The XDS Astana Team staff will have an interesting new member in 2026. While it's no news that the Kazakhstan cycling's legend Alexander Vinokourov is in charge of the whole projects, his name being listed twice on the team staff page from next season is. The 23-year-old Alexandr Vinokurov jr. wrapped up his active racing career at the end of the season after a serious injury in a training accident caused him to miss nearly the entirety of the 2025.
Thus, unlike his twin brother Nicolas who made the jump to WorldTour already in 2024, Alexandr will never make a professional debut. At least not in the saddle. The young Kazakh will not disappear from the cycling world though, as his next steps will lead him into the team car, where Astana hopes he can grow into a successful sports director with a bit of experience.
"In recent seasons, Alex had several injuries, and the last one turned out to be very serious. Yes, he showed strong character and managed to come back, riding several races with the continental team, but his decision to end his career is completely understandable," begins XDS Astana Head Sports Director Alexandr Shefer.
"At the same time, it is great that Alex decided to stay in cycling, completed his studies, passed the exams successfully, and now looks with optimism at a new role."
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Trainee sports director
We are already familiar with trainee cyclists - the concept of when teams invite riders from lower cycling levels to compete with the main team to gain experience, get a taste of the top cycling and prove their talents if they aim to make the jump to professionals. Well, with Vinokurov jr., Astana introduces as to a first-ever (?) trainee sports director.
Coming on-board of a top-5 WorldTour team of 2025 (as per UCI ranking), it's not a realistic expectation for this young rider with no previous experience to jump behind the steering wheel and immediately command his more experienced ex-teammates in the heated race situations.
Instead, Vinokurov Jr. will join the more experienced sports directors of Astana along for selected races of both main and development teams to learn how racing looks from the new perspective. And one day, hopefully, the youngest sports director in WorldTour should become a full-fledged team leader who can call the shots in decisive race moments.
"The internship in both teams, WorldTour and continental, will allow him to gain the necessary experience, confidence, and understand how professional cycling works from the other side. The transition from the bike saddle to the car’s front seat is never easy, any Sports Director will tell you that, so I hope that with proper diligence and determination, Alex will succeed," Shefer concludes.
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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leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
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