Astana Qazaqstan sports director with details about Davide Ballerini's knee injury: "Davide is back in the saddle, but he isn't there for these classics. He clearly may not be ready"
Cycling
Davide Ballerini was among the most promising reinforcements by Astana Qazaqstan last winter, but as things stand out, it might be a signing that will haunt the Kazakh team's managers for next 12 months as the 29-year-old Italian is struggling with a knee injury which won't let him ride cobbled classics this spring. Sports director Stefano Zanini talked to bici.pro about the current situation around Ballerini.
"Unfortunately his knee problem still exists. Or rather, he is solving it, he is improving. Davide is back in the saddle, but he isn't there for these classics. He clearly may not be ready. We have Cees Bol, Alexey Lutskenko and, at least for the beginning, also Yevgeniy Fedorov who in my opinion can do very well. Then we'll also see what we can do with Max Kanter and Ide Shelling."
Read also
"I and we all counted on each other a lot. I was happy to come up here with him. I'm very happy with his return. It's very sad that he isn't there. He was a very important man for these races. But I look ahead and then I think that Bol is good on the cobblestones, that he moves very well. And that the other kids are fine. We can be protagonists: we have a good team."
"For now he is still in team's plans, but he is too far behind. I find it difficult. At this point there is no need to force the timing. We want this to be resolved in the best possible way and above all that Ballerini doesn't have any other problems or relapses. If the classics were to be missed completely, it is better to recover without haste, but good for everything that comes after."
Read also

Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment









