Bicycle Racing News and Opinion,
Sunday, December 28, 2025
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary | Our YouTube page
2024 Tour de France | 2024 Giro d'Italia
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart. - Helen Keller
Plato's dialogue Phaedo is available in both audiobook & Kindle eBook versions. To get your copy, just click on the Amazon link on the right.
Upcoming racing:
- December 29: Trofee Loenhout-Azencross
- December 30: Superprestige Diegem
- January 1: GP Sven Nys
- January 17 - 25: Tour Down Under
- January 25: Classica Comunitat Valenciana 1969-GP Valencia
- January 28 - February 1: Challenge Ciclista Mallorca
- February 1: Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
Latest completed racing:
- December 26: World Cup Gavere
- December 23: Superprestige Heusden-Zolder
- December 14: World Cup Namur
- November 16: Trofee Hamme-Flandriencross
- November 1: Trofee Oudenaarde-Koppenbergcross
- October 26: Superprestige Overijse-Vlaamse Druivencross
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Guangxi
- October 14 - 19: Tour of Holland
Content continues below the ads
Here's the team's post:
XDS Astana Team is ready to begin its 21st season at the highest level of professional cycling – the UCI WorldTour. The previous, anniversary 20th season marked a major breakthrough for the team, resulting in 32 victories, 73 podium finishes, and 4th place in the WorldTeam ranking. A new three-year WorldTour cycle now lies ahead, and the team is fully prepared for the new challenge and the pursuit of new heights.
Content continues below the ads
In 2026, XDS Astana Team will feature a roster of 30 riders. Compared to the previous season, the lineup has not changed significantly, but it has been strengthened by four new riders — Arjen Livyns, Cristián Rodríguez, Marco Schrettl and Thomas Silva – as well as two riders promoted from XDS Astana Development Team, Gleb Syritsa and Lev Gonov.
Gleb Syritsa winning stage 2 of the 2023 Tour de Langkawi. Sirotti photo
Content continues below the ads
“The season that has finished brought us unforgettable emotions and tremendous motivation to keep moving forward and continue improving. We managed not only to achieve our objectives, but, most importantly, to restore our confidence – the belief that the team is capable of achieving any goal set before it, even those that may seem unattainable. I am very pleased that XDS Astana Team, with the incredible support of our main partners Samruk-Kazyna, the SportQory Sports Support Fund, and XDS, completed its 20th anniversary season in a bright and successful manner.
"However, a new three-year WorldTour cycle is beginning, and new challenges and ambitious goals lie ahead. As in the past season, we will do everything possible to achieve everything we set out to accomplish and strive for. A special focus among our objectives is the successful performance of the team’s Kazakh riders at the Summer Asian Games. Our roster is now fully formed, and I believe that through targeted recruitment we have further strengthened and balanced the team. In the new season, XDS Astana Team is capable of achieving major accomplishments”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of XDS Astana Team.
Back to news and opinion index page for links to archived stories | Commentary