TEAMS
／ TEAMS ／
AST
ASTANA QAZAQSTAN TEAM アスタナ・カザクスタン チーム
(WT / Kazakhstan)
As the name suggests, this is the only UCI WorldTeam in Asia, originating from Kazakhstan's national project. In last year’s MyNavi Tour de Kyushu 2023, Andrey Zeits and Antonio Nibali took first and second place overall, showcasing the team’s undeniable strength as the only WorldTeam in the race.
With both defending champion Zeits and Nibali retiring at the end of last year, the team will field a new lineup as they aim for a second consecutive victory. The team made headlines this year when Mark Cavendish achieved his record-breaking 35th stage win at the Tour de France. They have also strengthened their roster by recruiting Alberto Bettiol from EF as their new ace. The Italian riders Simone Velasco, Lorenzo Fortunato, and Christian Scaroni have also been standout performers.
In addition, several Kazakh riders, including team leader Alexey Lutsenko, are key members of the squad. Nicholas Vinokurov, who rode as a trainee in last year's Kyushu race, has been promoted to the WorldTeam this year and claimed a brilliant stage victory at the Tour of Japan. The return of riders like Igor Chzhan and Yevgeniy Gidich to Kyushu is also highly anticipated.
