Team Astana: Successful Sports Branding & Humboldt in Central Asia

In this episode of the Steppe Ahead Podcast, Jonas and Thomas discuss Alexander von Humboldt’s 1829 expedition through Russia and into Kazakhstan and Kazakhstan’s cycling team Astana as a global branding project. Jonas outlines how Humboldt, traveled for months from St. Petersburg via Moscow, the Urals and Altai toward northeastern Kazakhstan near the Chinese border to study geology, climate and natural resources, while facing censorship and constant supervision. Thomas then shares his first personal connection to Kazakhstan through Tour de France coverage and rider Alexander Vinokurov, explaining the creation, state funding, successes, and controversies of Team Astana and why the focus was on promoting the capital’s name worldwide.