Astana's Artyom Zakharov has signed a further contract with the Kazakh team and will combine road and track in his quest to represent Japan in track events at the 2020 Olympics.

"Over the past few years I have enjoyed giving my all to help my teammates win races. It is gratifying to see the leaders win or finish on the podium in many of the races I have participated in," Zakharov, who has been with the team since the start of the 2017 season, said in a press release.

"We are ready to continue to help the team achieve its important goals. Of course, I also want to achieve personal results and hope to have several opportunities to showcase myself in the upcoming season," he continued. [The Olympics are an athlete's biggest goal and dream. It is very important for me to remain in Astana during the Olympic year. Because the team gives me the best conditions to train and prepare for the competition.

Zakharov is currently competing in the Hong Kong round of the UCI Track World Cup and hopes to qualify for the Kazakh Olympic team in the Omnium in the coming months.

On the road, the 28-year-old was the 2017 national road race champion but primarily rides as a team player for Astana's leaders, winning the Tour of Oman with Alexey Lutsenko and the Tour of Oman with Yuriy Natalov this season. He was part of the team that won the overall title in Almaty and helped Melhawi Kudus finish third overall in the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey.

"Artyom is an excellent and loyal rider, always ready to support the team leader," said team manager Aleksandr Vinokurov. Of course, his main goal at this time of the year is to qualify for the Olympics in the Omnium, which is very important for the team and for Kazakhstan."

"Zakharov will be busy in December with three track World Cups. He is seventh in the (UCI) omnium standings and of course will be very useful for our team in the road races next season."