Where Alexandre Vinokourov suddenly walked away from cycling, twin brother Nicolas keeps the iconic name alive

It was a crash at the beginning of this year that meant we didn't see Alexandre Vinokourov, the son of -, in action for the rest of the year. The rider, born in Nice, recently announced his rather unexpected retirement. This was due to the consequences of a crash in Greece, in which the 23-year-old Kazakh broke his thigh bone.

"The Last Dance" was the headline of Alexandre's farewell message on X. "It has been seven months since my crash, and since then I have been racing and training with fear and pain. I feel privileged and proud to have been able to help the team to four victories and a fourth place in the general classification in my last race as a rider," he said, referring to the Tour of Langkawi. “Thank you to everyone who was there for me in this chapter, and see you soon in the next one.”

Twin brother Nicolas rides for XDS Astana, where his father, Alexandre Vinokourov, is team manager. The 23-year-old rider, also born in Nice, has already competed for the A team and has even participated in the Vuelta a España twice. Nicolas is now being rewarded for his achievements, such as an eighth place in the mountain classification of the Tour of Spain, with a new contract.

“It’s an honor for me to continue representing the colors of XDS Astana Team, and I’m very grateful for this opportunity and for all the support I receive from the team,” Nicolas said on the team website. “I feel that this year I made a big step forward, and the results motivate me to keep improving and working harder.”

“My victory in the KOM classification at the Tour of Austria was an important milestone, and the Vuelta a España gave me another boost that led to a strong performance at the Tour de Langkawi,” the Kazakh rider continued. “In the next two seasons, my main goal is to start winning races.”

How? “I believe in myself and my abilities, and I’m confident that I can achieve victories at the professional level. I’ve just wrapped up my season at the Tour de Kyushu in Japan, but I’m already looking forward to the next one,” Nicolas concludes.

Father Alexandre is also satisfied with his son's performance. “Without any doubt, Nicolas has made huge progress this season. He’s gained confidence and valuable experience, which already helps him achieve significant results. There’s still a lot of work ahead to become stronger and start winning.”

“But right now Nicolas is one of the best Kazakh riders in the professional peloton,” says the controversial cycling icon. “The next two seasons will be crucial for him to take another big step and become even better,” concludes the general manager of the Kazakhstani team.