Alexandre Vinokurov takes up trainee sports director role at 23 years old

The young Kazakh rider, son of 2012 Olympic champion Alexandre Vinokurov, announced his retirement in October after riding the Tour de Langkawi. His decision came seven months after suffering a severe crash in Greece when he was struck by a car, resulting in a fracture to his right femoral neck. Vinokurov has since completed his UCI Sports Director training course, receiving his diploma, and will begin in his new role in 2026.

"In recent seasons, Alex had several injuries, and the last one turned out to be very serious. 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," said Alexandr Shefer, Head Sports Director of XDS Astana Team, in an official statement.

“It feels strange, of course, at the beginning, as everyone is telling me, you need to get used to it, and everyone is giving me some advice. I think the biggest advice you can get is from the race itself,” said Vinokurov in a video posted to the team’s social media accounts.

During his upcoming internship, Vinokurov will work with sports directors across both WorldTour and continental levels while collaborating with the performance group. Shefer emphasised the challenges of this transition but expressed optimism about Vinokourov's future.

"The internship in both teams, WorldTour and continental, will allow him to gain the necessary experience, confidence, and understand how professional cycling works from the other side. 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," Shefer added.

While Alexandre shifts to a role in the team car, his twin brother Nicolas continues his racing career, having been promoted to the WorldTour squad in 2024 and competing in the last two editions of the Vuelta a España. The brothers joined Astana's development program together in 2022.