Italian Diego Ulissi renews with XDS Astana for one more season

Veteran Italian cyclist Diego Ulissi will continue racing for the XDS Astana Team in the 2027 season, the Kazakh squad confirmed in a statement. Ulissi, a multiple stage winner at the Giro d'Italia, expressed his satisfaction with the renewal, highlighting the strong team environment he has found.

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I am very happy to continue, because, after the last 18 months, I can say with confidence that I have found an incredible group of riders and staff who work exceptionally well together. In every race I try to give my maximum and I will continue to do so next season, bringing my experience to help the team achieve even better results.

"I am very happy to continue, because, after the last 18 months, I can say with confidence that I have found an incredible group of riders and staff who work exceptionally well together. In every race I try to give my maximum and I will continue to do so next season, bringing my experience to help the team achieve even better results," Ulissi told his team. The 37-year-old joined Astana at the start of the 2025 season from UAE Team Emirates. He was a key rider in securing the Kazakh team's category survival and maintaining their World Tour status.

During the 2026 season, Ulissi competed in races such as Milan-Turin, the Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Giro d'Italia, and the Tour of Poland. In the latter, he served as a domestique for his compatriot Christian Scaroni, who finished seventh overall. The team acknowledged Ulissi's significant contribution, stating, "Thanks to his experience and exceptional race awareness, he has become one of the team's key captains, directing tactics from within the race. In addition to his work for his teammates, he continues to achieve strong individual results."

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Thanks to his experience and exceptional race awareness, he has become one of the team's key captains, directing tactics from within the race. In addition to his work for his teammates, he continues to achieve strong individual results.

In 2025, Ulissi secured victories in the Giro dell'Appennino and the points jersey at the Tour of Greece. He also achieved podium finishes in stages of the Settimana Coppi e Bartali, the Tour of Greece, the Giro d'Italia, and the Veneto Classic. Team boss Alexander Vinokurov lauded Ulissi's impact, saying, "Diego is an incredibly experienced and strong cyclist who has a great influence on how the team performs, in race and out of it. He is a true leader whom the younger riders look up to. I am delighted that he still has the motivation to compete at the highest level. I hope he continues at the same level next year."

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Diego is an incredibly experienced and strong cyclist who has a great influence on how the team performs, in race and out of it. He is a true leader whom the younger riders look up to. I am delighted that he still has the motivation to compete at the highest level. I hope he continues at the same level next year.