Astana 2013 Season in Review

The Kazak team had a successful 2012 season which was bookended by the Olympic road race victory by Alexander Vinokourov in London. The team underwent a change in personal and approach over the offseason with the acquisition of Vincenzo Nibali symbolising the shift to chasing grand tour victories. In 2008 the team tasted its first grand tour success when Alberto Contador won both the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta de España. He added the Tour de France to his palmares the next season but after he left, Astana’s focus had turned to classics and weeklong stage races. 

Nibali’s arrival brought about a level of success the team had not enjoyed since Contador’s stint at the team. Nibali was victorious overall in three races and his pedigree covered over some of the cracks for the team in 2013. Kevin Seeldraeyers was the only other rider to record multiple wins for the season and this was disappointing feature among the highlights of the Giro and Vuelta.

Knocked Out Of The Top Ten

After six stages and no general classification stages there are already several top ten hopefuls who have flown home or are missing key teammates. Belkin, Lotto, Cofidis and Astana are all looking weaker in the claims to place a rider in the top ten after being struck with misfortune.

Stage 5 was a horror stage for Astana and team captain Jakob Fuglsang. Early in the stage Fredrik Kessiakoff pulled out the race with his injuries taking their toll on the Swede. In last year’s Tour Kessiakoff wore the polka dot jersey from stages 8-10 and 12-16 as he battled Thomas Voeckler in the KOM. He will be a big loss for the hopes of Fuglsang who is back at the Tour after his failing out with the RadioShack team. The Dane has the team working for him but Kessiakoff is a big loss.

Janez Brajkovič crashed out in 2011 before coming back the next year and finishing ninth overall in 2012. He crashed in the final 10kms of stage and ripped open his knee. Although he didn’t finish the stage he won’t be pinning a race number on tomorrow. On the one day Fuglsang lost both of his key mountain domestiques and with Astana down to six riders it will be tough for him to crack the top ten after doing nothing wrong.

Another unlucky rider from today was Damiano Cunego who punctured in the final kilometre and lost 1 minute to his rivals. After Lampre-Merida put in a decent effort during the TTT the little prince was in a good position heading into the mountains.

Although Cunego and Fuglsang were unlucky, Rein Taaramäe and Robert Gesink have been going backwards since Corsica. Both have worn the white jersey in the past and were touted as future GC contenders. Gesink has performed the better of the two so far but he is almost 10 minutes behind Daryl Impey. He is riding in support of Bauke Mollema but the Dutchmen having lost this much time on the flat may not be much help in the mountains. Perhaps then he’ll crash out again saving face.

Cofidis on the other hand came into the Tour with Taaramäe their hope for some podium time. The newly crowned Estonian champion may be looking resplendent in his national kit but he has been very underwhelming so far. Teammate Dani Navarro impressed at the Critérium de dauphine so perhaps Contador’s former domestique may lead the team from now on. Taaramäe has one Vuelta victory to his name but a stage win is probably beyond him at the Tour.

It is not only riders having conceded time after the first six stages that have cost their chances for a top ten finish but several big injuries. Although his palmares is very bare with a stage win at the Dauphiné his only pro victory, Jurgen Van Den Broeck was hoping to improve upon his two fourth overall results at the Tour. A crash in the finale of Stage 5 saw the Belgian succumb to a knee injury and once again his Tour is over before it really begun. Since 2009 the Belgian has ridden 7 grand tours, withdrawing three times but finishing inside the top ten three times. Perhaps the Vuelta will see a return to form.

Lotto can focus on winning stages with Andre Greipel so not all is lost for the team. Astana may try for stage wins now as will Lampre to rescue their Tours. With only six stages completed there are several riders who have pinned their hopes on July only to see them dashed in seconds. The mettle of Geraint Thomas to continue riding with a fractured pelvis that he sustained on Stage 1 demonstrates that at the Tour, rider’s pain thresholds are enormous and its takes something special to pull the pin and quit.

It’s a shame to see riders crash out as the spectacle of the race is diminished as every rider wants to prove themselves against the best. Let’s hope there are no more injuries and mechanicals that decide the top ten. Thankfully none of the big contenders’ have some unstuck yet and their ability to stay upright is demonstrating why they are the favourites.

Astana 2012 in Review

Astana had significant off season changes regarding personal as they began the season with a mix of new faces who replaced the three cyclists who moved to the new GreenEdge team as well as four retiring cyclists at the end of 2011. The big recruit was that of Janez Brajkovic who moved across from the RadioShack team, a casualty of the merger with RadioShack and Leopard and was joined by his old team mate Dimitry Muravyev. Brajkovic repaid the team immediately by taking the first win of the season at the Volta a Catalunya which was to kick start a string of victories. Astana has had quite a successful 2012 and currently are ranked 11th out the 18 World Tour Teams. 2013 looks to be the dawning of a new era for the Kazakh team with Vincenzo Nibali moving to ht team and Alexander Vinokourov retiring. Vinokourov’s retirement could see the next wave of Kazakh riders impress on the big stage in his absence as Astana looks to win its first Grand Tour General Classification since Alberto Contador’s Giro d’Italia and Vuelta de España double in 2008. 

Vino wins Gold: Men's Olympic Road Race

Alexander Vinokourov wins the gold medal race and announces his retirement. Vino now has a silver medal from Sydney 2000 and gold from London in Olympic road races. He can also add two bronze medals from the 2004 and 2006 worlds in the ITT to his Olympic medals. After his positive doping test at the 2007 Tour de France, Vinos reputation has been tainted by this indiscretion and as well as being accused of buying his 2010 Liège–Bastogne–Liège win , Vino's win was not to everyone’s flavour.