"The Tour was a success for us with Mark's 35th stage win" - Alexander Vinokourov proud of what Astana achieved at this year's Tour de France
Cycling
The 111th Tour de France of Astana Qazaqstan team, regardless of how low profile the team kept through majority of the past three weeks, can be regarded as successful thanks to two things: Mark Cavendish's historical 35th Tour stage victory and arrival of new rich sponsor from 2025 onwards - the Chinese company XDS.
Astana's general manager and former professional Alexander Vinokourov returned to the events of past weeks at Cyclism'Actu.
"The Tour was a success for us with Mark's 35th stage win. We had all the media attention. We always want more, but he was sick in the second week, so it was difficult. I'm happy that we're approaching Nice, we'll be able to celebrate," the Kazakh said.
The more reason to celebrate is the arrival of new Chinese sponsor XDS in 2025, which should come with the much needed financial boost for the Kazakh team. "They are coming with a big budget. The goal will be to stay in the WorldTour next year, then build a big project for the future," Vinokourov commented.
That won't be possible with their current line-up, which with all respect, would hardly reach even the level of top PRT team, let alone a WT-level. Thus new blood will have to pour in. Ideal would be a leader for stage races. "There are not many general classification riders on the market," Vinokourov acknowledges. "We will see what happens by the end of the year or next year. It is only with a sponsor like that that we can move up the hierarchy."
When asked if it was Cavendish's victory that convinced these investors to pen the deal, Vinokourov somewhat confirms it: "I think so, but there is also the fact that he is with us in the team, it is important for them, for the image of the brand."
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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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🇫🇷 VIDEO: @LeTour We did it! @MarkCavendish and his teammates finished Stage 20 inside the time cut and accomplished our main goal - to reach Monaco and Nice! #TDF2024 #AstanaQazaqstanTeam
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