Astana sign one of Remco Evenepoel's mountain domestiques - "His potential is far from exhausted"

Astana Qazaqstan Team are still making good use of the money flowing in from a new Chinese sponsor and within days of the end of October they announce a new signing. Reinforcing it's Italian block, the Kazakh team revealed the transfer of Fausto Masnada over from the Soudal - Quick-Step team.

“We are happy to welcome Fausto Masnada to Astana Qazaqstan Team. Fausto is an experienced rider who has shown excellent results in stage races, mountain stages, and one-day classics. I’m confident that his potential is far from exhausted," team manager Alexandr Vinokourov said in a press release. "He has faced some challenges in recent seasons, but I believe that within our team, he will be able to unlock his full potential and return to a high level. His determination, work ethic, and ability to perform on difficult courses perfectly align with the goals we are pursuing. We are excited to see him race in our team’s jersey for the first time, and we expect him to make a significant contribution to the overall success of our project”.

Masnada has a career of ups-and-downs, the 30-year old rode for three years in the Androni team before moving to the World Tour, and in his first year with CCC he then had a mid-season transfer to Soudal - Quick-Step. He immediately left a great impression by finishing in the Top10 of the Giro d'Italia whilst still playing a support role for João Almeida who led most of the race at the time.

In 2021 besides finishing on the podium of the Tour de Romandie, Masnada put in a career-best performance at Il Lombardia where he was the only rider able to match Tadej Pogacar and rode to second behind the Slovenian. This ride gave hopes of a new ultra-climber emerging within the Belgian team, but he has never been able to replicate this.

He did start off the 2022 season with a strong win in Oman but ever since has not been able to race at the same level, and has since become a domestique for riders such as Remco Evenepoel and Mikel Landa in the team structure. 2024 was a tough year and although the team is in need of climbers, few hopes remain that he would regain his previous level. Astana now, on a one-year deal, hope to bring out the best of him and use him as a stage hunter.

“If someone had told me just a few weeks ago that I’d be joining Astana Qazaqstan Team next year, I probably wouldn’t have believed it," Masnada added. "I’m thrilled to have this opportunity and excited to be part of such a respected team. After two difficult seasons, this is the perfect chance for me to reset and aim for new goals. The project the team is building for 2025 is incredibly inspiring, and I can’t wait to contribute to its success. I’m grateful to the managers and everyone involved in making this contract happen, and for the trust they’ve placed in me. I can’t wait to wear the new jersey and represent the team".