Astana-Qazaqstan

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American Evan Huffman's time with Astana is up. He signs on to ride for SmartStop in 2015

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UCI says the Kazakhstan-based squad will receive additional scrutiny due to two recent EPO positives

UCI president Brian Cookson suggests that the license commission may reconsider Astana's standing in 2015

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In keeping with MPCC rules, Astana suspends operations after doping positives, but not before winning its home race in Kazakhstan

If Maxim Iglinskiy's positive EPO test is confirmed, Astana will have to sit out the Tour of Beijing, which ends the 2014 WorldTour season

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Astana manager Vinokourov has been in talks with MPCC president Legeay to confirm team's options for upcoming WorldTour races

With the Tour of Almaty on Kazakhstan soil this weekend, Maxim Iglinsky's positive for EPO will put Astana's commitment to the MPCC to the test

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The Astana team fires Valentin Iglinskiy Wednesday after a positive EPO test last month, and the Kazakh rider's admission to doping

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Astana is backed by the government of Kazakhstan and will host the world junior cycling championships next year

The Italian was driven early by dreams of becoming a pro cyclist, and his progression through the ranks has been a slow, steady one

Astana team management said the cycling world needs to keep its faith in Vincenzo Nibali's yellow jersey ride, despite the sport's past problems

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Third at the Tour in 2012, Nibali says he wants better this year ... and so does Astana

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Astana scopes out the stage 5 cobblestone sections included in the 2014 Tour de France route

Italian will open 2014 at Tour de San Luís with a core of Astana's Tour de France team

The Astana rider is targeting next year's Tour de France and says his squad needs to mimic Sky's training methods

The Italian rider cannot come to an agreement with Astana because of the rules of the Movement for a Credible Cycling

Nibali worked with Paolo Slongo during his time with Cannondale

The 34-year-old Italian will focus on the Giro next year, while Nibali's goal is to win the Tour

The pair is penciled in as key support riders for Vincenzo Nibali's Tour de France bid next summer

Dane takes confidence from Tour top 10 and will support Nibali in the Vuelta and 2014 Tour de France

Astana backing Dane as Vincenzo Nibali waits for 2014

The team will hunt stage wins and hope to place the Danish climber high on GC

Three riders, including GC hopeful Jakob Fuglsang, crashed at high speed on Sunday

Giro d'Italia champion signs a contract extension that will keep him on the Kazakhstan-based squad for another three seasons

Italian will skip the Tour de France and prepare for the second half of his season

In today's peloton, admirable performances invite suspicion and Andrew Hood reviews the evidence surrounding Vincenzo Nibali

Estonian grew up racing with Rein Taaramae and is finding his legs as a top domestique for Vincenzo Nibali at the Giro d'Italia

The Kazakhstan squad says Bradley Wiggins, Michele Scarponi, and others will challenge for the title

Wearing the No. 1 bib for Sunday's race, the Astana rider seems to be just another starter

Italian continues training after confrontation with driver and says he'll be ready for Sunday's Ardennes opener

Astana rider crashed out of Paris-Roubaix and will miss the Ardennes classics with the injury

Backed by the addition of Vincenzo Nibali, Astana could be the team to beat in the upcoming classics races

23-year-old time trial specialist is called up to fill out Astana's roster for the "Hell of the North"

Kashechkin will remain on the squad but remain suspended until he signs Astana's internal code of conduct.

Estonian accepts director position on one-year assignment with Kazakh squad

Cal Giant-Specialized sends another rider to the WorldTour in the California-based U23 time trial champion

After missing out on Luca Guercilena and being turned down by Paolo Slongo, Astana brings on Maurizio Mazzoleni to work with its new star

Italian investigators are expected to file charges soon in broad doping case involving Michele Ferrari, RadioShack-Nissan, Astana, Lampre, Katusha and others

Italy's top grand tour rider is leaving for Kazakhstan, but familiar surroundings, stability and more money await

Tour de France runner-up moves to Kazakh squad for two years

Nibali balks at contract extension, considering multiple offers

Dutch and French squads among four wildcards for Tour of Spain

Astana's Roman Kreuziger announced on Monday he would skip next year's Tour de France due to the number of time trials featuring on the route.

Alexander Vinokourov will take legal action against a Swiss magazine that charged him with buying his victory in the 2010 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, his Astana team said Wednesday.

In 1969 the producers of the now-classic sitcom, Bewitched, faced a difficult choice. When Dick York, (who co-starred as Elizabeth Montgomery’s husband, Darrin Stephens) suffered a debilitating back injury, executives took the unusual step of replacing him mid-series. Without explanation, the show’s sixth season debuted with a new leading man: actor Dick Sargent. The casting change — in which York was quietly replaced by a lookalike — has become the stuff of pop culture legend and may just be providing the blueprint for a situation comedy now playing out in Kazakhstan.

Roman Kreuziger will lead Astana in a push for the final podium when the Giro d’Italia ends in Milano on May 29.

Astana’s Robert Kiserlovski was forced to pull out of the Tour de Romandie due to lingering pain dating back to his spectacular crash at Paris-Nice and is questionable to start the Giro d’Italia next month.

WALSHOUTEM, Belgium (VN) – Nearly lost in the fever of Philippe Gilbert’s triumph for Omega Pharma-Lotto at La Flèche Wallonne Wednesday was Alexander Vinokourov’s best-ever result in the mid-week classic. Astana’s defending champion of Liége-Bastogne-Liége ground out a fourth-place result atop the Mur de Huy and said afterward that the ride gave him much confidence ahead of Sunday’s Ardennes finale.

HUY, Belgium (VN) – Alexander Vinokourov will have a full arsenal at his disposal in his bid for a third Liège-Bastogne-Liège title Sunday. Roman Kreuziger will join his Astana teammates Saturday evening in Liège after the Giro del Trentino wraps up earlier in the day in Italy.

Roman Kreuziger and key Astana teammates have headed to Sicily to train ahead of what will be a run at the overall crown at the Giro d’Italia for the 24-year-old Czech rider.

MONACO (AFP) - Embattled Tour de France winner Alberto Contador was wiped from the record when his former Astana team staged its 2011 launch on Friday.

New signings and a talented roster show that the Astana team is prepared for 2011.

Astana is rounding out its roster to fill the gap left by the departure of Alberto Contador and three trusted teammates.

The 25-year-old climbing specialist, who hasn't won a race since 2006, gets a one-year deal as a water-carrier.

Cycling’s version of musical chairs is hitting a new fever pitch this week as yet another big name is set to change teams.

The 2006 Tour champ has tried ultra-sound but may have to undergo surgery.

Alberto Contador said he’s raising the bar with his move to Saxo Bank-Sungard in 2011, with the likely participation in two grand tours next season.

Contract talks between Alberto Contador and the Astana team appear to have stalled Wednesday

The Tour champion's Astana squad leads the team standings while Spain tops the national rankings.

Astana's climbers have been off the back lately because they'll need to be off the front come the mountains.

“We’ve had a meeting with the sponsors and all that remains are a few details. ...” said Fran Contador, who acts as his brother’s manager.

Alberto Contador admits he doesn’t have the strongest team in the Tour de France, but he’ll be sleeping easier at night knowing that his eight Astana teammates this year will be working for him.

Alberto Contador admits that his Astana squad might not be the strongest, but at least he’s not losing sleep over whom it will be backing come July.

Astana's Alexander Vinokourov won the first stage of the Giro del Trentino in northern Italy on Tuesday.

Astana and RadioShack are both expected to start the Vuelta a Castilla y León in northern Spain in mid-April

Alberto Contador is quietly growing confident that the re-fitted Astana team will be up to the task of defending his Tour de France title come July.

Óscar Pereiro was close to retirement just months ago, but says he’s finding new wings with his move to Astana for the 2010 season.

Sidelined by surgery after a wicked crash, HTC-Columbia's André Greipel is ready to race.

Team Astana’s Alexander Vinokourov said Friday that winning the Tour de France was a dream for him, but it’s not any longer.