Four riders – Fabio Felline, Davide Martinelli, Manuele Boaro, and Harold Tejada – have signed new two-year contracts with the Astana Qazaqstan Team, the Kazakh team announced.
Felline expressed his excitement about the contract renewal: “I want to keep on improving in the following two years with Astana Qazaqstan Team to become a more complete rider in terms of helping the leaders and reaching my personal goals. Last year I tasted success with Astana winning Memorial Marco Pantani and a few times during this season I was close to important achievements too, so I hope to keep on continuing this way in 2022. The new contract and the good changes in the team motivate me to work more and to push harder in the races in the new season”.
Martinelli, who had a successful two years with the team, emphasized the positive atmosphere and his readiness to contribute to the team’s goals: “My first two years in Astana turned out to be really good, I found a nice atmosphere here and it was a big pleasure for me to work for the leaders and to help the team achieve its goals. In the upcoming season, the team is going to change a lot, and I am sure we will be able to create a strong group which will succeed. I am also happy to see that our ‘classic’ group has been strengthened so I hope we will be more competitive in these races”.
Boaro expressed his commitment to the team and his eagerness to support the leaders: “I see the team is strengthening for the new year and I am happy to remain a part of Astana Qazaqstan Team. I am happy to stay in this amazing group of riders and staff and I am ready to continue giving my all in support of the leaders. I think that the upcoming year can be a successful one for Astana with the arrival of Vincenzo Nibali, with Alexey Lutsenko who keeps on improving year by year, and with other strong riders coming, so it is an honor and pleasure for me to ride side by side with them pursuing the common goals. I remain in full disposition of the team but, of course, if in any race the team will ask me to try to get a personal result, I will be there ready for that”.
Tejada, despite facing health problems and crashes in the previous season, expressed gratitude for the new contract and his determination to return to his previous level of performance: “Well, the last season was not the one I was hoping for due to different reasons, mostly connected with health problems and crashes. However, the new contract with the team provides me additional motivation and inspiration, and I am grateful to Astana Qazaqstan Team for this chance. I hope I will be able to return to the level of 2020 when I had a really good season, and I will work 200% to become stronger. I see some important and good changes inside the team, and I am really happy to welcome the new riders coming to our team and, of course, Miguel Angel Lopez who is coming back to us. I have great hopes about the new season, and I am looking forward to reuniting with the team at the first training camp”.
Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team, expressed confidence in the riders and the team’s ambitions for the upcoming season: “With the riders we announce today, we can say we are gathering a strong and ambitious group, ready for some important achievements in the upcoming season. Fabio is a very experienced rider, and we can count on him in almost all kinds of races, both pursuing the team goals or asking him to fight for a personal result. Davide will be part of the improved ‘classic races’ group, and we can expect from him and other riders something really nice at the Northern classics. Manuele is a strong and loyal team player, always ready to support the leader or to protect team interests in the breakaway. Harold is still very young and if he leaves all his health problems behind, I am sure he will become an important part of our Grand Tour group”.
