Cycling: Team Astana has had three less than successful years. Significant victories were in short supply for what was once one of the strongest teams in the world. But that will change again in 2025.
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Astana 2024: Cavendish outshines everyone
Even though Team Astana has had less success in the 2024 season, the men in cyan probably deserve the moment of the year. Mark Cavendish won a stage for Astana in the Tour de France – and thereby took sole possession of the record. It's actually crazy that this victory should remain the only one at WorldTour level. alexey lutsenko won the Giro d'Abruzzo. Max Kanter won a stage of the Tour of Türkiye. And Gleb Syritsa and Ivan Smirnov were victorious at the Tour de Langkawi and the Tour of Hainan respectively. Of course, such results are not enough for the demands that a team like Astana should have. Nevertheless, with 15 victories and 33 other podium places, the Kazakh team is still in 2024st place in the UCI rankings in 21, just one place lower than in the previous season.
New sponsor, same quality?
A few years ago, Team Astana was one of the best teams in the world. To make this a reality again, there is a major change: a new bike, a new sponsor and twelve new riders. The biggest impact will of course be the new investor from China. The major investor is the carbon manufacturer XDS, which has committed itself for at least five years. Alexandre Vinokourov has thus managed to secure a mega deal that offers him a lot of security after three such weak years. The newcomers will then also start under the new team name XdS (Carbon-Tech)-Astana Qazaqstan - at least that is what the Gazzetta dello Sport reports. In addition to the old hands Diego Ulissi, Wout Poels, Mike Teunissen, Sergio Higuita and Fausto Masnada Some talents were also brought into the team. The Italians Florian Kajamini, Alessandro Romele and the Dutchman Darren van Bekkum. The first-mentioned Kajamini in particular could be a real hit. He won a stage of the Tour de l'Avenir this year and finished fifth overall.