"We are not the favourites today, but we will fight" - Can Alberto Bettiol continue Astana's electric start to 2025 at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad?

The fight for World Tour promotion and relegation is really hotting up. At the start of the year, not many believed that the XDS Astana Team had a genuine chance to retaining their place amongst the peloton's elite, but an electric start to 2025 has given renewed hope and it's with this momentum that Alberto Bettiol leads the team into Opening Weekend at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

“My teammates have had a good start to the season. Now and also next week we can say that the real races are starting, the period of the classics," assesses the Italian national champion in a pre-race interview ahead of proceedings getting underway in Belgium this Saturday. "We have trained well, I like the team, we are united and realistic about our possibilities. We are not the favourites today, but in this race, we saw it last year, you never know, it is never over until the finish, so we will fight.“

“The way we race here is totally different to any other cobblestone race. We race a bit crazy around here and I think that’s why people love watching us," continues Bettiol with a smile. "There are some points in the race where we need to be in front to play our cards. I’m really looking forward to racing today despite the cold and cloudy day.”

And ultimately, the momentum accrued by the team in early 2025 has given the entire XDS Astana Team roster a massive lift. "I want to see how my teammates will adhere to this new atmosphere that is in the team. It is not the old Astana, it is a new one," explains Bettiol of the situation within the team. "And if we ride well this will give us extra motivation also looking at the rest of the season," he concludes fiercely.