Andrea Bagioli transfers to XDS-Astana in 2027 on a two-year deal, marking another move by Alexandr Vinokurov's outfit as part of a productive rebuild for next season. The versatile 27-year-old spent three years at Lidl-Trek.
XDS-Astana's transfer activity began with the mid-season signing of Victor Langelotti from Netcompany Ineos. The Monegasque rider jumped into action for the Kazakh team at the Tour of Poland and the Vuelta a España, though he was forced to withdraw from that race on stage 9 due to injuries sustained in a crash.
Bagioli's signing follows hot on the heels of Anthony Turgis moving from TotalEnergies, demonstrating Vinokurov's intention to add experience and depth to his squad in the Classics department in particular.
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“As soon as I learned about XDS Astana Team’s interest and received the offer, I immediately felt that this would be the right choice for me. This is a project I have always followed with interest, and now the opportunity to become part of it really inspires me," Bagioli said.
"I know many of my future teammates well, and I have always heard very positive things from them. I think I will be able to quickly integrate into the team and show what I can do over these two seasons. My main goal is to fight for victory whenever the opportunity arises, while also helping the team achieve its important objectives.”
The Italian's time at Lidl-Trek has been somewhat disappointing, by contrast with his exploits at the QuickStep organisation prior to his transfer. Bagioli struggled to make an impact at Lidl-Trek, recording just one victory - a stage at this year's Tour of Austria in July. It was the first win for the Italian at the team, ending a period of almost three years without victory.
His four years at QuickStep yielded seven wins including one at WorldTour level - a stage of the Volta Catalunya in 2022 - and he will hope to return to his best level in the colours of Astana.
General Manager Vinokurov said he has followed the Italian's career for a long time. Now, the 27-year-old Italian is under contract with XDS-Astana through the end of 2028.
"Andrea started his professional career at a young age, quickly making his mark and achieving a number of impressive results. I believe that at XDS Astana Team, Bagioli will have the opportunity to fulfill his full potential.
"Our team performs well in one-day races, which is one of our priority areas, and adding Andrea Bagioli should help us improve our results even further. In addition, he has extensive experience racing Grand Tours, which is always an important factor for us."
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