The WorldTour step was obviously too high for Santiago Issue et Daniil Marukhin…Arrived a year ago at Astana Kazakhstan for their debut among the Cycling elite, the 22-year-old Colombian and the 25-year-old Kazakh are far from convincing and will pay the consequences next year. The Kazakh team has just announced that they will return to the development team for the 2025 season (even if they will occasionally participate in races with the first team) in order to continue their development in a more suitable framework. to their current capabilities. Perhaps too quickly thrown into the deep end, Issue et Marukhin did not shine in 2024 with no notable results, except the 7th place of the Colombian climber on the modest Qinghai Lake Tour…
Video – When Vinokourov explained his project for 2025 to us
Alexandre Vinokourov: “The transition was perhaps too rapid…”
Their general manager Alexandre Vinokourov spoke about this decision which looks like a punishment but could above all allow them to get back on track from the lower level. “Santiago is still a very young rider, and the 2024 season has been difficult for him. At 21, he competed in several WorldTour races and gained invaluable experience, including finishing La Vuelta. However, the transition may have been too fast for him, and he needs to take a step back to ensure consistent growth in the future. The upcoming season with our continental team will offer him this opportunity.
For Daniil, 2024 was also difficult, mainly due to a lack of experience at this high level. Despite this, he proved a reliable servant in several races. After discussing with him and our technical staff, we decided that a season with the Continental team in 2025 would allow him to avoid unnecessary stress, gain confidence and show his true potential. In any case, Santiago and Daniil will actively participate in the races with our main team, gradually finding their rhythm and gaining experience without excessive pressure“.
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