Astana Qazaqstan Team

Born from the ashes of the Liberty-Seguros team in the wake of the Operación Puerto scandal in 2006, Astana entered the sport of cycling during a hugely turbulent time.

The team’s primary purpose is to promote its home country of Kazakhstan and give Kazakh riders a platform upon which they can showcase their talents to the world. Their biggest victories, however, have been taken by their foreign riders, namely Spain’s Alberto Contador and Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali who each won a Tour de France while riding in the team’s iconic sky-blue livery.

While Astana may have won the biggest race in the sport, twice, their glory days are long over and in recent years they’ve looked more like start-list fillers than big race winners. The departure of Nibali at the end of 2022 left a giant hole at the heart of the squad, one that Astana will hope the likes of Alexey Lutsenko, Gianni Moscon and their new talisman - Mark Cavendish - can hopefully fill.

Alexey Lutsenko

Simone Velasco

Mark Cavendish

Cristian Scaroni

Cees Bol

Yevgeniy Fedorov

Samuele Battistella

Harold Tejada

Yevgeniy Gidich

Gleb Brussenskiy

Dmitriy Gruzdev

Andrey Zeits

David de la Cruz

Vadim Pronskiy

Gleb Syritsa

Javier Romo

Luis León Sánchez

Antonio Nibali

Igor Chzhan

Gianmarco Garofoli

Martin Laas

Gianni Moscon

Joe Dombrowski

Yuriy Natarov

Fabio Felline

Alexandr Riabushenko

Nurbergen Nurlykhassym

Davide Martinelli

Leonardo Basso

Manuele Boaro

Tech

Features

Tech Features

2024 Men's WorldTour bikes: A guide to the bikes, groupsets, and tech of the top-tier teams

 is set to deliver another year of unforgettable racing.

Like at the beginning of every season, there will be a short period of familiarisation as teams emerge from their winter hibernations with new riders, kit and, for some, names – It will take us a while, for example, to get used to 

Luckily, there is much more consistency in the realms of 

, where teams only tend to make major changes every few seasons when their current brand partnerships come to an end. 2024 is no different, with most teams riding the same bikes, groupsets and wheels as the previous season, although there are some notable changes.

Here’s a complete guide to all of the bikes, groupsets, wheels and tyres that every team at Men’s WorldTour level will use during the 2024 season.

Tech partnerships can change at any time, so we’ll keep this guide updated as and when any more new partnerships are announced.

Best men's WorldTour bikes of 2023: Which brand won the most races?

WorldTour bike sponsorship changes for 2024

, the bike brand transfer merry-go-round isn’t quite as intense, so there’s always a degree of stability and familiarity. Most teams sign multi-year deals with their selected brands, so the opportunity to swap to a different one only comes around every few seasons - unless a team is willing to break a partnership off early, but that can lead to some public spats, as Lotto Dstny found out in 2023.

Ridley hits back at Lotto Dstny ‘disloyalty’ over early ending of partnership

Luckily, there doesn’t appear to be any such animosity between 

 called an end to their 22-year partnership ahead of the 2024 season

, which also sponsors fellow WorldTour team Astana Qazaqstan. Groupama-FDJ are one of only two men’s WorldTour that swapped bike sponsors for 2024.

 joined them on this list after switching to Decathlon-owned Van Rysel bikes from BMC. AG2R have been partnered with 

 since 2021 and the Swiss brand has been an ever-present in the WorldTour peloton for over a decade.

Lapierre and Groupama-FDJ split after 22 years of collaboration

Elsewhere, there are no changes. That means that the two most successful teams, UAE Team Emirates and Visma-Lease a Bike, will continue to ride 

 bikes, respectively. Ineos Grenadiers’ long-standing partnership with 

 have been joined by Wilier in the list of brands which sponsor more than one team. Canyon is partnered with Alpecin-Deceuninck and Movistar, while Specialized is a long-term partner of Soudal Quick-Step and Bora-Hansgrohe.

Shimano dominance continues, Campagnolo clings to WorldTour status

While Canyon and Specialized win the popularity stakes for bikes, 

 completely eclipses it on the groupset front. The Japanese manufacturer has dominated the WorldTour peloton for a number of years now and it only appears to be getting stronger.

Fourteen of the 18 men's WorldTour teams used the Dura-Ace groupset in 2023 and that number hasn't budged in 2024, although its line-up has changed with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale hopping aboard from Campagnolo while Bora-Hansgrohe have headed to SRAM.

Mechanical Shimano 105 goes 12-speed and is disc-brake only

 sponsored three teams in 2023 but that is up to four with the addition of Bora. Among the other SRAM-sponsored teams are Visma-Lease a Bike, Lidl-Trek and Movistar. Despite its inferior numbers, SRAM boasts a flawless Grand Tour record in 2023, teaming up with Jumbo-Visma to win the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España.

’s stay at WorldTour level came to an end after AG2R made the switch to Shimano as a part of its partnership with Van Rysel. The historic Italian brand is also absent from the 

Why will Campagnolo be absent from WorldTour level in 2024? GCN Tech Show

Canyon’s bikes have topped the podium at multiple Monuments and Grand Tours over the last few seasons, usually at the hands of either 

. Last year’s palmarès included wins at both Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix, before Philipsen topped off a four-stage haul with the green jersey at the Tour de France.

All of those victories came atop the aero-focussed Aeroad, but the team also uses the lightweight Ultimate for climbing stages.

Ollie Bridgewood’s new Canyon Aeroad CFR in Alpecin-Deceuninck team colours

Few bike brands have as much pedigree within the sport as 

. Its Celeste colourway has become a fan favourite but, beyond the looks, the Italian brand’s bikes have teamed up with some of the biggest names in cycling’s history, including Fausto Coppi.

After Jayco-AlUla jumped to Giant for 2022, Bianchi was briefly left without a home in the WorldTour, but it made a comeback with 

Bianchi launches updated 6.6kg Specialissima road bike

 will be hoping that the Manx Missile can make history by breaking the record for Tour de France stages win in 2024. He’ll attempt to do it atop a 

 bike. Italian brand Wilier and the Kazakh team have been working together since 2020. 

Last season there was some confusion over the team's wheel sponsor with both Corima and HED wheelsets making an appearance, but this year the team has switched to Vision.

Mark Cavendish's Wilier Filante SLR: New pedals, saddle, and wheels for 2024

 since the team’s inception in 2017 and it doesn’t look like that will change anytime soon. The pair extended the partnership into 2022 to an undisclosed time, only stating that it is a “multi-year partnership”. As a minimum, the team will race Merida bikes during the 2024 season, when it will be hoping to build on its 12 WorldTour wins in 2023.

 who added another achievement to the Merida palmarès late in the season when he won the Gravel World Championships atop a then-unreleased 

Bahrain Victorious pro bike: Jack Haig’s Merida Reacto

headlines in late 2023 when they signed Primož Roglič from Jumbo-Visma

. The Slovenian will head up their GC ambitions at the Tour de France where he’ll hope to depose former teammate Jonas Vingegaard.

With a new team comes a new bike in the form of the 

. Released in August of 2023, it’s the latest version of Specialized’s do-it-all superbike. Unlike other brands, Specialized doesn’t offer dedicated climbing and aero bikes, instead packing everything into one machine.

The team also stole the tech headlines over the winter through their 

, which may have been influenced by the arrival of Roglič, who has been using the American brand's groupsets over the last few seasons.

Sam Welsford’s Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL8

’ long, 15-year wait for a Tour de France victory to an end in 2023. He delivered the victory atop the 

 795 Blade RS which only broke cover at Eurobike in June, although the team had been riding it since swapping over from De Rosa at the beginning of the season.

Having only linked up for the 2023 season, it appears that it’s already been a 

 partnership for Cofidis, but can it propel them to more victories in 2024?

Bryan Coquard's Look 795 Blade RS: Cofidis’ Do-It-All Superbike

AG2R Citroën is one of the rare teams to switch bike brands for 2024 after Decathlon jumped on-board as co-title sponsors, bringing 

. The team previously rode Decathlon bikes between 2000 and 2007.

That move brought to an end the team's three-year partnership with BMC who will be absent from WorldTour level for the first time in over a decade. The team's switch to Shimano also means that Campagnolo is without a WorldTour team for 2024.

Having previously worked with the now Jayco-AlUla team, 

 in 2021 and the partnership was extended by an extra two years at the beginning of 2023. Along with its Foil, Addict and Plasma bikes, the team also uses finishing kit from Scott’s in-house Syncros brand, including saddles and cockpits. 

This was extended to include time-trial wheels

 in 2023 after Syncros released its Capital SL wheelset.

Racing

News

Race News

'I looked like an idiot on TV and came close to quitting' says Gianni Moscon

 over the winter, offering the controversial Italian a one-year deal in a bid to help rescue the rider’s failing career and bolster the team's domestique department.

The Italian, who spent two disappointing seasons at Astana, admitted that he came close to quitting the sport last year after suffering from the effects of long Covid and then enduring an injury-hit 2023 that left him short of fitness, form, and morale.

“I often lose motivation. Sometimes it felt disrespectful that I had to race in those circumstances. I looked like an idiot on TV,” the 29-year-old told 

"Everyone saw me getting dropped. And you know how it goes: 'Oh, he's lazy, he doesn't exercise...' But that wasn't true. If you're not in shape you can't join the former, but sometimes I couldn't even follow the latter. I was dropped every day and everyone saw that happen. If you're not used to that, it destroys your morale.”

He was seen as a strong domestique and a possible winner of major races but much of his time on the team was overshadowed in controversy. He was banned for several weeks after racially abusing Kevin Reza at the 2017 Tour of Romandie and was kicked out of the Tour de France the following year for aiming a punch at Elie Gesbert. Two years later he was disqualified for throwing a bike at Jens Debusschere but Astana offered him a lifeline at the end of 2021.

Contracting COVID in 2022 ruined his first season on the team, and a broken collarbone set him back the following year and left him chasing fitness on a squad that lacked the resources to properly support him.

“Everyone knows that the level in cycling today is very high. You have to be ready, then you can come along. If you don't start the season fit, you can't catch up unless you start again,” Moscon told the Belgian publication.

“If something goes wrong, responsibility does not always lie with one party. Maybe I could have pushed more. But like I said: I was an employee; I have maximum respect for the people above me. I don't want to blame Astana. They did what they thought was right.”

The Italian admitted that stopping his career did become an option before Lefevere offered him another chance to save his career. 

“I was close to quitting, yes. I love riding my bike, but the last two years have been so bad... You know, it's easy to be a rider when things are going well. People often asked me if I found all those sacrifices difficult, but I always thought it wasn't too bad. Of course I had to work for it, but that didn't feel like sacrifice. But the past two years: it was all sacrifice, all suffering, and I got nothing in return. It was just frustrating.”

Moscon has already made a strong start to his time on Soudal Quick-Step, helping the team take an early season win in Spain this week. He will form part of the squad’s Classics ensemble before building up his form for the Tour de France, where he will be tasked with protecting leader Remco Evenepoel.

“I will be very happy if I can support Evenepoel in the Tour. I'm on the long list. In the past I have often been part of the winning Tour team. With my experience I can help Remco. In the middle mountains and on the flat stages. Remco is a fantastic rider and can ride a very nice classification. The podium is a realistic goal, Moscon said.

'If Mark Cavendish didn't believe he could make history, he'd have stopped' – sprinter's coach confident of Tour de France success

Mark Cavendish last won a Grand Tour stage in the 2023 Giro d'Italia

’s coach is confident that the British sprinter can find 

 stage-winning success in 2024 as he aims to surpass the all-time record he currently shares with Eddy Merckx.

Vasilis Anastopoulos, who previously worked with Cavendish at Deceuninck-Quick Step in 2021 and 2022, has been recruited by 

 as head of performance after Cavendish announced he would continue racing for one more year.

Anastopoulos has expressed both his and Cavendish’s confidence in the sprinter’s chances of achieving a 35th Tour stage win next summer, answering with a simple “yes” when asked if he thought the feat would happen.

“He is a great champion, a great fighter. If he didn't believe he could make history, he would have stopped racing,” Anastopoulos said. 

“That's why the team hired cyclists to make the best launch train in the world, with [Michael] Mørkøv, [Davide] Ballerini, and [Cees] Bol – good and experienced cyclists who can take him to the last metres of the sprint stages, where it will be up to him to finish off the work.”

Opinion: Astana Qazaqstan's faith in Mark Cavendish will pay off at the Tour de France

With the possibility of making history on the table, and Cavendish postponing retirement in pursuit of one final goal, the Astana squad and staff for 2024 have been almost exclusively built around the Brit, with a host of lead-out riders drafted in, as well as his former teammate Mark Renshaw as a sports director.

Anastopoulos’ appointment was no different, and something Cavendish himself had a big role in.

“He played an important role, especially at the beginning of the season when he introduced me to Alexander Vinokourov,” Anastopoulos explained to 

. “When we agreed that I would join the team on a three-year contract, Mark announced that he would continue next year. It was a very good surprise for us.”

'It's not over yet' – Mark Cavendish to continue racing in 2024

In their previous partnership at Deceuninck-Quick Step, Cavendish and Anastopoulos – despite being a late pairing due to Cavendish’s late arrival to the squad – achieved 15 wins over two years, including his renaissance at the Tour in 2021, so it’s perhaps not surprising the Manxman wants to return to a winning formula for 2024.

Getting Cavendish back to Tour stage-winning form

As his coach, Anastopoulos doesn’t just have to believe in Cavendish; he has to actively help him get back to a place where he can win Tour de France sprints. However, according to Anastopulous, that level isn’t far off, with Cavendish coming close with a 

second place on stage 7 of this year’s race

“Mark's level last year was very good and we will try to improve a little more so that it is enough,” he said. “In the Tour de France stage where he had a mechanical, but he still finished second – I am convinced that he could have won that stage without mechanical problems.”

In terms of preparation, much of Cavendish’s training for the Tour will focus on getting through the harder stages, of which there are many, so that he can contest the relatively few sprints.

'I'm in shock' - Mark Cavendish reacts to hard but beautiful Tour de France route

“We don’t do anything out of the ordinary [in training]. We focus on building endurance and then we work a lot on sprints, because what he needs to win a race is to arrive at the finish line as strong as possible. This is what we will try to do from December onwards,” Anastopoulos said.

“The Tour de France stages are really difficult, so he has to be able to survive the long climbs and the long days, and have energy at the end of the stages. We will focus on improving his aerobic capacity and then his sprint capacity as much as possible during the season.”

However, despite the possible pressure of trying to coach the sport’s most prolific sprinter to a history-making victory, Anastopoulos’ confidence is balanced with an acceptance of the fact that he can only do so much.

“I don’t feel any stress. I just want to make sure everything goes well this year and that Mark and the other cyclists have the best preparation in training and in the races they need to do,” he said. “If the result comes we welcome it, but if it doesn't we have to accept it; we are talking about human beings, not robots.”

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Name	Age	UCI Career Wins	UCI Points
Alexey Lutsenko	31	48	1252
Simone Velasco	28	7	1108
Mark Cavendish	38	169	722
Cristian Scaroni	26	2	718
Cees Bol	28	9	522

Astana Qazaqstan Team

Astana Qazaqstan Team

The Team

Top Astana Qazaqstan Team Stories

2024 Men's WorldTour bikes: A guide to the bikes, groupsets, and tech of the top-tier teams

'I looked like an idiot on TV and came close to quitting' says Gianni Moscon

'If Mark Cavendish didn't believe he could make history, he'd have stopped' – sprinter's coach confident of Tour de France success

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