Astana undergoes bold transformation: Mystery bikes, new name... And Cavendish declines management role

Starting in 2025, Astana Qazaqstan will operate under the name XDS Astana. Alexandre Vinokourov's team has partnered with the Chinese bike brand XDS, which brings substantial financial backing and will also supply the team's equipment.

The team’s website provides further details about the collaboration with Chinese company XDS. "This historic move solidifies the brand’s ambitions to expand its footprint in the global cycling community," the statement reads. "XDS becomes a major strategic partner of the Astana team, one of the most storied names in professional cycling. With XDS’s investment, the Astana team will benefit from the brand’s advanced engineering capabilities, cutting-edge bicycle technology, and strong financial backing."

XDS, short for Shenzhen Xidesheng Bicycle Co. Pty Ltd., will replace Italian brand Wilier, which had been Astana’s bike supplier for the past five years. The team will ride XDS’s premium line, called X-LAB. On Friday, alongside the announcement of the new team name and partnership, the team also unveiled its new bike. The X-LAB AD9, an aerodynamic model, features the team’s colors integrated into the frame — a sleek design that has been well-received. The new kit was also showcased earlier.

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Astana Qazaqstan Team

@AstanaQazTeam

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🚲 NEW BIKE Meet X-Lab AD9, XDS Astana Team new bike for 2025 season! #XDSAstanaTeam #XLabBike

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Cavendish not joining XDS Astana management

The team’s transformation is complete with the departure of Mark Cavendish. The British cycling legend retired from professional racing at the end of this year, and while it wasn’t ruled out that he might take on a management role with the team where he spent the final years of his career. In the meantime, however, journalist Daniel Benson has confirmed that Cavendish will not remain involved with his former team. Cavendish did play a role in recruiting new staff members, including Mark Renshaw, Alex Dowsett, and Peter Kennaugh. But his involvement ends there, signaling that the Manx Missile appears to be fully and truly retiring.

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