A new cycling chapter is ahead for Alexandr Vinokurov junior, who may have announced his decision to retire from racing at 23 but will remain with XDS Astana in 2026 after taking up a role as a trainee sports director.
As part of the team, where his father Alexandr Vinokurov is general manager and his twin Nicolas remains as a rider, he will work with the sports directors of both the WorldTour and Continental squads.
“In recent seasons, Alex had several injuries, and the last one turned out to be very serious," said Alexandr Shefer, Head Sports Director of XDS Astana in a statement from the Kazakhstani team. "Yes, he showed strong character and managed to come back, riding several races with the Continental team, but his decision to end his career is completely understandable.
"The transition from the bike saddle to the car’s front seat is never easy, any sports director will tell you that, so I hope that with proper diligence and determination, Alex will succeed,” said Shefer.
His last race before announcing the decision to walk away from the professional peloton was in October with the XDS Astana WorldTour squad in Malaysia at the Petronas Le Tour de Langkawi. There Alexandr raced alongside brother Nicolas, who secured fourth place overall, among a team that snared four of the eight stage victories – three with dominant sprinter Matteo Malucelli and the final stage with a well-timed move by Aaron Gate.
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