As Cycling News Reports during the first week of the Tour de France said Chinese carbon manufacturer XDS Carbon-Tech had invested in the Astana Kazakhstan team, bringing a major Chinese sponsor to the men's WorldTour and marking “big changes” for the team.
Alexander Vinokourov will continue to play a key role in running the team, but the new team will likely be registered as a Chinese WorldTour team in 2025. This significant new investment will be used to hire several high-profile riders in order to aim for enough UCI ranking points to enable the team to maintain its WorldTour status in 2026, when the UCI will award new three-year WorldTour licenses.
The team will use X-Lab bikes from XDS.
“We have been searching eagerly for an investor who can take the team to a new stage of development and we are pleased that the XDS management fully shares our goals and vision for the future of the project,” Vinokourov said in confirming the investment in XDS on the second rest day of the Tour de France.
“During the negotiations we discussed many topics and our views on the development of the team were completely aligned. XDS is ready for long-term investments, which could include technical partnerships with new bike brands.”
“We understand that the team and the entire project will face big changes, but we are ready for them. We are very happy to be part of this project and look to the future with great enthusiasm.”
Astana Kazakhstan claimed that XDS is one of the world's largest bicycle manufacturers and the first professional manufacturer in mainland China to integrate design, research and development, production and sales of bicycle products.
Cycling News It is understood the Shenzhen-based company will be the team's major investor for at least five years, with the aim of taking Astana Kazakhstan's budget to “superteam” level and competing with the likes of UAE Team Emirates and Visma Riis-A-Bike.
The Chinese investment should enable Vinokourov to sign several big name riders for 2025, with Australian sprinter Cayden Groves, whose contract with Alpecin-Deceuninck is expiring, expected to be the first to sign.
Mark Cavendish will take on a consultant role with the team after he retires in 2024.
Cycling News Vinokourov is understood to have held important meetings with XDS representatives in Florence ahead of the Grand Depart of the Tour de France.
“Starting in 2022, we started looking for an opportunity to join the WorldTour. We were very fortunate to come across the Astana Kazakhstan team at the Shanghai Show this year. During our discussions, we became convinced that Astana is the team we wanted. For next season, XDS will be the team's strongest backup. We will ensure that the team has a sufficient budget and the best technical support,” XDS CEO Yangkong Tan said in an official Astana Kazakhstan release.
“Our management held negotiations with Astana Kazakhstan Team, the Kazakhstan WorldTour team, during the Tour de France, the most prestigious Grand Tour. As a result, we reached a mutual understanding and decided to cooperate.”
“The proposed agreement provides for long-term investment over a period of at least five years and funding at the level of major WorldTour teams.”
China has 15 continental-level teams and hosts numerous UCI races, including the end-of-season men's and women's WorldTour race, the Tour of Guangxi. There are several Chinese riders who have competed at the top level, and XDS' inclusion should help young Chinese riders get a shot at competing in Europe.
The investment in XDS comes just weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping said China and Kazakhstan have “established a unique and enduring comprehensive partnership” and after Xi was invited to the Col du Tourmalet by French President Emmanuel Macron, who presented him with the Tour de France yellow jersey.
