The Astana team was founded on the ashes of Liberty Seguros (formerly O.N.C.E.), directed by Manolo Sainz, who was arrested after doping substances were found in his car when he was on his way to a team camp prior to the 2006 Tour de France. Liberty Seguros withdrew the sponsorship, and Astana, a conglomerate of Kazakh companies, filled the vacancy. After several changes in the sporting structure, the Belgian Johann Bruyneel took the team lead in 2008. Bruyneel was a very successful sporting director, as he had managed Lance Armstrong in all of his 7 Tour de France victories. When Armstrong announced that he was returning to cycling 3 years after his retirement, it was natural that he would do so in Bruyneel's structure, but the team already had another leader, the 2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador. The rivalry between the two leaders in the 2009 Tour was anthological, and ended with victory for the Spaniard, who would win his second Tour. Lance Armstrong finished third in the Tour and would leave the team at the end of that season.
Alberto Contador 2008 - 2010
Lance Armstrong 2009
Alexandre Vinokourov 2006 - 2012