Experienced Kazakh rider Andrey Zeits is set to return to Astana Qazaqstan Team, where he spent most of his cycling career from 2008 to 2019. The team has signed a one-year agreement with Zeits for the 2022 season.
“Of course, I am very happy to return to the Astana project. I have spent many years in this team and together with it I have achieved many great team successes. Returning to Astana Qazaqstan Team is a new opportunity to prove myself, to set new goals and to try to achieve it. Ahead of the start of the new season, I am really motivated to do everything possible to help the team leaders, whom I know very well, and also to try to share all my experience with young guys who have recently joined the team or are just going to join it in the upcoming season,” – said Andrey Zeits.
Andrey Zeits is the most experienced active Kazakh rider and started his professional career in 2008. He has achieved personal successes in various races, including second place in the General Classification of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey (2011) and Tour of Hainan (2015), eighth place in the overall standings of Tour de Pologne (2016), and a notable performance in the road race at the Olympic Games (2016). Zeits is also known for his role as a strong and reliable helper for team leaders at the Grand Tours, such as Vincenzo Nibali during his winning Giro d’Italia campaigns in 2013 and 2016 and alongside Miguel Angel Lopez at the Giro and La Vuelta podiums in 2018.
“We know Andrey as a very strong and reliable team rider, a great assistant, who you can always rely on at the Grand Tours. The last two years have not been the most successful for him for various reasons, but now he is returning to our team, and we are happy to welcome him in Astana Qazaqstan Team. I think Andrey will be able to help Miguel Angel Lopez or Alexey Lutsenko in their fight for some important results at the most prestigious races in the world,” – said Alexandr Vinokurov.
“The return of Andrey Zeits to Astana Qazaqstan Team is great news and on behalf of our federation, I welcome the contract signing with this highly experienced domestic rider who has successfully competed at the WorldTour level for many years and defended the colors of Kazakhstan at the most prestigious competitions, such as the Olympics and World Championships. Despite all the difficulties of the season, this year Andrey proved that he is still in great form, so his arrival in the team is an unconditional strengthening of both the team and Kazakhstan’s position in world cycling,” – commented Nurlan Smagulov, President of Kazakhstan Cycling Federation.
Photo credit: @Gettysport
