XDS Astana close in on one of cycling's most exciting young Italian talents after breakthrough 2026 season
Cycling
Tommaso Dati may still be racing for Continental team Team UKYO, but not for much longer if the latest transfer rumours are to be believed. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Ciro Scognamiglio, the young Italian is close to securing a WorldTour contract with XDS Astana Team for the 2027 season.
A season full of results
Born in Camaiore in 2002, Dati came through the Italian amateur ranks before spending two years at Continental level with Biesse-Carrera, including a stagiaire stint with Cofidis in 2025.
This season, racing for the Japanese Continental outfit Team UKYO, he has been one of the most eye-catching riders in the peloton regardless of category.
Read also
His first professional win came at the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali in March, where he outpaced WorldTour riders Mauro Schmid and Diego Ulissi to take stage three. It was the kind of result that immediately put his name on the radar of bigger teams. Dati emerged as the surprise winner in Iseo to give Team UKYO a big stage success against stronger on-paper teams.
But he did not stop there. At the Tour of the Alps, he won stage one in a sprint finish that included Tom Pidcock among those he beat to the line, also claimed second on another stage and took the points classification. Then last week, he won three stages at the Tour of Japan, bringing his 2026 tally to an impressive five victories.
Dati celebrating his win at the first stage of the Tour of the Alps
XDS Astana the likely destination
The interest from XDS Astana is perhaps no coincidence. The Kazakh team already have eleven Italian riders on their roster and have built a clear identity around Italian talent in recent years. Among them, the most prominent names have been delivering results all season. At the Giro d'Italia, the team went in with a clear goal of winning stages and the Italians led the way.
Davide Ballerini won stage 6 in Naples after navigating a chaotic final kilometre on slippery cobbles, while Alberto Bettiol attacked from the breakaway on stage 13 and rode solo to victory in Verbania. Diego Ulissi, a veteran with eight Giro stage wins across his career, also contributed a third place on another stage.
Five out of the 11 Italian riders have already been confirmed for 2027 (Bettiol, Fortunato, Malucelli, Scaroni and Velasco), and Dati could soon join them. The team has long shown a willingness to invest in promising young Italians and give them room to develop, which makes the potential move a logical one for both parties.
Félix SernaCycling Journalist
Félix Serna is a writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2025. He covers professional cycling across both the men’s and women’s calendars, with a focus on UCI rankings, race developments, and rider performance. His work includes interview-based reports, liveblogs, and tournament coverage designed to provide clear, accurate context throughout the season.
In his reporting, Félix regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical reference. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
Loading
1 Comments