to decide about its future with new regulations.[5]
2008
Beginning in the 2008 season, Team Astana will be managed by Johan Bruyneel, the former directeur sportif of the defunct Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. Joining him are former Discovery riders Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer, The 2008 team will employ the anti-doping system developed by Dr. Rasmus Damsgaard, Head of Information for Anti Doping Danmark (ADD). The anti-doping system was initially used by Team CSC starting in 2007.[6] On November 25, 2007, Team Astana announced they will be powered by SRAM Red road components. On December 13, 2007, Trek Bicycle Corporation announced that they will supply the team bikes, tires and Bontrager components for Team Astana.
Team roster
- Incomplete
Staff
- General manager – Johan Bruyneel
- Director - Alain Gallopin
- Asst Directors - Viatcheslav Ekimov, Laurenzo Lapage, Sean Yates
Bicycle equipment sponsor
It was announced on December 13, 2007 that Trek Bicycle Corporation will be the official team sponsor for all their cycling gear in 2008. Bruyneel made the deal with Trek during an unrelated visit following the end of the 2007 Tour de France.
See also
References
External links
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