'I didn't come back to fight Vinokourov' - Yana Seel addresses Astana power struggle rumours after UAE exit
Yana Seel has returned to XDS-Astana just months after her much-discussed departure from UAE Team ADQ, dismissing suggestions of a previous power struggle with Alexandre Vinokourov as she prepares to lead the Kazakhstani WorldTour team into 2027.
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Yana Seel is back at XDS-Astana, and one of the first questions surrounding her return concerns her working relationship with the team's figurehead, Alexandre Vinokourov.
The Belgian executive, who previously led the Kazakh organisation between 2019 and 2021, has taken over as general manager following a turbulent summer that saw her leave her position at UAE's women's WorldTour team.
Her return brings renewed attention to rumours of a power struggle with Vinokourov that circulated when she left Astana in 2021, claims she has now firmly denied.
"I didn't come back to Astana to fight with Vino, but to work with him and achieve good results," Seel told Het Laatste Nieuws.
The 42-year-old insists that her previous departure was driven by disagreements over the team's commercial direction rather than personal conflict.
"I can strongly deny those rumours," she said, referring to suggestions that she had lost an internal battle for control.
At the time, Astana wanted to concentrate predominantly on Kazakhstan and domestic sponsorship relationships. Seel believed her greatest contribution lay in developing international partnerships and bringing foreign investment into the organisation.
"My added value was precisely in developing international partnerships and attracting foreign sponsors," she said.
UAE departure followed disagreement over future strategy
Seel's return to men's WorldTour cycling comes after an eventful final period at UAE Team L'IMAD. She joined the women's team in 2024 and oversaw a successful period that included Elisa Longo Borghini's victory at the 2025 Giro d'Italia Women.
Yet despite those sporting achievements, her relationship with the organisation ended during the summer of 2026. Seel's departure became public around the Tour de France Femmes, raising questions about the management of one of women's cycling's most ambitious projects.
"Our visions for 2027 differed," Seel told Het Laatste Nieuws of her exit.
Seel's departure was followed by further changes within UAE's women's organisation. Sporting directors Cherie Pridham and Dave Povall subsequently announced moves to Human Powered Health, while Michel Cornelisse also left for SD Worx-Protime.
The upheaval extended to the rider roster, with Paula Blasi confirming her move to Movistar for 2027 despite having a contract with UAE. The Spaniard subsequently criticised aspects of the team's decision-making, while UAE also announced the closure of its development squad.
A bigger role at a different Astana
Seel's responsibilities at XDS-Astana will extend beyond sponsorship and finances. "Together with the performance team and Alexandre Vinokourov, we will make decisions about transfers, race programmes and other sporting matters," she said.
The team has changed considerably since her first spell, particularly following the arrival of Chinese bike manufacturer XDS as a title sponsor. "With Chinese bicycle brand XDS as the second title sponsor, there is also a strong focus on the Chinese and Asian markets," said Seel, who previously worked as Chief Business Officer at Lotto Dstny.
Seel inherits a team that finished sixth in the 2026 UCI rankings, a result she admits will be difficult to repeat.
"It won't be easy to repeat that achievement in 2027," she said. "But I want to do everything I can to make sure the team functions as well as possible."
