XDS Astana renew with veteran that goes into his 18th year at World Tour level - "He is a true leader"
CyclingTuesday, 11 August 2026 at 23:00
In professional cycling, more than ever, most teams look towards youth and new talent to add to their team. In this landscape, experienced riders are more valuable than ever in helping to guide and shape the current World Tour teams. Diego Ulissi, a World Tour rider since 2010, will stay in the peloton one more year.
Vinokourov happy with an experienced Ulissi in the team
“Diego is an incredibly experienced and strong rider who has a huge influence on how the team performs, both during races and outside of them," team manager Alexandr Vinokourov said in a press release.
Ulissi's stint in the sport began in 2010, turning pro with the Lampre team as a 20-year old. At that time, winning as a very young rider was not as easy as the current young stars make it seem, but Ulissi has done so every single season since he entered the top of the cycling world. He is the rider that has had the most consecutive years as a winner in the peloton.
In 2026 the Italian has not yet managed to take a pro win, but has come close on several occasions - most recently, coming third in a stage of the Giro d'Italia. But aside from what the veteran does on the bike, it is his work outside the bike that carries equal importance to the Kazakh team, that is based in Italy and currently has 10 of his compatriots alongside him.
"He is a true leader whom the younger riders naturally look up to. I’m delighted that he still has the motivation to compete at the highest level, because everything else is still there – his experience, race vision and ability to make the right decisions quickly, helping his teammates achieve victories. Diego is having a very strong season, and I hope he will continue at the same level next year”.
Diego Ulissi races in the World Tour since 2010
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Ulissi prolongs incredibly long and successful career
Ulissi is a rider whose career is marked by a suspension that took place in 2014 and 2015, but has nevertheless had a massive influence in the sport. An eight-time Giro d'Italia stage winner, Ulissi has 49 pro wins in his palmarès and this includes several major classics and also wins in non-World Tour stage-races. A talented classics rider, over the years he has also stood out with occasional strong performances in the mountains.
Nowadays, Ulissi is a road captain at Astana, guiding his teammates to victory often whilst also having some of his own opportunities. He was key in the team's pursuit of a World Tour license throughout the 2025 season and continues to be close to the Top100 when it comes to the UCI points rankings.
“I’m very happy to continue with XDS Astana Team because after these past eighteen months I can confidently say that I have found an incredible group of riders and staff who work exceptionally well together," Ulissi added.
"In every race I always try to give my maximum, and I will continue to do so next season, bringing my experience to help the team achieve even greater results. I would like to thank Alexandr Vinokurov, the team management and our sponsors for their trust and for giving me this new opportunity".
In 2027 Ulissi will continue to make his presence felt in the peloton, with Astana still yet to unveil its transfers for the upcoming season. "This season is not over yet, and we still have several important goals ahead of us. Then a new season will begin, and together with the team we will aim even higher," he concluded.
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.
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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)...
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- If you're referring to Blackmore he is 23 yo. Though i agree with the engineer, none of those names has made any noise to make anyone believe they will bolster the squad.Zone0Rider11-08-2026
- Yeah wouldnt surprise me now. I just remember they saying visma riders was good this tdf and getting most out of riders when half the team is just getting worse and worse? remember thinking what did they watch whichj i didnt. Crazy to think this site is actually visma and those other pundits. Make so much sense now thinking about it lol.miguel11-08-2026
- Demi Vollering is Dutch and she's their Goddess. In the future we will see an article that will look something like this: "I don't think it's too controversial to say that Demi Vollering is a much better cyclist than Tadej Pogačar. Much more interesting."PogiSloFans11-08-2026
- This is the right answer. Both great.mobk11-08-2026
- 9 years as one of the true elite cyclists and now a few as a “merely good” cyclistmobk11-08-2026
- let's hope not, doping infractions and all. Ah, the days when doping led to a time penalty and not being banned for a year or two or four.RidesHills11-08-2026
- I love them both, for very different reasons. It's nice that we have both without having to choose one. Though I have to say that it was odd there was an extra presentation model on the stage for the podiums, until it turned out it was director Marion Rousse.
MarkFour11-08-2026 - wow didnt know it was so close to amsterdam. yeah read it alooot across various things online that their visma pundits and seems like it in most their articles. Def feels like it like the team is catastrophe now but still no negative criticism for instance im sure they are now when you said this and so many ive seen saying everyone knew they was even. But not it makes even more sense. Imo easy to see aswell from the articles that their pro them yes! What a shame loolmiguel11-08-2026
- "partner" ...drinkwhkman11-08-2026
- "Sorry, I forgot to ask your name." Ha.RidesHills11-08-2026
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