Davide Ballerini signs with Astana Qazaqstan Team

Italian rider Davide Ballerini (28) signed a one-year deal with Astana Qazaqstan Team. Ballerini spent a season in the Kazakh team (in 2019) and now he is going to make his return to Astana for 2024 season.

“I can say I am very happy to come back to Astana Qazaqstan Team and I am sure that together we can achieve something good. I know the team very well, this is a solid group where the people know how to work, how to create a good ambience and to put all things together. And I know that the team knows how to win. I am expecting great things in the next season, and I am sure everything will go in the right way both for me and the team. Now with this move I am getting the new goals, the new motivation. Of course, first of all I’d like to focus on the Northern classic races and especially on Paris-Roubaix”, – said Davide Ballerini.

Davide Ballerini is a well-known specialist in Northern classic races. In the recent seasons Davide won a stage at the Tour de Pologne and finished second in the Brussels Cycling Classic in 2020, won the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and two stages in the Tour de la Provence in 2021, became the winner of the Coppa Bernocchi and a stage at Tour de Wallonie in 2022.

In the current season Ballerini was 6th in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, 7th in the Dwars door Vlaanderen and second in a stage of the Tour de Wallonie.

“We know Davide very well as a true professional, strong classic rider and loyal team player. We spent a good season together in 2019 and now I am happy he is coming back to our team stronger, even more experienced and motivated. We’d like to see Davide as one of team leaders in the Northern classics, but also as a team player and stage hunter in the Grand tours. I am looking forward to see Davide Ballerini in Astana again and I believe together we can get some important results”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.

Photo credit: @SprintCycling