"The secret was definitely in the plan of the team" - Astana brought out the best of Christian Scaroni

Christian Scaroni has hit what is perhaps the peak of his career at age 27 this past season, performing incredibly well throughout the year where he took several high-level victories. The Italian tells that he never would've expected such performances, and that this was brought out by XDS Astana Team who took the gamble on him back in 2022.

Scaroni is racing Tirreno-Adriatico and Itzulia Baque Country ahead of the Ardennes classics next spring, the races that are expected to be his big goals of the season: "Next year, I think the most important goal would be to do the best result in the Ardennes classics," Scaroni shared with IDL ProCycling. "First we do Basque Country, to arrive in the top shape for the Classic races. We have everything here to do our best."

It is a goal for the Italian puncheur, a type of rider who gets less and less opportunities at World Tour level currently due to the changes in routes and also the transformation of the world's top climbers into classics riders; but one that continues to thrive in the one-day races and more modest calendars.

Scaroni will be backed up by several of his compatriots in the Ardennes which are a big goal for the team. "We want to get the best result ever. But on the team, other riders like Bettiol or Velasco will be able to do the same result. But for sure, I will be a leader of the team. We will see day by day, race by race who will be better."

In 2022 the Italian spent several months without a team after the end of Gazprom - RusVelo. At the time, Astana then took the risk in signing him, and it paid off big time. "For sure, it´s like a family,. When I was without contract in 2022 - because Gazprom closed - the team took me in when nobody trusted in me. I’m really happy to be here another two years. I improve year by year, and I’m really happy to continue my story with the family that is XDS Astana."

He had solid but modest results in 2023 and 2024, but the team's urge to chase UCI points this year - which proved successful in saving the team from relegation - forced the team into making schedule choices that, as a coincidence, brought out the best in Scaroni.

"We changed the performance plan. Normally, they made me race in the stage races. But from this year on, the team needed to score a lot of points, and they made me into a classics racer, scoring points in the one day races," he tells. "There, I discovered that I perform better in the one day races than in the stage races. The secret was definitely in the plan of the team, they believe in me to do one day races."

Scaroni finished high in several one-day races early in the year and then won the Classic Var, as well as a stage and GC at the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes. A crash at Strade Bianche derailed his spring, however the form he didn't find in the Ardennes he found at the Giro d'Italia, where he was aided by teammate and KOM jersey winner Lorenzo Fortunato to a stage win in San Valentino, one of the most difficult mountain stages of the entire race.

"The stage win in the Giro was an incredible feeling, because we arrived together, me and Fortunato. That does not happen everyday. But the last one, in the Giro della Romagna, I felt really good, I did the last 40 kilometers alone. But the stage in the Giro was the best one."

"I know that this year was very important for me and the team, because we had to save our license. Last year, I was really close to winning some races, but it never arrived. This year, my goal was to come back with a victory - and I took five. I did not expect a season as great as this one. I finished the season the same way I started."

But his season continued all the way into mid-October and on the way he had several other strong results, a victory at the Giro della Romagna and then a fourth place at the European Championships, in which he was close to joining Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel on the podium. A breakthrough season no doubt, and one where he finished high in the UCI rankings.

He also found a crucial ally this year in Diego Ulissi who joined from UAE Team Emirates - XRG, and has guided Scaroni into his best season ever. "In every interview, I talk about Diego, because I think he changed this team, the mentality changed a lot when he arrived here. He was my roommate in the Giro d’Italia. And every evening, before sleep, he explained to me what we could have done better, to win the race. With him, I do not only improve the performance with the legs, but also the head, the mentality. My season was also because of him."