Yanina Kuskova has given a more detailed explanation of her departure from Laboral Kutxa Fundación Euskadi, saying the decision was hers and was driven by a mix of personal well-being concerns and an inability to agree on how often she could return to the Uzbekistan national team set-up.
In an Instagram message posted on Tuesday, the 24-year-old thanked Laboral Kutxa for the experience she gained during her time with the team, describing it as “an important stage” in her career. She also singled out sports director Ion for praise, calling him “a very kind, responsive person” and stressing that her message was not a public relations exercise but “only my sincere vision”.
Kuskova’s statement is unusually open for the current transfer climate, not least because she frames her exit as a deliberate choice rather than a split forced by sporting selection or contract circumstances. She wrote that being alone in Europe has been hard, particularly because it was something the team needed her to do “constantly or very often” this year. That, she said, left her feeling her work did not match her expectations or results, and that the emotional toll became a recurring issue.
Mental well-being is the centre of Kuskova’s reasoning. She said she wants to grow in her work, that she dedicates all her time to the sport, and that her mental state is “very important” if she is to keep progressing. In the same post, she suggested she believes she can still achieve more going forward, “even if I will not be in a team”, a line that reads as both a statement of independence and a hint at the uncertainty that can follow a mid-season separation.
A disagreement over national team plans
The most specific detail in Kuskova’s message is the role played by the Uzbekistan national team calendar. She explained that she wanted to travel more often to join the national team environment, but that she and Laboral Kutxa could not reach an agreement about it. The implication is not that she wanted to step away from trade racing, but that the balance of obligations did not feel sustainable for her.
Kuskova finished by thanking the Uzbekistan men’s and women’s national teams for their “unity and friendship even at a distance”, framing that community as a key support network. She also added a direct invitation for honesty from critics, saying she respects straightforwardness over rumours and is willing to discuss issues openly.
Where this leaves her season
Kuskova’s departure comes after an early-season racing block that included El Salvador, where she recorded her standout result of the winter with second place on stage 3 of the Tour El Salvador. That performance helped her finish 10th overall on the general classification in the stage race.
Her most recent start, was Clásica de Almería, where she finished 22nd.
Context: a rider who has carried Uzbekistan’s flag on the biggest stages
Kuskova, born on December 11, 2001, has been one of the most visible riders from Uzbekistan on the international women’s calendar in recent seasons. She has won multiple national titles across the road race and time trial and has repeatedly been relied upon to represent her country at major championships and global events.
Her presence at the Tour de France Femmes in 2024 was a landmark in itself, with Kuskova finishing 47th overall, the only rider from the Tashkent team to finish. For riders from emerging cycling nations, simply reaching and completing that race can define a season, and it underlines why her national team priorities remain central to her identity as an athlete.
What happens next is not yet confirmed in her statement. But by describing her departure as a decision made for her mental well-being and long-term growth, Kuskova has at least made one thing clear: she does not see this as an ending, but as a reset on terms she believes will help her move forward.
