"If Vino doesn't want to change it, it won't happen" - Cees Bol pleased with Astana's transformation after arrival of XDS
Cycling
XDS Astana Team underwent a reawakening with the help of its new title sponsor, it seems. A long process of rebuilding the team that started in 2023 seems to be finally bearing fruits. Cees Bol is now one of the only five riders who entered at least a third year in a row with Alexander Vinokourov's team.
"I feel a bit like a veteran now," Bol tells Wieler Revue. "Especially now that three Dutch people have joined, I’m often asked how things are going with the team. It’s become a lot more international. When I arrived, you really had a Russian and Italian table, but these days the main language is more often English."
With the arrival of new (more international) staff, a lot has changed within the team management. Bol thinks for a moment when asked who has brought about the biggest change.
"If Vino doesn't want to change it, it won't happen," he points out that the main call came from higher ranks, "but Vasi [coach Vasilis Anastopoulos] is very important. He's a coach, but I've noticed that he's involved with the team in all areas. He works very hard, but it's good that he can delegate a bit more from this year."
Astana clearly missed the boat few years ago. In 2020, the formation around then phenomenal Jakob Fuglsang, rising Aleksandr Vlasov and Miguel Ángel López was 6th best team in the world. Just two years later, the Kazakh team found themselves deep down in 21st place. One of the most traditional lineups in the peloton seemed to be on its way to PRT division, but a miraculous resurrection at the start of 2025 (the team is currently 2nd in the 2025 UCI ranking) has brought about hope again.
"I think change was necessary, because Astana didn't take the steps that other teams did a few years ago," Bol observes. "Now that the staff has more modern ideas, we're going in the right direction."
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