Vino confirms that Nibali will not ride the Giro d'Italia
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Astana teammates Michele Scarponi and Vincenzo Nibali at the squad's presentation in Italy(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Villa Fenaroli provided a picturesque setting for the presentation of the 2014 Astana Pro Team roster(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The BePink squad has partnered with the Astana team for 2014 and the women's team was part of Astana's official team presentation at the Villa Fenaroli in Brescia(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Michele Scarponi at the Astana Pro Team presentation in Brescia, Italy(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Michele Scarponi and Lieuwe Westra at the Astana Pro Team presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Michele Scarponi rallies the troops at the Astana Pro Team presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Team manager Alexandr Vinokourov and star rider Vincenzo Nibali are front-and-center for the Astana Pro Team's 2014 presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Vincenzo Nibali and Michele Scarponi at the 2014 Astana Pro Team's presentation in Brescia, Italy(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Michele Scarponi is expected to provide key, super-domestique support for Vincenzo Nibali during the 2014 Tour de France(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Astana Pro Team will again look to Vincenzo Nibali to lead the squad in 2014(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The 2014 Astana Pro Team roster was presented in Italy at the Villa Fenaroli near Brescia(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Astana's general manager Alexandr Vinokourov speaks at the team's presentation in Italy(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Astana Pro Team is hoping for great things in 2014 from Vincenzo Nibali and Michele Scarponi(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Astana team held its official presentation in Brescia, Italy on Wednesday, introducing the line-ups for its WorldTour squad led by Vincenzo Nibali, the new Vino4Ever men's Continental team and the Italian-based women's Be Pink Astana team.
All three teams posed for their official photograph outside the stunning Villa Fenaroli before the event was broadcast live on Kazakhstan television.
During the presentation, Nibali confirmed he will target the Tour de France and begin his 2014 season at the Tour de San Luis in Argentina. Team manager Alexandre Vinokourov ruled out that Nibali will also ride the Giro d'Italia.
"Our objective for this year is to win the Tour, so Vincenzo has to forget about the pink jersey," he told Tuttobiciweb.
"We want to win the yellow jersey, but we'll have a good team for the Giro d'Italia with Michele Scarponi and Fabio Aru, who can win the best young rider's white jersey and gain experience."
"Last year we worked together to win the Giro d'Italia, and it wasn't easy," Vinokourov said in a press release. "But the effort, motivation and drive that we demonstrated found its reward on the final podium right here in Brescia, and it's a great privilege to be able to stand here today and say we are ready to assume our next challenge at the 2014 Tour de France.
New signing Michele Scarponi will be the Astana leader for the Giro d'Italia and will also makes his debut in Argentina. Nibali will ride the Tour of Oman in February unless his wife gives birth to their baby daughter. He will be coached by Paolo Slongo who joins Astana from Cannondale.
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"My big goal will be the Tour de France. I'm not afraid of anyone but I've learnt that you've got to take Grand Tours day by day and never underestimate your rivals. The Vuelta taught me that. The Tour is the hardest race in the world to get right, but we'll prepare for it and even go and study some key stages."
Also in the 2014 Astana line-up are former Amstel Gold winner Enrico Gasparotto, Jani Brajkovic, sprinter Andrea Guardini, Jakob Fuglsang, Frederik Kessiakoff and the USA's Evan Huffman. New signings for 2014 include Mikel Landa of Spain, Lieuwe Westra of the Netherlands and Valentin Iglinskiy of Kazakhstan.
The women's team includes Noemi Cantele and has Sigrid Corneo as directeur sportif.
Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.
