Team News: Astana for 2020

Miguel Angel Lopez, Jakob Fuglsang and Alexey Lutsenko head up the 2020 roster for the Astana world tour team

Team News: Astana for 2020

On Saturday, 14th December, the official team presentation of the UCI WorldTour Astana Pro Team was held in Calpe, Spain. Surrounded by the team’s sponsors and international media, 27 of the 28 riders from the new roster were presented with only Artyom Zakharov missing from the presentation as he is taking part in the UCI Track World Cup in Brisbane, Australia.

Photo: Getty Images

Astana will start their 15th season in 2020. The team say they have achieved many big goals but add they are also sure that many great things are still lying further ahead for their riders.

“We are starting the new season completely ready and high motivated for something more. I would like to congratulate all Astana Pro Team on a very beautiful and successful season we had in 2019 and I’d like to wish the guys to reach even bigger successes in the upcoming year. I thank all our sponsors for staying next to us in the new season and for supporting our ambitious sports project, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Pro Team.

A special feature of the jersey will be found on the back. 2020 will be the team’s 15th season in the highest level of pro cycling. Therefore, the designer honored the biggest wins in the team’s history, the Olympics, Giro d`Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España on the backside of the jersey. The new bike, the Wilier 0 SLR, the first ultra-lightweight racing bike with disc brakes and fully integrated cables in the colors of the Kazakh team was presented in a spectacular way to the guests at the presentation.

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During the Media Day just after the official part of the team’s presentation, the Astana leaders shared their main goals in the 2020 season. Jakob Fuglsang will take the leading role in the team at the Giro d’Italia, while Miguel Angel Lopez is going to debut at the Tour de France.

The national champion of Kazakhstan, Alexey Lutsenko, will aim for the Tour de Flanders and the Ardennes classics before joining Miguel Angel Lopez at the Tour de France. As well as that, Lutsenko will participate in the Olympic Games.

Miguel Angel Lopez “I am really happy to say that I am going to take part in the next Tour de France. It will be my debut in this amazing race, and I am excited to lead the team in France. It will be a big challenge for me, but I will do my best to come there in top form and to perform as well as possible.”

“Also, I am sure, I will have a strong and motivated team next to me. Of course, there is still a long way until the start of the Tour, and I will have other big goals before it. I am really motivated to start this season in a good way and to get some nice results before the Tour de France, – said Miguel Angel Lopez.

Jakob Fuglsang “This year I am planning to do the Giro d’Italia and it will be a great moment for me to come back to the Italian Grand tour again. This is one of the most beautiful races in the calendar and I have some great memories back in 2016 when we won it together with the team.

Actually, it is going to be my first time as the team’s leader in this race and it is a big honor and at the same time a big challenge for me. Also, after the Giro I plan to help Miguel Angel Lopez at the Tour de France before another big goal of 2020 – the Olympic Games in Tokyo, – said Jakob Fuglsang.

Alexey Lutsenko “This season I would like to do the Ardennes classics because these races suit me really well, but just before it, I am planning to ride the Tour of Flanders as I love this race so much. At the Tour de France, I am going to help Miguel Angel Lopez, but also, I will be aiming to try to win a stage. And, of course, my main goal of the season – the Olympic Games in Tokyo. I want to be there in top shape to try to give my all for a good result, said Alexey Lutsenko.

2020 Astana Team
Alexander Aranburu (ESP)
Zhandos Bizhigitov (KAZ)
Manuele Boaro (ITA)
Hernando Bohorquez (COL)
Rodrigo Contreras (COL)
Laurens De Vreese (BEL)
Fabio Felline (ITA)
Daniil Fominykh (KAZ)
Omar Fraile (ESP)
Jakob Fuglsang (DEN)
Yevgeniy Gidich (KAZ)
Jonas Gregaard Wilsly (DEN)
Dmitriy Gruzdev (KAZ)
Hugo Houle (CAN)
Ion Izagirre (ESP)
Gorka Izagirre (ESP)
Miguel Angel Lopez (COL)
Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ)
Davide Martinelli (ITA)
Merhawi Kudus (ERI)
Yuriy Natarov (KAZ)
Vadim Pronskiy (KAZ)
Oscar Rodriguez (ESP)
Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP)
Nikita Stalnov (KAZ)
Harold Tejada (COL)
Aleksandr Vlasov (RUS)
Artyom Zakharov (KAZ)