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The XDS Astana group will pivot dramatically for 2025 after Chinese language bike producer XDS turned a serious investor, boosting the group’s ambitions and finances.
Mark Cavendish’s historic however singular stage victory on the Tour de France is a part of the group’s previous, with the arrival of a Chinese language title sponsor and WorldTour survival step one in direction of tremendous group standing.
XDS Astana have signed 13 new riders for 2025, together with Wout Poels, Diego Ulissi, Mike Teunissen, Sergio Higuita, Clément Champoussin and Aaron Gate. Alberto Bettiol joined mid-season in 2024, indicating the group’s post-Cavendish plans.
Kiwi sprinter Gate was a strategic signing. He gained the Tour of Hainan and the Trans-Himalaya Biking Race in China in 2024 however also can rating valuable further factors within the New Zealand and Oceania championships. He’ll group up with Italy’s Matteo Malucelli, who gained ten minor races in 2024 and impressed at Le Tour de Langkawi.
Alex Dowsett, Pete Kennaugh and Dario Cataldo have bolstered the group’s efficiency and administration workers, with Vasilis Anastopoulos main a Efficiency group of 13 workers members.
Cavendish appeared set for a job within the group after profitable on the Tour de France and ending his profession. Nonetheless, Vinokourov instructed Cyclingnews that the Manxman is not going to have a job in 2025, with out closing the door to his future involvement within the group.
XDS has considerably boosted the finances however the group will probably be registered in Kazakhstan in 2025, with Vinokourov firmly in management.
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“We now have a great relationship with Mark, he was crucial to us. However generally it’s not simple to search out an actual function for somebody within the group and that was the case with Mark,” Vinokourov defined.
“Mark didn’t wish to simply be an envoy for the group, Mark wished to be a part of the choice making construction however that wasn’t doable but. We nonetheless have a great relationship and we’ll see what occurs later. Perhaps sooner or later.”
Cavendish’s file breaking thirty fifth Tour victory was a historic second for the group however in 2025, XDS Astana will probably be totally centered on scoring important UCI rating factors. Each level will depend, from the beginning of the season in January till the tip of the season on the Tour of Guangxi in China.
XDS Astana begins 2025 in twenty first place within the three-year UCI group rating, behind Uno-X Mobility, Arkéa – B&B Lodges and Cofidis. They should pull again over 4000 factors in the event that they wish to end within the high 18 groups and so safe a spot within the 2026-2028 WorldTour. Some imagine it’s inconceivable however the group have set it as a aim.
“It’s only a pity that Mark’s thirty fifth Tour victory wasn’t price 5000 UCI rating factors,” Vinokourov signed, properly conscious of the battle his group faces.
“Our aim is to maintain our WorldTour licence in 2025 after which we will construct increasingly more. Perhaps we will then signal a Grand Tour rider to focus on the GC. The sponsors wish to develop and grow to be a brilliant group, like UAE, Crimson Bull and others. It’s not simple and doesn’t come shortly. It’ll be step-by-step.”
XDS Astana offered their ambitions, new X-Lab model race bike and new jersey on the XDS manufacturing unit on the weekend. The group has been in Spain for a lot of December. The riders are coaching onerous, the workers working to combine all of the modifications.
New Efficiency Engineer Alex Dowsett is satisfied the brand new X-Lab bikes will probably be aggressive at WordTour degree, proper from the beginning of the season, with additional enchancment doable due to the group’s direct hyperlink to the XDS manufacturing unit in China.
Anastopoulos helped Cavendish return to his finest in 2034 however has created a race plan and technique to maximise XDS Astana’s factors scoring potential.
“The group has modified massively, we’ve been working onerous since final Might. It’s not simple however most of it’s executed and the group is coming collectively. XDS has invested massively, we’ve made modifications and now it’s as much as us.” Vinokourov instructed Cyclingnews.
“There are eight or so groups combating to keep away from relegation subsequent 12 months. I imagine we will do it. We’ll goal factors and success proper from the Tour Down Underneath in January. We’ve added about 40 extra on-day races to our programme to focus on extra factors.
“We’ve executed our calculations and with the brand new riders we’ve signed, with good motivation and with our good bikes from XDS, I believe we will rating the factors wanted to remain within the WorldTour.”
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