Alberto Bettiol discusses impact of Chinese manufacturer XDS on XDS Astana Team: "But now I am wearing the tricolour in a Kazakh-Chinese team and I am proud of that"

Alberto Bettiol, the 2019 Tour of Flanders winner and a Giro d’Italia stage winner in 2021, is embarking on an exciting new journey with the XDS Astana Team in 2025. At 31 years old and entering his twelfth season as a professional cyclist, Bettiol brings a wealth of experience to the Kazakh-Chinese team, which is breaking new ground in the sport by partnering with Chinese bike manufacturer XDS.

In a recent interview with Il Giornale, Bettiol shared his impressions of XDS after visiting their production facilities in China. "When I visited the production in China, I was amazed," Bettiol remarked. "I was in a city, not a factory. I didn't have the feeling that I had entered a production unit, but a new world, made up exclusively of bikes. A long and endless road that ended in an immense building: XDS Bikes."

The partnership with XDS marks the first time a Chinese bike brand has been used by a WorldTour team, a milestone Bettiol is proud to be part of. "I am aware of it and I am honoured," he said. "When I accepted the offer from Astana, I knew I was signing a contract that would take me further than what I had seen and experienced so far. I am no longer a child; this will be my twelfth season as a pro. I have always ridden for American teams. But now I am wearing the tricolour in a Kazakh-Chinese team and I am proud of that."

Bettiol is gearing up for a demanding spring campaign, with Milano-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders among his main targets. Known for his instinctive racing style, he has chosen to shun power metres and excessive reliance on data during races. "I use them in the preparation phase, but when it comes to racing, I take everything off and start working with my head," he explained. "I don’t want to be influenced by a smartwatch that tells me if I slept badly. If I feel good, I do what I feel like. Figures are important, but they are not everything. If cycling is popular these days, it is because there are authentic champion riders who let themselves go, without fear of making mistakes."