XDS Astana team

[Cycling111]

I don't know who surprised me more from Astana yesterday. Higutas' resurrection after four years washed. The Eritrean fourth on a tough finish, or Nicolas Vinonourov seventh ahead UAE and Jayco climbers.

 

[Potomac]

Any more surprises today?

 

[Tim Cahill]

All this without their best young rider too (Ilkhan Dostiyev)

 

[Brullnux]

More than 1/3 of their 2023 and 2024 points and the season is three weeks old... I love this sport

 

[YavorD]

Vino elevates the points hunting to victories hunting it seems.
Though If I remember correctly they had a lot of wins last season as well.

 

[Potomac]

Vino elevates the points hunting to victories hunting it seems.
Though If I remember correctly they had a lot of wins last season as well.

They did have a lot of wins, but only two of them were World Tour level

 

[YavorD]

They did have a lot of wins, but only two of them were World Tour level

That's true, but they were still not far of top 10 in WT level wins.
I think it's hard to get a lot of WT wins nowadays unless you have one of the very best riders. The lack of a top sprinter doesn't help either.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Top of the table as Tim posted earlier.
1065 points yesterday.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

I noticed that nico Vinokorov was not racing boucles de mayenne, a race he was originally scheduled for, so wondered if everything was ok and what he was doing.

Turns out since 11 May he has been training at altitude in ibarra, Ecuador. I did not know of any non-southamerican riders who trained at Ecuador before, although lots of them go to colombia nowadays and q35.6 went to Chile in February this year. I wondered if he was training with his teammate Harold lopez, who is from ibarra. But then of course I remembered he was at the Giro.

So it seems he is there on his own and I wonder why he chose this place for training.

It is the second time he went to south america this year, he was at Colombia in January, so he clearly quite likes it for training. I wonder if his dad was ever known for this?

Anyway the main group for the tour team is training in austria so this probably doesn't mean that vino will be part of the team. Let's see.

 

[search]

Not quite Ecuador, but I remember when Vino invited Ullrich and Klöden (?) to Kazachstan to go boar hunting. Probably did some Rocky IV style training as well. Astanafans had some great photos back then, but no idea if they still exist.

But yeah, Ecuador is rather unusual. But despite being at the Giro, Martin Lopez seems to be the link here indeed. They went there together in February, and also this time Nico is training around his home town of Ibarra.

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[search]

Not quite Ecuador, but I remember when Vino invited Ullrich and Klöden (?) to Kazachstan to go boar hunting. Probably did some Rocky IV style training as well. Astanafans had some great photos back then, but no idea if they still exist.

they really do!

the one with the boar is not quite sfw, but still up there as well

» Фотоархив. Приезд велозвёзд в Казахстан в 2002 году

astanafans.com

There's also an article about the boys' first race in 2010. "Tour de France 2025 will be ours". Nico is a bit behind schedule

» Первая гонка братьев Винокуровых

astanafans.com

 

[Mayomaniac]

they really do!

the one with the boar is not quite sfw, but still up there as well

» Фотоархив. Приезд велозвёзд в Казахстан в 2002 году

astanafans.com

There's also an article about the boys' first race in 2010. "Tour de France 2025 will be ours". Nico is a bit behind schedule

» Первая гонка братьев Винокуровых

astanafans.com

Some friends of mine went trekking and horse riding in Kazakhstan 2 years ago. Their guide was a former Astana developmental rider, who still has Vino's number.
No, sadly I didn't get Vino's number...

 

[Squire]

Anybody know what's up with Kajamini? After a somewhat promising start as a neo-pro last year, where he showed the kind of level you'd expect from a very good but slightly 'older' U23 turning pro, he has fallen off a cliff and stayed at the bottom of it ever since.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Anyway the main group for the tour team is training in austria so this probably doesn't mean that vino will be part of the team. Let's see.

Looks like I was wrong here. Vino jr has been selected for the tour!!

The full team:

Mike Teunissen
Sergio Higuita
Harald Tajeda
Max kanter
Nico vinokurov
Davide ballerini
Aaron gate
Simone velasco

I thought they were preparing for a GC/kom bid with fortunato, I am surprised at his exclusion. Maybe he didn't have the legs. No bettiol either.

Looks like a good team of stage hunters.

 

[tobydawq]

Anybody know what's up with Kajamini? After a somewhat promising start as a neo-pro last year, where he showed the kind of level you'd expect from a very good but slightly 'older' U23 turning pro, he has fallen off a cliff and stayed at the bottom of it ever since.

And now he's been flicked from the team to make room for Langellotti (after a decent performance at the Tour de l'Ain). How's that legal?

 

[Squire]

And now he's been flicked from the team to make room for Langellotti (after a decent performance at the Tour de l'Ain). How's that legal?

MBH Bank, go get this guy!

 

[Squire]

MBH Bank, go get this guy!

They listened.