“I’d like the team to think less about points”: Cristian Scaroni wants fewer UCI points and more victories in 2027

Cristian Scaroni has established himself as Italy’s highest-ranked rider after another strong season with XDS Astana Team, but the 29-year-old has a different measure of success in mind for 2027. Despite collecting 3,062 UCI points in 2026, he would gladly trade part of that total for a few more victories.

The Italian finished the season with three wins and 10 podiums, confirming the progress he had made over the previous two years.

“Some people said I wouldn’t be able to do it, but I’m happy to have proved them wrong,” Scaroni said when asked about finishing as Italy’s top rider in the international rankings.

“It’s certainly pleasing. It shows what a great season I’ve had, and it’s a source of pride, especially because after 2025 it wasn’t easy to repeat those performances and improve on the results.”

His position today is particularly significant given how close he came to leaving professional cycling four years ago. The collapse of Gazprom-RusVelo following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine left 21 riders without a team, and Scaroni was among those whose careers were suddenly thrown into uncertainty. He eventually found a way forward, but the experience left a lasting mark.

Scaroni was one of the first Italian riders to try his luck with a foreign development team, joining Groupama-FDJ’s setup in 2019. His progression, however, was interrupted first by the COVID-19 pandemic and later by the Gazprom situation.

“In cycling in the past, it was normal for a rider to emerge at 27 or 28,” he explained. “Nowadays, riders are winning major races at 20, but I’m happy with my own journey. I was one of the first to try a foreign development team, Groupama’s in 2019, but from that point on I haven’t had much luck, first with COVID and then with the Gazprom case. It took longer than we had hoped. The important thing is that I’m competitive now, and hopefully that will last for a few more years.”

Asked whether it had taken more mental strength to achieve his recent results or to overcome the Gazprom crisis, Scaroni had no hesitation.

“Definitely the Gazprom case. Few people really know what I went through. I came very close to quitting, but once that period was behind me, nothing really scares me anymore,” he said. “Now we look ahead, try to put 2026 behind us and focus on our goals for 2027.”

Scaroni came close to some significant results during 2026. “I’ve come close several times, such as at San Sebastián, which is a race with considerable prestige. We’re studying how to improve further. To win an important race, we need to find what will allow me to take that final step,” he said.

“I was pleased with my consistency from February to October, but next year I hope to reach higher peaks in my condition, so I can arrive at the various races in even better shape.”

After 2 years in which Astana has been mostly focused on hunting for UCI points, Scaroni would prefer a change of mentality. “I’d like the team to think less about points and for us to try to win a few more races. We have all the characteristics and the strength to do it. On certain occasions, we simply need to be more united,” he said. “I’m sure that with the work we do and people like Ulissi, we’ll also be able to integrate the new riders perfectly.”

He understands that this approach can be difficult to reconcile with the demands placed on teams in the UCI rankings. “They’ve certainly been very happy with me. I brought in a lot of points, but I would have preferred to score 500 or 1,000 fewer and perhaps win two or three more races,” Scaroni admitted. “In short, I’m old-school when it comes to cycling. I look at victories. Apparently, scoring points comes more naturally to me, but now I’d like to change that.”

For next season, the Ardennes Classics are among the races he would most like to target. “Races such as the Ardennes are more suited to me, and the team knows that,” he said. “I’d also like to be in good shape for the World Championships. Winning will be very, very difficult, if not impossible, but that is the level, and I need to arrive there in good condition.”