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Alexandre Vinokourov Sacked By Astana-Premier Tech

Alexandre Vinokourov is no longer a member of the board of directors and management of Astana-Premier Tech, according to the team.

The Kazakh, who was the team boss for years, was fired by the WorldTour team for personal reasons, the team says, but Vinokourov contradicts this.

According to the French newspaper, the team was informed by email at midnight that Vinokourov had been sacked with immediate effect. The 2012 Olympic champion has seen his role change since the arrival of Premier Tech.

There would have been internal tensions for several months. Sporting directors Alexandre Shefer and Dimitri Sedun, who belong to the permanent nucleus around Vino, have been sacked, among others. The two have since taken refuge in Gazprom-Rusvelo, but in the meantime Vinokourov himself has also been expelled. And that two days before the start of the Tour de France.

Vinokourov denies that there are personal reasons for leaving Astana-Premier Tech. He denies this and urged his lawyers to take action. They say the dismissal is unfounded.

In the meantime, Giuseppe Martinelli has been appointed by the WorldTour team as the ultimate sports results manager. In this he is supported by Steve Bauer.

Alexandre Vinokourov Sacked By Astana-Premier Tech