Say hello to Astaná-Würth

VeloNews.com | Kazakh consortium underwrites Saiz's team Alexandre Vinokourov's odds of riding the 2006 Tour just got a lot shorter. A consortium of the five largest companies in Kazakhstan have stepped in to fill the vacuum created when Liberty Seguros dropped the team last week. Not only will the new team, Astaná-Würth, finish out this season, but the new title sponsors have committed to another 2 years, with an option for 3 more years. Team leader Vinokourov, a friend of Kazakhstan's president and sports hero in his native country, was instrumental in the deal. The team also features Kazakhstan's Andrey Kashechkin and Sergei Yakovlev.