Astana Kazakstan leader Alexey Lutsenko finished seventh in this year's Tour de France and firmly believes he has a shot at a podium finish in the 2022 Tour de France.

The 29-year-old, who recently signed a three-year contract extension with the Kazakh team, will also target the Ardennes Classics and Tour de Flanders next season.

"Right now I'm training camp in Altea, Spain. Next year I will start the season in Europe with the Tour of Provence and then the Ruta del Sol in Andalusia," Lusenko told the media at a recent Zoom Call.

"Then I will prepare for the Ardennes Classics and maybe ride the Tour of Flanders. After a breather, I will compete in the Criterium du Dauphiné and then the Tour de France."

Lutjenko got off to a slow start this season, but improved significantly in the Dauphiné, winning the individual time trial to Roche-la-Molière before finishing second overall behind Richie Porte (Ineos Grenadiers).

In the Tour, Lutsenko was always in the first group in the mountains. With several top-10 contenders crashing out, the Astana leader finished in the top 10 for the first time in his career during the three-week race.

While 2022 is expected to be similar, or even tougher if Egan Bernal returns and fewer contenders drop out of contention, Lutsenko is confident that a top three finish is possible.

"It won't be easy, but the top three in the Tour de France is my and the team's goal.

"By finishing seventh in this year's Tour, I proved that I can mix it with the best riders. Thanks to the team and the staff, we have done a great job this year. Nothing is impossible and the next few years are a really big goal."

Few riders develop into Grand Tour riders at the age of 29, but Lutsenko says he has improved thanks to several key factors.

"I had to change a lot of things to become a Grand Tour GC rider. First I started with a week of racing to become more competitive. Then I decided to go for the Grand Tours. I changed my preparation a lot, and a lot of things, like my diet, were completely different. There are a lot of things you have to change to become a Grand Tour rider. I have done well in other races like the Cobbled Classics, but I think I have room to improve in the mountains and in longer races. I'm getting better every year in the climbs and I feel like I'm getting better at the longer climbs."

Regardless of his Tour de France ranking, Lutsenko will likely finish his racing career in Astana. He signed with Astana as a neo-pro in 2013 and has spent his entire career there. After his success at the Tour de France, a new three-year contract was signed, but for a variety of reasons, Lutsenko is likely to remain with the team while it competes in the World Tour.

"I started my professional career in Astana. I started my professional career in Astana, but it's true that I'm still here. The team really trusts me and I feel good about it, so I decided to extend my contract here for the next three years."

"I have a leadership position here and I have the freedom to choose my calendar and my races. I feel the trust and support of the team. It's a Kazakh team and I'm Kazakhstani, so it's important for me. I will also be able to share my experience with the young Kazakh riders in the team."