Alberto Contador
How much is it going to cost Team Astana to keep Albertor Contador happy and keep the team solvent next season? Try $22 million.
That's the amount Kazakhstan's state sovereign has pledged.
Astana's current racing license is due to expire at the end of next year, but recurring delays in paying salaries to riders have prompted the International Cycling Union to demand guarantees on the team's financial viability by this week.
"Samruk-Kazyna (state holding) has provided UCI with a guarantee of financial backing worth Euro 15 million ($22 million) for this season," Kazakh Cycling Federation deputy president Nikolai Proskurin said.
About $3.7 million has been transferred this week to the paying agency that handles team salaries, Proskurin added.
In a further symbolic gesture of state support for Astana, Samruk-Kazyna chairman Kairat Kelimbetov has been named as head of the country's cycling federation.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has taken a personal interest in the fate of the team, which is seen as a prestige project for the Central Asian nation.
Astana is also in talks with an Italian telecommunications company over an additional sponsorship deal, Proskurin said.
The Kazakh-backed team says it has submitted all the necessary documentation to ensure it retains its license. A final decision by the UCI on the team's fate is imminent and is expected by early next week.
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