Seeking a return to race-winning form, Alexandre Vinokourov will begin his season on February 10th in the five-day the Tour Méditerranéen. The Kazakh won the race in 2001 and will aim to show well again, although his first season peak is likely to come a couple of months later.
After the French race, Vinokourov will compete in Tirreno-Adriatico, from March 11th to 17th, then the Giro del Trentino (April 20-23).
The schedule, which was laid out in Tuttobici, will lead him into what will be his first major target of the season, Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The race begins two days after the end of Trentino, and will see the 36-year-old try to repeat his 2005 triumph.
After that, he will be in final preparations for the Giro d’Italia (May 8-30). Vinokourov started the Vuelta a España this year but pulled out long before the end. He was clearly off form after his long suspension for blood doping. However he’ll hope to be in better condition for the Giro, where he will almost certainly lead the Astana team.
Providing he is accepted by the organisers, he will head to the Tour de France with the goal of backing Alberto Contador’s bid for a third title.