Status: UCI WorldTour team that successfully secured its place after a strong 2025 built on heavy points scoring.
Shift in strategy (2026): Moving away from “points-chasing” toward racing for wins and higher-level results.
Performance (early 2026):
Multiple wins already, including Tour of Oman GC (Christian Scaroni) and stages at Paris–Nice.
Strong stage racers like Harold Tejada and Max Kanter delivering results in WorldTour races.
Around 6+ wins early season, placing them among the better-performing teams so far.
Rider profile:
Balanced roster with climbers, puncheurs, and sprinters—key names include Christian Scaroni, Sergio Higuita, Lorenzo Fortunato, Alberto Bettiol, Matteo Malucelli.
Identity in 2026:
A revitalized, opportunistic team—no longer just accumulating points, but targeting stage wins, smaller stage races, and selective big results.
In one sentence:
Astana XDS in 2026 is a competitive, win-focused WorldTour team transitioning from survival mode to genuine race-winning ambitions.
