The capital stopped being called Astana in 2019, when President Nursultan Narzabaev resigned and it was given his name: Nur-SultanTwo days ago the presentation of theAstana Qazaqstan Team e For Vinokourov it was truly a homecoming after months of… expropriation by the Canadian team that seemed to be about to take over the team. And precisely for this Arabian Nights journey, lasting two days but full of colors, voices, and emotions, bici.PRO has appointed an exceptional correspondent – Simone Velasco – who took photos and stored memories for us.
“It’s freezing cold,” he begins, laughing. “We hibernated. We only walked 500 meters out of the hotel, with 10-12 degrees below zeroAnd they told us it wasn't even freezing. But it was a beautiful event, very well organized. It's a shame we couldn't visit the city, but there really wasn't time.We were told that the best seasons are spring and autumn, because in summer the temperatures reach 45 degrees. If I think about how many strong Kazakh riders there are, it seems that they work really well., despite such a climate…».
Velasco and Riabushenko, lifelong rivals, great friends and now teammates Nibali also queued for boarding. The Sicilian knows this type of trip well. We're leaving from Milan. Velasco celebrates his 26th birthday in flight: happy birthday! Everyone met in Frankfurt and now they're flying to Nur-Sultan: since 2019 the capital has been called this way
Velasco and Riabushenko, lifelong rivals, great friends and now teammates Nibali also queued for boarding. The Sicilian knows this type of trip well. We're leaving from Milan. Velasco celebrates his 26th birthday in flight: happy birthday! Everyone met in Frankfurt and now they're flying to Nur-Sultan: since 2019 the capital has been called this way
Where did you start from?
From Milan. I went up a day early for dinner with my girlfriend. December 2nd was my birthday and I practically spent it flying (laughs, ed.) When we landed, it was already past midnight, so I didn't even get a chance to toast. From Milan to Frankfurt and then six hours to Nur-Sultan.
You raced at Gazprom-RusVelo. What differences do you notice between Russians and Kazakhs?
Completely different. Character-wise, Kazakhs are much more open, I would say Western, even if geographically you wouldn't say so.Very hospitable and then, what struck me a lot, they all spoke English and well tooOf the Russians I've met, only those with some work experience abroad are like this. Maybe the only thing they have in common is vodka...
Upon arrival the picture was clear: ten degrees below zero and snow. In the background, the gigantic sphere of Nur Alem, the centre of Expo 2017
Upon arrival the picture was clear: ten degrees below zero and snow. In the background, the gigantic sphere of Nur Alem, the centre of Expo 2017
In the photos you sent us, you can see snow and lots of bikes…
They are banking on it a lot, even at a Paralympic level. With us there were also some visually impaired athletes who were celebrated with all the honors.Since Vinokourov won the Olympics, the bike has been a staple of the company. And he's a star up there, everyone knows him.We went to a sponsor's shopping center and they only asked him for autographs and selfies.
Where did the presentation take place?
In a very modern velodrome, around which they have created a sports centre that has practically everything. It was nice to realize that cycling is central though and really, given the climate, they managed to set up a great job.
Since Vinokourov's Olympic victory in London, cycling has experienced a boom The team's presentation was described in the country as a great event We're heading inside the velodrome: the presentation is about to begin In the midst of the Covid emergency, the restrictive measures are clear: no public is allowed
Since Vinokourov's Olympic victory in London, cycling has experienced a boom The team's presentation was described in the country as a great event We're heading inside the velodrome: the presentation is about to begin In the midst of the Covid emergency, the restrictive measures are clear: no public is allowed
What kind of audience did you see at the presentation?
Unfortunately there were several Covid restrictions, so there were only sponsors and authoritiesThen we moved on to the gala dinner, at the Hilton, and there was someone else there. That was also very nice.
How were you welcomed?
I was impressed by how curious they were and the questions they asked. I felt welcomed as one of them. Talking to Shefer, who I had last year at Gazprom, it came out that It is a common trait of Kazakhs and that we actually saw nothing.
Same atmosphere in the team?
I was talking about it with Moscon at the airport. It seems to be returned to the climate of Zalf, when we ran togetherIt's been a while since I've seen a team like this, I'm convinced that great things will come out of it.
The presentation took place with great pomp in the capital's velodrome The team and technicians on stage: the second from the left is Velasco A traditional whip for all riders, before the gala dinner Everyone to the table, this time with special sponsors and fans The return flight was at dawn, after a couple of hours of sleep. Destination: Spain.
The presentation took place with great pomp in the capital's velodrome The team and technicians on stage: the second from the left is Velasco Vinokourov was the perfect host and is still a real star in his homeland A traditional whip for all riders, before the gala dinner Everyone to the table, this time with special sponsors and fans The return flight was at dawn, after a couple of hours of sleep. Destination: Spain.
Who's the rider wearing a mask next to you on the plane?
It's Riabuschenko. We played all the youth categories as rivals, we're friends, but we had never run together.We finally did it.
All in all, what was the experience like?
Very beautiful for cultural knowledge, I enjoyed it a lot. The trip itself was stressful, but luckily now we will have 15 days of peaceful work and thinking only about the bikeIt's true that Italy doesn't have a WorldTour team, but this is truly the most Italian one. Ten Italian riders, five directors, and the trainers. All the riders speak ItalianOnly Dombrowski hasn't figured it out yet, but he understands it very well. I'm sure he'll learn soon, too.
