XDS Astana Team DS talks racing without Mark Cavendish and World Tour survival: "Everything takes place in a sort of vicious circle"

XDS Astana’s director sportive Dario Cataldo recently spoke with Wielerflits about the team’s ambitions for 2025, a pivotal season as they begin life without Mark Cavendish and fight to secure their World Tour license. Despite the challenge ahead, their campaign is off to an impressive start.

With UAE Team Emirates – XRG leading the UCI WorldTour rankings at 3563.72 points, XDS Astana currently sits in second place with 2266.66 points, ahead of Movistar Team in third. More importantly, they have already built a 1000-point gap over their relegation rivals Cofidis, giving them a strong foundation in their battle to remain at the top level.

Cataldo acknowledged that the team has undergone significant restructuring, as Astana’s struggles in recent years forced them to rethink their approach.

“As often happens in sport, everything takes place in a sort of vicious circle,” he explained. “There are periods in which you are at the top as a team, but also periods in which other teams rise to prominence.

“At Astana, it was felt that something was missing for years, and even the team itself realized that it needed big changes to get back to the top. They started doing it last year. The big goal for 2024 was the historic stage victory at the Tour de France with Mark Cavendish. The first innovations were implemented in this context. But then it became clear that much more was needed to reach our level again in 2025.”

The rebuilding process has been a long-term effort, as the team worked to identify key weaknesses and implement solutions.

“The research took a long time,” continued the 39-year-old. “It wasn’t always easy to understand what exactly was missing. And how to fill those gaps. Plus, you can’t achieve something like this in two days. It’s a combination of good riders, good staff members and good materials that ensures a motivated group. Good results are achieved when all these pillars come together.”

One of the most significant changes for Astana this year is the arrival of Chinese bicycle manufacturer XDS as the team’s new title sponsor. Cataldo explained the motivation behind the deal and how it is shaping the team’s future.

“They are the main bicycle manufacturer in China. Until now, they only sold bicycles in China. Their idea was to spread their brand to the rest of the world. That's why they chose our team to develop their project. They have a lot of experience in building high-end frames and the results they were able to present to us were already very good.

“But they also have a lot of ideas to continue improving and innovating. They have already put forward proposals to make the bikes even better, and I hear positive feedback from the riders.”

The sponsorship also provides a financial boost, giving Astana more resources to compete at the top level. However, Cataldo emphasised the importance of balancing financial backing with performance quality.

“That’s part of the deal. But the team has thought about it carefully. If a bike supplier gives you a lot of money but produces low-quality bikes, you know you’re going to lose a lot and the results won’t follow you. Conversely, if you get a great bike but don’t have the money, there’s no budget to attract good riders and build a good team. It’s always about finding the right balance, and we’ve found that with XDS.”

Despite Astana’s identity as a Kazakh-backed team, Cataldo acknowledged that the squad has had to prioritise competitiveness over nationality in its recruitment strategy.

“The team continues to work hard to allow Kazakh talents to blossom, but this takes time. It is not something that can be forced. Having said that, we have always been an international team. I know that a large part of the rider pool has always been Kazakh, but for this season we had to make choices to have the best riders in the scene.

“We opted for riders who have shown they can be consistent throughout the season. There were also very good riders who can only reach their peak in a few races a season, but we ignored them. We have all guys who can get a lot of points in all the one-day races and short stage races. They know what they have to do, we have a good core.”

With relegation pressure looming, Astana has strategically planned its race calendar to maximise its chances of staying in the WorldTour.

“We still believe in it. Not only do we have good riders, but we have also made some smart choices in the calendar. In any case, there is a good strategy, but it is mainly focused on this year. If next year we are no longer in the WorldTour, will it be a disaster? There are still great teams that are no longer WorldTeams, but they can still participate in all the big races. Of course, you can lose some races, but you can continue to race at a high level.”