British time-trial specialist to be "an invaluable addition, bringing deep expertise" to Astana in fight against World Tour relegation according to team boss

Things haven't gone to plan for the Astana Qazaqstan Team so far this UCI Rankings cycle as proven by the fact that relegation from the World Tour is a very real possibility. In order to help fix things, general manager Alexandr Vinokurov has rung the changes.

As was first reported by Daniel Benson earlier this week, one of those new staff members is, as expected, former six time British national time trial champion, Alex Dowsett. "Alex, a former professional cyclist and track world hour record holder, will focus on optimizing rider positioning on the bike, testing technical equipment, and preparing for time trials," Vinokurov says of his team's new performance engineer to the team's official website.

With new Chinese investment and a revamped performance staff, it's fair to say that Vinokurov is now optimistic for the future of the side once again. "Given recent project developments, including in the technical domain, I believe Alex is an invaluable addition, bringing deep expertise in biomechanics and aerodynamics," the Kazakh continues. "He understands speed and high-performance cycling”.

As mentioned though, the Brit isn't the only new addition to the Astana Qazaqstan Team. Also Helmut Dollinger, Manuel Crespo, and Morgan Saussine have linked up with the team and Crespo in particular, joining as the new Strength and Conditioning Coach is given comment by Vinokurov. “This was a position we were missing in our group, so we sought an expert in this area," he adds. "I’m pleased Manuel is joining our project. He will be responsible not only for the physical preparation of our athletes but will also work on injury prevention.”

Only time will tell if these additions can improve rider performance at the Astana Qazaqstan Team and help them keep their World Tour status at the end of the 2025 season, but from within the team at least, all signs are positive about the new set up.