“Scaroni can go far” – Can the man with the most UCI points surprise at Strade Bianche?

At the start of the 2025 season, Christian Scaroni has emerged as the rider with the most UCI points, making a strong impression for XDS-Astana Team. The 27-year-old Italian has been in outstanding form, delivering results that have caught the attention of his team management and the wider cycling world.

His team boss, Laurenzo Lapage, recently spoke to Wielerflits about Scaroni’s rapid progression and the impact he is having on Astana’s season.

"Scaroni was a rider who was growing in recent years," said Lapage. "Last year, he was often at the front to achieve good results, but in the meantime, he has taken a step up and is competing for victories. We saw him at training camp, and he was already impressive there. A rider who enters at that level gets more self-confidence and is more motivated. Then the step to start winning is suddenly much smaller."

Lapage believes Scaroni is now realising his own potential, which is driving him to race with greater aggression and ambition.

"He realizes that he is now at a level where he can win races, and that only encourages him to ride aggressively. He is a young rider with a lot of racing spirit, but that is also his pitfall.

"Tactically, there is still something to teach him. It is the first period that he is fighting for victories so much, so he still has to grow in that. But that is also something that you can work on, he can still improve in that."

Scaroni’s performances come at a critical time for Astana, as the team fights to secure its WorldTour license for the next cycle. Astana currently sits in 21st place in the UCI team rankings, around 3,000 points behind 18th-placed Cofidis, the final team in the safety zone. With only the top 18 teams retaining their WorldTour status, every point matters.

"He hasn’t been riding at the highest level for very long, so this step isn’t so surprising," said Lapage. "He’s had a super good winter without any problems, and now he has to make full use of the legs he has. On the other hand, it’s also important to realize in time, together with the trainer, that rest is also necessary sometimes. Preferably before the barrel is empty. Of course, you can’t maintain this level for an entire season."

Scaroni’s rise has given Astana a much needed boost, not just in results but in morale.

"If he does that, he can continue to ride at a good level throughout the year. Especially because he is getting a boost now. He deserves it, because he is a normal guy who fits in very well with the group and gets along well with the staff. He is a young guy who enjoys being a cyclist. He is really on a cloud."

While Scaroni has already collected a significant number of UCI points, his next major test will be Strade Bianche, where a strong performance could provide an even greater boost to Astana’s WorldTour survival hopes.

"For us, it was important to start well with the UCI points in mind. It is a difficult challenge, but you can't start better than this."

Lapage believes that with his current form, Scaroni is capable of delivering a big result in Tuscany.

"Scaroni can go far there with the legs he has. We are not talking about winning, but a top 5 should definitely be possible for him. He is one of the candidates in the group behind top favourite Tadej Pogacar for the podium. We have a good spirit in the team, everyone is pulling on Scaroni, and the guys really want to fight for each other. That will definitely help us."