2007 Astana season

Ages as of January 1, 2007{{cite web |date=2007-12-31 |title=Astaná 2007 |url=http://www.cyclingwebsite.net/ploegfiche.php?id=13162 |publisher=The Cyclingwebsite |accessdate=2009-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214091549/http://www.cyclingwebsite.net/ploegfiche.php?id=13162 |archive-date=2012-02-14 |url-status=dead }}

{{Cycling squad start}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Igor Abakoumov|nat=BEL|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1981|5|30}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Assan Bazayev|nat=KAZ|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1981|2|22}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Antonio Colóm|nat=ESP|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1978|5|11}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Koen de Kort|nat=NED|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1982|9|8}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Thomas Frei|nat=SUI|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1984|1|19}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Maxim Gourov|nat=KAZ|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2008|1|1|1979|1|30}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=René Haselbacher|nat=AUT|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1977|9|15}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Maxim Iglinskiy|nat=KAZ|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1981|4|18}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Sergei Ivanov|nat=RUS|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1975|3|5}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Benoît Joachim|nat=LUX|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1976|1|4}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Andrey KashechkinKashechkin was fired from the team on August 20 after his positive doping test at a control in Turkey|nat=KAZ|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1980|3|21}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Matthias KesslerKessler was fired from the team on July 13 after his positive doping test at a control in Belgium, before La Flèche Wallonne|nat=GER|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1979|5|16}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Andreas Klöden|nat=GER|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1975|6|22}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Alexey Kolessov|nat=KAZ|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1984|9|22}}}}

{{Cycling squad mid}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Julien Mazet|nat=FRA|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1981|3|19}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Eddy MazzoleniMazzoleni left the team on July 16 pending a hearing regarding his involvement in the Oil for Drugs scandal, and eventually retired|nat=ITA|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1973|7|29}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Gennady Mikhaylov|nat=RUS|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1974|2|8}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Andrey Mizurov|nat=KAZ|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1973|3|16}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Steve Morabito|nat=SUI|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1983|1|30}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Dmitriy Muravyev|nat=KAZ|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1979|2|11}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Daniel Navarro|nat=ESP|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1983|7|8}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Grégory Rast|nat=SUI|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1980|1|17}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=José Antonio RedondoRedondo was fired from the team on September 5|nat=ESP|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1985|3|5}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Paolo Savoldelli|nat=ITA|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1973|5|7}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Michael Schär|nat=SUI|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1986|9|29}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Evgeniy Sladkov|nat=KAZ|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1983|12|15}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Alexander VinokourovVinokourov was fired from the team on July 30 after his positive doping test at the Tour de France|nat=KAZ|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1973|9|16}}}}

{{Cycling squad rider|name=Sergei Yakovlev|nat=KAZ|birthdate={{birth date and age2|2007|1|1|1976|4|21}}}}

{{Cycling squad end}}

Astana in this table refers to the prior Astana team, which began the 2006 season known as {{UCI team code|ONC|2006a}}.

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{{see also|ONCE cycling team#Sponsorship Changes and 2006 season}}

Astana has its roots in the former ONCE cycling team. ONCE, the Spanish national organization for deaf people, departed sponsorship in 2003 and was immediately replaced with Liberty Seguros, the Spanish subsidiary of a Boston-based insurance company. Liberty Seguros departed sponsorship in 2006, and sponsors in Kazakhstan stepped forward to back the team. It was briefly known as Astana-Würth until Würth, a German supplier of machine parts, also dropped sponsorship.{{cite web|author=Andrew Hood |title=Kazakh consortium underwrites Saiz's team |url=http://velonews.com/article/9946 |publisher=VeloNews |date=2006-06-02 |accessdate=2009-07-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090726000812/http://velonews.com/article/9946 |archivedate=July 26, 2009 }} For the last part of the 2006 season, the team competed under the name "Astana", including in the 2006 Vuelta a España, which was won by Astana rider Alexander Vinokourov.

Former Liberty Seguros team manager Manolo Saiz had contracts with Vinokourov and Andrey Kashechkin, as well as ownership of the UCI ProTour license the Kazakhstani sponsors wished to obtain. The sponsors originally signed with Saiz as well, but after Saiz's implication in the Operación Puerto doping case and the non-start of what was then known as the Astana-Würth team in the 2006 Tour de France, the Kazakhs nullified their contract with Saiz. On December 16, 2006, Saiz was informed that any team of hi would not be granted ProTour status for 2007 due to his involvement in the Operación Puerto.{{cite web |author=Shane Stokes |title=Unibet in, Saiz out, ProTour place still possible for Astana |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/dec06/dec16news |work=Cycling News |date=2006-12-16 |accessdate=2009-07-14}} Though the UCI originally declined to grant the license to the Kazakhs on the grounds of uncertainty in their financial security,{{cite web |title=Biver disappointed with UCI over Astana ProTour Bid |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=features/2006/biver_disappointed |work=Cycling News |date=2006-12-02 |accessdate=2009-07-14}} they were eventually given the final place in the 2007 UCI ProTour,{{cite web |author=Greg Johnson |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/dec06/dec20news |title=Astana granted ProTour licence |work=Cycling News |date=2006-12-20 |accessdate=2009-07-16}} though ProTour events were not obligated to invite them or {{UCI team code|COS|2006}} as they were the other 18 ProTeams.{{cite web |author=Erica Bulman |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/2007-08-20-1626539736_x.htm |title=Astana to resume racing at ProTour event on Sept. 2 in France |work=USA Today |date=2007-08-20 |accessdate=2009-07-16}} Former Tour de Suisse organizer Marc Biver was named the general manager of the new team, largely because his agency IMG Switzerland was representing Vinokourov at the time. Biver had never managed a professional cycling team before.{{cite web |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/riders/2007/interviews/?id=marc_biver07 |title=Marc Biver: Leading the way at Astana, Part 1 of 2 |work=Cycling News |date=2007-02-03 |accessdate=2009-07-16}} Many of the riders from 2006's Astana team joined the new team, though only Vinokourov and Kashechkin had been under contract beyond 2006 with the former Liberty Seguros team.

Before the races known as "classics" and the UCI ProTour began, Astana picked up a victory in the Trofeo Soller, part of the Vuelta a Mallorca quasi-stage race, as Antonio Colom won a sprint finish over countrymen breakaway companions Luis León Sánchez and Alberto Contador.{{cite web |author=Shane Stokes |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2007/feb07/balears07/balears074 |title=Success for Colom and León Sánchez |date=2007-02-14 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}}

Astana was invited to every one-day race in the spring portion of the ProTour. The team was moderately successful, despite not winning any race – they finished in the top ten at the Tour of Flanders (Dmitriy Muravyev in 8th),{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Brecht Decaluwé |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/apr07/rvv07/?id=results |title=Ballan blasts Hoste for monumental win |date=2007-04-08 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} the Amstel Gold Race (Matthias Kessler in 4th),{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Brecht Decaluwé |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/apr07/amstel07/?id=results |title=Schumi speeds to classic win |date=2007-04-22 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090624094642/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/apr07/amstel07/?id=results| archivedate= 24 June 2009 | url-status= live}} La Flèche Wallonne (Kessler in 4th again, though his positive doping test at a control taken before the event casts doubt on the legitimacy of this result),{{cite web |author=Shane Stokes and Gregor Brown |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/apr07/flechewallonne07/?id=results |title=Tin-tin Rebellin gets another Gerolsteiner win |date=2007-04-25 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} and Liège–Bastogne–Liège (Kessler in 8th).{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown, Brecht Decaluwé and Shane Stokes |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/apr07/lbl07/?id=results |title=Di Luca strikes again |date=2007-04-29 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}}

The team also participated in Omloop Het Volk, Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, and E3 Prijs Vlaanderen, but not finish higher than 11th in any of them.{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Brecht Decaluwé |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/mar07/E3prijs07/?id=results |title=Boonen follows in the footsteps of Van Looy |date=2007-03-31 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}}

After Alexander Vinokourov's positive doping test at the Tour de France, the team did not enter many races, and were not invited to any of the fall one-day races in the ProTour. They obtained three wins at post-Tour criteriums, namely Andreas Klöden in City Nacht Rhede{{cite web |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2007/aug07/rhede07 |title=City Nacht Rhede – NE |date=2007-08-03 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} and Aaron Kemps in the Herald Sun Classic (run as the prologue to the Herald Sun Tour){{cite web |author=John Trevorrow |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/oct07/suntour07/?id=results/suntour070 |title=Bundaberg boy Kemps burns it up in Bendigo |date=2007-10-14 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} and the Noosa International Criterium.{{cite web |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2007/nov07/noosa07 |title= Kemps claims biggest Noosa Crit pay day |date=2007-11-03 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}}

Astana's first event of the season was the Tour of Qatar. This event was dominated by Tom Boonen and team {{UCI team code|QST|2007}}; Astana's best stage placing was René Haselbacher's 4th in Stage 6, and Michael Schär in 15th was the best-placed on the team in the final overall classification.{{cite web |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2007/jan07/qatar07/qatar076 |title=Quick-Step finish off Qatar work |date=2007-02-02 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} The team then sent a squad to the Volta ao Algarve in February, with Haselbacher finishing on the podium, in second overall.{{cite web |author=Jean-François Quénet |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2007/feb07/algarve07/algarve075 |title=Petacchi takes the final crown |date=2007-02-25 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}}

At Tirreno–Adriatico in March, Andreas Klöden won the race overall without winning an individual stage,{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/mar07/tirreno07/?id=results/tirreno077 |title=Fernández wins first, Klöden locks overall |date=2007-03-20 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} largely because of his high placing and margin over previous race leader Stefan Schumacher in the high mountain stage 6.{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/mar07/tirreno07/?id=results/tirreno076 |title=King Bono of San Giacomo |date=2007-03-19 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} In April, Klöden claimed his second overall victory of the season at the Circuit de la Sarthe,{{cite web |author=Jean-François Quénet |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2007/apr07/sarthe07/sarthe074 |title=Sutton the fastest in Le Mans, Klöden captures overall |date=2007-04-13 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} winning a stage in this one, the time trial portion of the split Stage 2.{{cite web |author=Jean-François Quénet |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2007/apr07/sarthe07/sarthe072b |title= Klöden gets the win by two seconds over Wiggins |date=2007-04-11 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}}

In May, the team found success at the Tour de Romandie. First, Paolo Savoldelli won the prologue individual time trial.{{cite web |author=Susan Westemeyer |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/may07/romandie07/?id=results/romandie070 |title=Savoldelli repeats prologue win with a blow-out |date=2007-05-01 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} Both he and Andrey Kashechkin subsequently finished on the podium, second and third respectively, after showing well in the final time trial, also finishing second and third respectively in that stage.{{cite web |author=Susan Westemeyer |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/may07/romandie07/?id=results/romandie075 |title=Dekker takes it all |date=2007-05-06 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} Grégory Rast next won the Tour de Luxembourg in June thanks to time bonuses won by sprinting to victory in the final stage.{{cite web |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2007/jun07/luxembourg07/luxembourg074 |title=Rast sprints to stage and tour win |date=2007-06-10 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} In the Tour de Suisse two weeks later, Klöden earned a third place and a second place in the Tour's last two stages to earn a few UCI ProTour points. He finished the event tenth overall.{{cite web |author=Shane Stokes |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/jun07/suisse07/?id=results/suisse078 |title=Uran boosts Unibet morale, Efimkin still in pole position |date=2007-06-23 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}}{{cite web |author=Shane Stokes |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/jun07/suisse07/?id=results/suisse079 |title=Flying Karpets grabs Tour de Suisse |date=2007-06-24 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}}

The team was greatly successful at the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, winning four stages, the points classification, having two different riders wear the yellow jerseym and finishing on the event's final podium. They took the top two positions in the Stage 3 individual time trial, with Vinokourov and Kashechkin. The win put Vinokourov in the race lead.{{cite web |author=Jean-François Quénet |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/jun07/dauphinelibere07/?id=results/dauphinelibere073 |title=Vino in perfect timing promotes Kash |date=2007-06-13 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} Kashechkin took the race lead the next day after climbing Mont Ventoux five minutes faster than Vinokourov.{{cite web |author=Jean-François Quénet |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/jun07/dauphinelibere07/?id=results/dauphinelibere074 |title=Moreau reaches his nirvana on the Ventoux |date=2007-06-14 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} Antonio Colom and Vinokourov formed a winning breakaway in the next stage, with Colom winning the sprint to the finish line, and Kashechkin retaining the race lead.{{cite web |author=Jean-François Quénet |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/jun07/dauphinelibere07/?id=results/dauphinelibere075 |title=Astana everywhere: Colom and Vino make another 1-2 |date=2007-06-15 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} Stage 6, the Dauphiné's queen stage, was another Astana victory in a breakaway, this time a solo effort from Maxim Iglinskiy. Kashechkin lost the overall lead in the race to eventual champion Christophe Moreau on this stage.{{cite web |author=Jean-François Quénet |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/jun07/dauphinelibere07/?id=results/dauphinelibere076 |title=Surprise, surprise, it's Moreau…kourov! |date=2007-06-16 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} The final individual time trial provided the cap to an extremely successful event for Astana, with Vinokourov winning to give them a fourth stage win, and Kashechkin holding on for third in the overall classification. His repeated high placings earned Vinokourov victory in the points classification.{{cite web |author=Jean-François Quénet |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/jun07/dauphinelibere07/?id=results/dauphinelibere077 |title=Vinokourov gives Astana a fourth stage win |date=2007-06-17 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}}

After Vinokourov's positive doping test in the Tour de France, the team was disinvited from most of the remaining ProTour events on the schedule, specifically the Deutschland Tour, the Eneco Tour, and the Vuelta a España, participating only in the Tour de Pologne (they did not achieve a notable result in this race). One of the few events the team entered in the fall was the Herald Sun Tour, where they won four stages, two each by Aaron Kemps{{cite web |author=John Trevorrow |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/oct07/suntour07/?id=results/suntour073 |title=Kemps on fire, gets second win |date=2007-10-17 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}}{{cite web |author=John Trevorrow |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/oct07/suntour07/?id=results/suntour077 |title=Wilson wins first big one |date=2007-10-21 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}} and Steve Morabito.{{cite web |author=John Trevorrow |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/oct07/suntour07/?id=results/suntour074 |title=Euro day: Morabito stage, Van Leijen overall |date=2007-10-18 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}}{{cite web |author=John Trevorrow |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/oct07/suntour07/?id=results/suntour076 |title=Wilson hangs on by seconds |date=2007-10-20 |accessdate=2009-07-21 |work=Cycling News}}

The team sent squads to Paris–Nice, Three Days of De Panne, and the Vuelta al País Vasco, but did not obtain a notable result in any of them.

Astana was one of 22 teams to participate in the Giro d'Italia. Paolo Savoldelli was an outside favorite in the event,{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/giro07/ |title=Open Giro on the horizon |date=2007-05-10 |accessdate=2009-07-19 |work=Cycling News}} though he never actually threatened the overall lead, instead helping Eddy Mazzoleni in some late mountain stages. The team started fairly well, finishing 13 seconds behind {{UCI team code|LIQ|2007}} in the Stage 1 team time trial for second place, though they had only the minimum of five riders finishing together. Savoldelli and Mazzoleni were among the riders that were thus 13 seconds off the pace after Stage 1.{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Tim Maloney |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/giro07/?id=results/giro071 |title=Gasparotto Surprises |date=2007-05-12|accessdate=2009-07-19 |work=Cycling News}} Assan Bazayev got two high stage placings in the next week, firstly fourth in a sprint finish to Stage 2{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Tim Maloney |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/giro07/?id=results/giro072 |title=Rockin' Robbie McEwen sprints ahead of greats |date=2007-05-13|accessdate=2009-07-19 |work=Cycling News}} and then third in Stage 8 from a breakaway. Sergei Yakovlev was also in this breakaway, and held third place in the overall classification for two days as a result.{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Tim Maloney |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/giro07/?id=results/giro078 |title=Arvesen victorious among many breakaway companions |date=2007-05-20|accessdate=2009-07-19 |work=Cycling News}}{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Tim Maloney |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/giro07/?id=results/giro079 |title=Napolitano nails first |date=2007-05-21|accessdate=2009-07-19 |work=Cycling News}}

After consecutive fifth-place showings in Stages 14 and 15, Mazzoleni rose to second overall, just under two minutes behind race leader and eventual Giro champion Danilo Di Luca.{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Tim Maloney |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/giro07/?id=results/giro0714 |title=Garzelli rips into Bergamo from power-escape |date=2007-05-26|accessdate=2009-07-19 |work=Cycling News}}{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Tim Maloney |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/giro07/?id=results/giro0715 |title=Riccò takes his first on mythical Tre Cime di Lavaredo |date=2007-05-27|accessdate=2009-07-19 |work=Cycling News}} He stayed there until the short but very mountainous Stage 17, where he slipped to fifth overall after losing over two minutes.{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Tim Maloney |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/giro07/?id=results/giro0717 |title=Simoni: King of Zoncolan |date=2007-05-30|accessdate=2009-07-19 |work=Cycling News}} A very successful Stage 20 individual time trial saw Astana take first and second, with Savoldelli and Mazzoleni, respectively.{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Tim Maloney |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/giro07/?id=results/giro0720 |title=Savoldelli blasts into Verona |date=2007-06-02|accessdate=2009-07-19 |work=Cycling News}} Mazzoleni returned to a podium position after the stage, in third overall, and finished in that position as the race concluded the next day.{{cite web|author=Gregor Brown and Tim Maloney |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/giro07/?id=results/giro0721 |title=Petacchi reigns sprint king – Di Luca secures Giro win |date=2007-06-03 |accessdate=2009-07-19 |work=Cycling News |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629042316/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/giro07/?id=results%2Fgiro0721 |archivedate=29 June 2009 |url-status=live }}

Astana was one of 21 teams invited to the Tour de France. Vinokourov and Klöden were the squad's co-captains, with Kashechkin their main lieutenant and prepared to be a protected rider should either or both of them falter.{{cite web |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/ |title=Wide-open Tour prepares to depart London |work=Cycling News |accessdate=2009-07-16}} Vinokourov and Klöden showed well in the prologue time trial, with Klöden second and thus the wearer of the green jersey in Stage 1, with Vinokourov seventh.{{cite web|author=Tim Maloney |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=results/tour070 |title=Rainbow fades to yellow in London Town |work=Cycling News |date=2007-07-07 |accessdate=2009-07-16 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621114229/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=results%2Ftour070 |archivedate=21 June 2009 |url-status=live }} Klöden stayed out of trouble in Stages 1 through 6, which all featured sprint finishes, but Vinokourov first fell from the top ten due to time bonuses obtained by sprinters and then when he lost over a minute in Stage 5, crashing before the final climb.{{cite web |author=Shane Stokes and Gregor Brown|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=results/tour075 |title=Predictions come true for Pippo |work=Cycling News |date=2007-07-12 |accessdate=2009-07-16}} The high mountain Stages 7 and 8 saw Klöden fall as well, first as a breakaway in Stage 7 was afforded enough time to shake up the top ten{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Brecht Decaluwé|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=results/tour077 |title=Gerdemann scores one for the new breed |work=Cycling News |date=2007-07-14 |accessdate=2009-07-16}} and then as Vinokourov and Klöden were both over four minutes off the winning pace of Michael Rasmussen in Stage 8. This stage, however, saw the rise of Kashechkin to fifth overall.{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Brecht Decaluwé|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=results/tour078 |title=Rasmussen conquers Tignes and Jaune |work=Cycling News |date=2007-07-15 |accessdate=2009-07-16}} In the next stage, after the first rest day, Klöden rebounded with a 9th-place finish to return to the top ten, at seventh overall. Vinokourov was, at this point, 21st.{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Brecht Decaluwé|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=results/tour079 |title=Soler shines in Briançon |work=Cycling News |date=2007-07-17 |accessdate=2009-07-16}}

The next four stages all ended in group sprints. Stage 13 was an individual time trial. Vinokourov was originally the winner of this stage, by a margin of over a minute against second-place finisher Cadel Evans. It was thought at the time, and said by Vinokourov, to be his return to competitiveness in the overall classification, as it indeed lifted him to ninth at the time. Klöden and Kashechkin were originally third and fourth on the stage, putting all of them in the top ten overall and giving Astana the lead in the teams classification.{{cite web|author=Gregor Brown and Brecht Decaluwé |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=results/tour0713 |title=A mighty maillot jaune holds – Vino returns with stage win |work=Cycling News |date=2007-07-21 |accessdate=2009-07-16 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621143523/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=results%2Ftour0713 |archivedate=21 June 2009 |url-status=live }} In Stage 14, Vinokourov lost nearly 30 minutes and plummeted from 9th to 30th in the overall classification, while Klöden, Kashechkin, and Antonio Colom all finished in the top ten, keeping Klöden and Kashechkin in the top ten overall.{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Brecht Decaluwé|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=results/tour0714 |title=Rasmussen takes control of the Tour |work=Cycling News |date=2007-07-22 |accessdate=2009-07-16}} Stage 15 the next day was one of the Tour's marquee stages, with five high mountain climbs. Vinokourov originally won this stage after escaping from a 25-man breakaway and soloing to the finish line.{{cite web |author=Gregor Brown and Brecht Decaluwé|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=results/tour0715 |title=Vinokourov solos to second consolation win |work=Cycling News |date=2007-07-23 |accessdate=2009-07-16}} After this stage, Klöden was fifth overall and Kashechkin eighth, and the team was in the lead of the teams classification. It would prove to be the last stage of the Tour for Astana, as news surfaced on the second rest day, after Stage 15, that Vinokourov had tested positive for blood doping. The team was subsequently "invited to withdraw,"{{cite web|author=TDF Blog |url=http://www.livestrong.com/health-article/l-equipe-moreni-of-cofidis-positive_ba41d082-c14b-4db0-8e1a-b18a0c48811a/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090711193318/http://www.livestrong.com/health-article/l-equipe-moreni-of-cofidis-positive_ba41d082-c14b-4db0-8e1a-b18a0c48811a/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-07-11 |title=L'Équipe: Moreni of Cofidis positive |publisher=Livestrong.com |date=2007-07-25 |accessdate=2009-07-16 }} and did, leaving en masse before Stage 16. On April 30, 2008, Vinokourov was formally stripped of his two-stage wins.{{cite web |author=Susan Westemeyer|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/apr08/apr30news |title=Vino stripped of Tour stage wins, Kirchen and Evans named winners |work=Cycling News |date=2008-04-30 |accessdate=2009-07-16}}

Astana's 2007 season was largely marked by doping scandals. At a doping control before La Flèche Wallonne, Matthias Kessler's sample had abnormally high testosterone. When this was confirmed by his B-sample, on July 13, the team fired him.{{cite web |author=Erica Bulman|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/2007-07-13-1626539736_x.htm |title=Astana fires Kessler after B sample returns positive |work=USA Today |date=2007-07-13 |accessdate=2009-07-16}} Shortly thereafter, Eddy Mazzoleni quit the team pending a hearing probing his involvement in the Oil for Drugs case, while leaving open the possibility of returning with another team.{{cite web |agency=Reuters |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=2938663&type=story |title=Mazzoleni leaves Astana, could still race |publisher=ESPN |date=2007-07-16 |access-date=2009-07-16}} Later that same day, though, he retired altogether from the sport,{{cite web |agency=Associated Press |url=http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Jul/16/br/br5680293741.html |title=Cycling: Italy's Mazzoleni retires |publisher=The Honolulu Advertiser |date=2007-07-16 |accessdate=2009-07-16}} and was subsequently banned for two years in April 2008.{{cite web |author=Greg Johnson and Paul Verkuylen|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/apr08/apr09news |title=Mazzoleni gets two-year ban |work=Cycling News |date=2008-04-08 |accessdate=2009-07-16}}

Vinokourov's positive blood doping test at the Tour de France was the team's most noticeable doping scandal of the season, such that it was referred to as a "disgrace."{{cite web |author=Laura Weislo |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/news/?id=/news/2007/jul07/jul25news2 |title=Tour de France responds to Vinokourov disgrace |work=Cycling News |date=2007-07-25 |accessdate=2009-07-16}} After his B-sample also tested positive, the team fired him, on July 30.{{cite web |author=Cycling Weekly |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/348675/astana-sack-vinokourov.html |title=ASTANA SACK VINOKOUROV |publisher=Cycling Weekly |date=2007-07-30 |accessdate=2009-07-16}} After Vinokourov's positive at the Tour, the team went into a self-imposed suspension and did not participate in any races for some six weeks. During this time, Andrey Kashechkin tested positive for blood doping at an unannounced control in Turkey on August 1. On August 20, after his B-sample also tested positive, Kashechkin was dismissed from the team. The team planned to return at the Vuelta a España, but was disinvited from that event because of their repeated problems with doping. The team also fired José Antonio Redondo, shortly after their hiatus ended, though this was not due to doping.{{cite web |author=DPA |url=http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/102614.html |title=Astana wants new licence, sacks Redondo |publisher=Earth Times |date=2007-09-05 |accessdate=2009-07-16}}

The repeated doping scandals prompted the UCI to summon Biver to explain his team's behavior, with a potential global suspension hanging over them.{{cite web |author=Mark Zalewski |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/astana-on-the-brink |title=Astana On The Brink? |work=Cycling News |date=2007-08-11 |accessdate=2009-07-16}}

After the season, Biver was dismissed as the team's general manager. He was replaced by Johan Bruyneel of the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team, which, though coming off an extremely successful Tour de France, failed to find a sponsor for 2008 and folded.{{cite web |author=Ian Austen |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/sports/sportsspecial1/11cycling.html |title=Tour de France Winner's Team Will Disband |work=The New York Times |date=2007-08-10 |accessdate=2009-07-16}} Bruyneel was the main target of the Kazakh Cycling Federation to lead the team starting in the 2008 season. At the same time as the Bruyneel hire, the KCF also announced that the team would follow the anti-doping system of Dr. Rasmus Damsgaard, the same system used by {{UCI team code|CSC|2007}} in 2007.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/sports/sportsspecial1/11cycling.html |title=Bruyneel to join Astana |work=The New York Times |date=2007-08-10 |accessdate=2009-07-16 | first=Ian | last=Austen}} This was after Biver had refused to conduct an internal doping probe before the Tour de France.{{cite web |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22091210-5013449,00.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120911154253/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22091210-5013449,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-09-11 |title=Team boss rules out doping inquiry |work=The Australian |date=2007-07-03 |accessdate=2009-07-16 }} Eight riders from the Discovery Channel team also joined Astana for 2008, including Tour de France champion Alberto Contador.{{cite web |date=2008-12-31 |title=Astaná 2008 |url=http://www.cyclingwebsite.net/ploegfiche.php?id=13904 |publisher=The Cyclingwebsite |accessdate=2009-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009225735/http://www.cyclingwebsite.net/ploegfiche.php?id=13904 |archive-date=2012-10-09 |url-status=dead }}

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Category:2007 road cycling season by team

Category:Astana Qazaqstan Team

Category:2007 in Kazakhstani sport