"We have been following this rider for a long time" - XDS sign classics specialist who once joined Pogacar on Il Lombardia podium
CyclingMonday, 31 August 2026 at 14:30
The transfer market continues to be quite active and right after the confirmation of Anthony Turgis' signing, XDS Astana Team have unveiled yet another one of their big moves into the 2027 season: Andrea Bagioli.
“As soon as I learned about XDS Astana Team’s interest and received the offer, I immediately felt that this would be the right choice for me," Bagioli said in a press release.
Bagioli has turned pro in 2020 with the currently named Soudal - Quick-Step team and has stood out as a classics specialist throughout his career, having wins in races such as the Volta a Catalunya and Gran Piemonte in the earlier years of his career. His performances peaked in 2023 when he was second at Il Lombardia behind Tadej Pogacar, his only podium finish to date - revealing not only ability on the short climbs, but also the long efforts and races.
In 2024 Bagioli signed with Lidl-Trek but struggled to achieve the same results he had previously. A sixth place at the 2025 Liège-Bastogne-Liège confirmed he was still able to perform at the highest level; whilst this year he took a stage win at the Tour of Austria. But with his contract expiring and the interest from rival teams, a move appeared likely.
Bagioli aims for wins in Astana
"This is a project I have always followed with interest, and now the opportunity to become part of it really inspires me. I know many of my future teammates well, and I have always heard very positive things from them".
"I think I will be able to quickly integrate into the team and show what I can do over these two seasons. My main goal is to fight for victory whenever the opportunity arises, while also helping the team achieve its important objectives”.
Andrea Bagioli with Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic at the podium of the 2023 Il Lombardia
Bagioli might be a perfect fit
As Bagioli mentioned, he personally knows a lot of the riders he will be teaming up with. Whilst carrying a Kazakh license, Astana are based in Italy and Bagioli is the eighth rider out of 19 that comes from Italy and has a confirmed contract for the 2027 season.
“Andrea started his professional career at a young age, quickly making his mark and achieving a number of impressive results," team manager Alexandr Vinokourov added, looking forward to working with the 27-year old.
Bagioli's skillset appears to be a strong fit with the goals of Astana, that seek stage wins in higher but also smaller-level races throughout the whole year, as well with the minor goal of achieving UCI points. A one-day race specialist like Bagioli matches those ambitions.
Alongside that, many of his compatriots carry the same ambitions, which effectively forms a block containing also Christian Scaroni, Simone Velasco, Alberto Bettiol and Diego Ulissi.
"We have been following this rider for a long time, and now we have the opportunity to bring him into our project. I believe that at XDS Astana Team, Bagioli will have the opportunity to fulfil his full potential. Our team performs well in one-day races, which is one of our priority areas, and adding Andrea Bagioli should help us improve our results even further".
"In addition, he has extensive experience racing Grand Tours, which is always an important factor for us," Vinokourov concluded.
Bagioli is the team's third confirmed signing after Anthony Turgis and Matteo Scalco. Alexandr Vlasov and Mikkel Honoré are the two riders that have been linked to the team the most that have not been confirmed as of yet.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- if I don’t know someone personally, how can I not use their professional career as the primary guiding point for my thoughts about them. especially when their career is center stage for all of us to see.mij31-08-2026
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Rafionain-Glas31-08-2026 - I don’t think one can just jump on a bike with that short of notice and win. Pidcock has ridden and won world cup races every single year. he has kept up with the sport far better than MVDP.mij31-08-2026
- agreed.mij31-08-2026
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- excellent point.mij31-08-2026
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