Harold Tejada signs new contract with Astana Qazaqstan Team
27-year-old Colombian rider Harold Tejada has signed a new two-year agreement (for 2025 and 2026) with the WorldTour team, Astana Qazaqstan Team. A few weeks ago, Tejada completed the Tour de France, where he delivered a solid performance in the final individual time trial in Nice, finishing in 8th place. Additionally, on the second stage with the finish in Bologna, the Astana Qazaqstan Team rider fought for the stage win, ultimately finishing in 5th place. This Saturday, Harold will start in the final Grand Tour of the season, La Vuelta Ciclista a España.
Earlier, during the 2024 season, Harold Tejada achieved his first professional victory by winning the second stage of the Tour Colombia, also finishing 6th overall. The Colombian rider has several stage Top-10 finishes in the races like Paris-Nice and the Critérium du Dauphiné.
“It was important for me to stay with Astana Qazaqstan Team; I love this team, I feel at home here, and my desire was to continue riding for this team. I am very happy that the team management continues to believe in me and my potential. The new contract gives me extra motivation for the second part of the year and for future seasons. I feel like I’m developing, gradually reaching a new level. This year I achieved my first victory in Astana Qazaqstan Team jersey, and I’m confident that more victories are on the way. I finished the Tour de France on a high note with a strong performance in the time trial in Nice. I’m very satisfied with the result. Now, I’m focused on my new goal – La Vuelta a España”, – said Harold Tejada.
“Harold has reached a point in his career where the ice should finally break, and results should start to improve. We already saw significant growth in 2023, and the start of this season was promising. However, a crash at the UAE Tour and a mechanical issue at Paris-Nice cost him the chance for high placements in the general classifications of these races, and later, sicknesses interfered with his preparation. Nevertheless, Harold performed at a very good level in the Tour de France, and I’m confident that he can do well at La Vuelta. I’m pleased that we signed a new contract with him for the next two years because I believe that in the upcoming seasons, we have a chance to unlock this rider’s full potential”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.
Photo credit: @SprintCycling