The Netcompany INEOS crisis continues - UCI leaks that the British team loses rider in a mid-season move to XDS Astana
CyclingFriday, 31 July 2026 at 22:53
Netcompany INEOS don't have a perfect year and, for the remainder of 2026 season, they will have to deal without Monagesque puncheur Victor Langellotti who has signed a mid-season transfer to XDS Astana Team, effective as of August 1. Prior to official communication of this news, UCI have already leaked the secret on its website.
The 1st day of August is a special date in cycling calendar. Traditionally it is on this day that professional teams begin to announce their transfers for upcoming seasons - as the UCI rulebook would prohibit otherwise. The rule has changed since then, but teams maintain this tradition; moreso out of a habit.
Victor Langellotti had anything but traditional path to WorldTour. Starting in club team UC Monaco, the local rider has taken until the age of 26 to fully focus on cycling. His breakthrough came soon enough in 2023, already whilst wearing the Burgos BH jersey and, two years later, he was picked up by INEOS Grenadiers.
Langellotti paid back the British team's trust by winning a stage at the Tour de Pologne 2025 - first WorldTour victory in Monaco's history - and was in turn nominated for the 2025 Vuelta a Espana. This piece of puzzle might be important as to understanding why the mid-season transfer to XDS Astana has happened.
Motivation
The 2026 Vuelta a Espana departs from Langellotti's home in Monaco, and the local hero would naturally wish to be part of the race. However Netcompany INEOS may have prioritized other riders since the Monageque has not performed at the desired level thus far in 2026.
On contrary, the Kazakh team lead by former Vuelta champion Alexander Vinokourov may have offered Langellotti a spot in its nomination. And we can only imagine that it wasn't hard for both parties to reach an agreement.
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Now for XDS Astana, this transfer posed a minor issue - their roster was already full at 30 names. This appears to have been solved a further transfer of Florian Kajamini, presumably down to Astana's development team where one spot remains available.
The 23-year-old made a name for himself with a 5th place overall at the Tour de l'Avenir 2024, but struggled to fully incorporate into WorldTour in the following years and, despite numerous glimpses of his potential, several health problems derailed his progress and he's likely to spend the rest of 2026 trying to re-discover the joy of competing for top results, albeit on a slightly lower level.
Great news for Colombian cycling
Not only the move of Langellotti has been unveiled early by UCI. Besides the traineeships of several riders among which that of Greek champion Nikiforos Arvanitou at XDS Astana stands out, EF Education-EasyPost have also let a secret out.
The rider in question is their development team talent Juan Felipe Rodríguez. The 22-year-old joined EF's programme this season and immediately impressed with a top-20 result at Volta ao Algarve, 3rd place at Tour of Rhodes, further top-20 at Tour of the Alpes and finally 4th overall at Alpes Isere Tour.
The Colombian's whereabouts have been a secret for a few days after he disappeared from EF Eduaction - Aevolo's roster, but as it turns out, that was only because a promotion awaited the talented climber.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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