Brajkovic to lead Astana at the Tour

Jun 22nd, 12. Pro Team Astana have announced their nine-strong Tour de France team lead by Alexander Vinokourov and Jani Brajkovic.

Alexander Vinokourov crashed out of last year's Tour de France with a broken leg and shortly after he announced his retirement. The Russian later reversed that decision and will be back in the peloton for this year's Tour.

"We have definitely got a strong and highly motivated team," he said on his team's roster. "Personally, my form has been improving every day since the Dauphiné. I recently did a series of training sessions in mountains and saw some good signs.

"After last year's unfortunate experience, I am going to the Tour with the aim of winning a stage – hopefully in the Pyrenees – and to help Jani for the General Classification, while also preparing as well as possible for the Olympics."

While Vinokourov is the team leader, Jani Brajkovich is the team's General Classification hope.

"I think I have got a very competitive team here," said Team Manager Giuseppe Martinelli, announcing the roster on the team website. "Our goal is to play a major role every single day, both in the transition stages and in the most prestigious finales. We will also have our eyes on the General Classification, but we know that we are not the favourites.

"Vinokourov is our team captain, our charismatic leader," Martinelli continued, "and his experience will doubtless be a huge help to everyone. After the accident last year, he has given 100% to get himself ready for this Tour and there is every reason to believe that he might do well.

"Brajkovič will be our man for the GC but I do not want to set any specific goals for him. I know that he will give everything to get a good result, both for himself and for the team."

The team also has riders ready to challenge for stage wins in breakaways and sprint finishes.

Astana's Tour de France team

• Alexander Vinokourov (KAZ)
• Jani Brajkovič (SLO)
• Borut Bozič (SLO)
• Dmitry Fofonov (KAZ)
• Andriy Grivko (UKR)
• Maxim Iglinskiy (KAZ)
• Andrey Kashechkin (KAZ)
• Fredrik Kessiakoff (SWE)
• Robert Kiserlovski (HRV) 

Reserve: Francesco Gavazzi (ITA)

Managers: Giuseppe Martinelli and Guido Bontempi.

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