ASTANA

Team Astana has rapidly been a major actor in cycling upon its arrival in the international field in June 2006. Initially built to substitute Liberty Seguros, the sponsor of Kazakhstan has continued its own way with a lot of merit. The economical consortium of Kazakahstan has always coped and managed to build a strong and competitive team around its charismatic leader Alexandre Vinokourov. The team had great riders, starting in 2007 with Andreas Klöden, Andrey Kashechkin and Paolo Salvoldelli and also Eddy Mazzoleni third in the Giro d'Italia that year.

In 2008, the successfull general manager of Lance Armstrong ,Johan Bruyneel took the helm of the team with several riders who had been the glory of Team Discovery Channel, Levi Leipheimer, Chris Horner, Yaroslav Popovych , Chechu Rubiera and especially Alberto Contador. The Spaniard won this year is the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta d'Espana. The same year,  Levi Leipheimer won the bronze medal during Beijing Olympic Games in the men's time trial.

In 2009, Team Astana hosted Lance Armstrong with a highly publicized comeback. The Kazakh team has been very proud to enable the American champion to wear the national colors of the republic. That year, Contador won his second Tour de France with great courage and panache.

The Spaniard became the leader for 2010 alongside Alexandre Vinokourov who made his return to his team. Kazakh champion wins many great success, as Liège-Bastogne-Liège and and the stage in the Tour de France,  while helping Alberto Contador to win his third Tour de France. The Kazakh team was entirely devoted at the service of the Spaniard with conviction and determination to do a good job.

Contador's departure at the end of the 2010 season turns a new page in the history of the team that hired a young hope, Roman Kreuziger to continue the adventure with still great objectives in mind to raise the Kazakh colors around the world.