Astana Qazaqstan Development Team has signed a short-term agreement until the end of the 2023 season with the Italian rider Michele Gazzoli, who until last summer competed for Astana Qazaqstan Team.
In the summer of 2022, the International Cycling Union (UCI) classified the violation of anti-doping rules by Gazzoli as accidental and unintentional, which is why the disciplinary penalty was limited to one year of disqualification and the cancellation of the results of just the Volta ao Algarve. Now, Michele Gazzoli is free to race again.
"Michele has already received his punishment for the mistake, and now he has the opportunity to correct it, to try to restart his career. The young rider deserves such a chance. What happened last year was a tragic accident, the UCI accepted all explanations and agreed with it, deciding that the violation was unintentional."
"Therefore, through our continental team, we would like to help Michele try to rehabilitate himself and continue his career. It won’t be easy, and the rider has no guarantee ahead of him. But we know that Michele has been training hard all this time, that he still has a huge motivation and goals that he would like to achieve."
"The contract with the continental team is signed for the last three months of the season, during which Michele will have the opportunity to compete in the races with the continental team, as well as one or two times to race with Astana Qazaqstan Team. What will happen next depends solely on the rider and how he will use this chance," said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.
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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.
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NEWS Our Development team signed a short-term agreement with the Italian rider Michele Gazzoli: 📰👉 bit.ly/3OTMX2X #AstanaQazDev 📷 @GettySport
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