OFFICIAL: XDS Astana make big transfer market move as they sign classics specialist with one eye on Tour de France
CyclingSaturday, 29 August 2026 at 12:15
XDS Astana have announced their first major signing of the 2027 season, taking to the transfer market to bring in Anthony Turgis from TotalEnergies on a two-year deal.
The experienced Frenchman will ride with the team until the end of the 2028 season, bolstering their spring classics line-up as well as their stage-hunting potential at Grand Tours. Turgis has won a Tour de France stage in 2024 and finished second at the 2022 Milano Sanremo.
A rider who consistently makes bold moves in big races, the 32-year-old offers a new prong to their spring classics attack and a proven track record in three-week races. After eight years with TotalEnergies, the move marks the first time in his professional career that he will ride for a team outside France.
“XDS Astana Team is a serious project with a great history and an international roster of riders," Turgis said in a statement.
Anthony Turgis
New challenge for Turgis
"For me, this is a new challenge in my career, and I believe it will give me new motivation and new goals. I’m happy to join the Astana project. I know that the team has been working hard on the classics, and that is important to me.
"I feel that I can still improve and that together with XDS Astana Team we can achieve significant results both in the spring classics and in other races.”
This season, Turgis finished has picked up some notable results that includes third at the Grand Prix de Denain, seventh at the Brussels Cycling Classic, eighth at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Heistse Pijl, and ninth at the Muur Classic Geraardsbergen.
Vinokourov delighted with signing
Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of XDS Astana Team, hopes that the move will accelerate their growing influence in one-day races and believes Turgis will be a valuable edition to their roster.
“In recent years, we have been working extensively on the classics. We have made definite progress, with good results both last year and this season.
"Anthony is an experienced classics rider, so he can significantly strengthen our team for the spring classics. In addition, Turgis has extensive experience racing Grand Tours, particularly the Tour de France, and for us he can be a very valuable addition for the biggest race of the season.”
Astana signed Victor Langellotti as the window opened, but have taken the INEOS rider from August 1st, meaning Turgis is their first incoming transfer from January. The only other new rider on the team's books for 2027 is Matteo Scalco, who steps up from their development team.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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