XDS Astana sports director, Peter Kennaugh was enthralled by the ΔΕΗ Tour of Hellas 2025 and described it as “great” from start to finish.
The 35-year-old Briton isn’t just Kazakhstan’s World Tour team sports director, but has also been a great rider with many trophies in his cabinet. Of his victories, the one at the 2016 Vuelta (TTT), as well as the 2014 and 2015 National Road Championships stand out. On track he was crowned Olympic champion in the team pursuit at the 2012 Games in London and helped the British team win gold in the same event as well at the Melbourne World Championships.
In 2011, while representing the Isle of Man, he was crowned European champion in the team pursuit in Apeldoorn. Upon his retirement, he worked as a commentator on ITV4 at the Tour de France and in 2024 he agreed to join XDS Astana. Pete, as he is better known, praised this year's ΔΕΗ Tour of Hellas:
How did you see this year's edition of the ΔΕΗ Tour of Hellas?
“Honestly, it was a great race, from start to finish. The organisation was been brilliant, the transfers was really good, because you know it's important when you come as a team to the race. The staff made everything easier for the riders, the stages were really good, with variety, a mixture of different types of stages and the support from the organisers was really impressive, as I said before, from start to finish."
Do you think that the presence of two World Tour Teams at the ΔΕΗ Tour of Hellas will tempt more teams to come?
“I hope so. As I said before, I’m really impressed with the race. It was a small peloton and when you go out and talk about how good the Tour of Hellas was and about the stages, it is easy for the race to grow and built a good reputation. It was a really a good starting point”.
How do you see the next day of professional cycling?
“In the last 10-15 years, when I first turned professional with the Sky team, the sport has changed a lot, improving year after year. In terms with technology, aerodynamics and nutrition the sport is going faster. The depth of the peloton is better, we have more riders. Of course, we have the very top teams, but below we have teams that are capable of bringing good results.
“In the future, I don’t know how far this progression can go. I think at some point it will hit the roof and must stabilise. At the moment, in cycling it’s difficult to predict the safety of cycling, the climate effect on the races, like in this year’s Tour of Hellas, when the third stage was cancelled. It was the third time in the season, after in New York and Paris - Nice.
“This is changing a lot. But for the future, I don’t know, I concentrate more in present time”.
You are close to Vassilis (Anastopoulos). In Greece he is a cycling legend (“Yes, I realised that” he commented). How is your collaboration with him?
“Really good. At first, I spoke with him in the phone. Mark Cavendish put me in touch with Vassilis, last year after the Tour of France and since our first conversation it’s all straight away. He’s always being a big support with me and all the team.
“Every time I need something, or learn something about the team, or anything, he is straight away to help. And for me, as a new person, I don’t know many people that I can rely on and trust to help me in to grid smoothly into Astana team”.
You have been an Olympic champion, but for you was the best moment in your career?
“I don’t think so. It was, as you know, on the track in London Olympic Games 2012. It has always been my dream to participate in road and in the Tour of France. The track was more for me progression to get to the road, that was my passion. But I’m very proud of my result and the gold medal, but when I look back at my career it’s the victory in the National Road Championships.
“When I was a kid, I read magazines with the impossible achievements of some riders, so the road for me is something that I’m prouder, closer to my heart”.
