Fabio Aru signs new contract with Astana ahead of Giro d'Italia
Italian to stay with Kazakh team until end of 2017
Thursday 7 May 2015 19:00, UK
Fabio Aru has signed a new contract with Astana that will keep him at the Kazakh team until the end of the 2017 season.
Astana announced the news two days before the start of the Giro d’Italia, where Aru is expected to challenge for a place on the podium.
The 24-year-old Italian has been with Astana since turning professional in 2012.
He won one stage on the way to finishing third at last year’s Giro and followed that breakthrough performance up by winning two stages and finishing fifth overall at the Vuelta a Espana.
Astana general manager Alexandre Vinokourov said: "Fabio is a young and ambitious champion with three exciting grand tour stage victories. We will see great preformances at the Giro and Vuelta this year, and, why not, maybe at Vincenzo Nibali's side in at the Tour de France in 2016.”
Aru will once again lead Astana at this year's Giro, which starts with a team time trial on Saturday and includes six summit finishes in its 21 stages.
Aru's build-up to the race was disrupted when illness for him to miss April's Giro del Trentino, but he is confident he is now back to full strength.
He added: "I hoped to arrive at the Giro d'Italia with the Giro del Trentino in my legs, but unfortunately, in cycling, these things happen. When I realised I was ill, I went to the mountains, and spent 10 days training at altitude. We did had an intense week.
"My rivals are hardened stage racers. Alberto [Contador] will be very motivated to do well, [Rigoberto] Uran will be very good in the long time trial, and Richie Porte will also be formidable.
"The last week is also very hard, with the mountain stages on the Mortirolo and up to Sestriere. It will be important to stay focused for all three weeks."
