The Astana cycling team delivered one of the most impressive turnarounds of the season, transforming a difficult 2024 into a triumphant 2025 WorldTour comeback. With the threat of relegation looming, Astana entered the new season with a precise strategy built around race selection, UCI points accumulation, and smarter deployment of its riders. The result was a campaign that not only restored confidence but also firmly placed the Astana team back among the elite.
Astana’s Strong Opening to the 2025 Season
From the early season, the Astana cycling team made its intentions clear. Aaron Gate’s second-place finish at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race set the tone for what would become a year built on tactical consistency. While Astana did not dominate the biggest classics, the squad claimed several strategically important victories that contributed heavily to its UCI ranking and season momentum.
Christian Scaroni’s win at Classic Var gave Astana a spring boost. Max Kanter added victory at the Lotto Famenne Ardenne Classic, while Diego Ulissi secured a strong performance with his Giro dell’Appennino triumph. Scaroni continued his excellent form with another win at Giro dell’Emilia Romagna later in the year.
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Even though Astana did not flood the podium in Monument-level classics, key results like Alberto Bettiol’s third place at GP de Québec and Simone Velasco’s fourth place in Liège–Bastogne–Liège provided crucial UCI points for the team’s revival.
Astana’s Stage Race Dominance and UCI Points Strategy
The core of the Astana team’s 2025 success came from a refined focus on second-tier stage races — a move designed to maximise UCI points. The results were remarkable and showcased Astana’s sharp strategic planning.
Astana claimed overall victories in:
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Tour of Taihu Lake
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Tour of Magnificent Qinghai
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Boucles de la Mayenne
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Tour of Hungary
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Tour of Turkey
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Tour of Hellas
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Tour des Alpes-Maritimes
These stage races brought ten individual stage wins. Additional victories came from the Tour de Langkawi (four wins) and the Tour of Hainan (two). Lorenzo Fortunato added a prestigious WorldTour stage victory at the Tour de Romandie, strengthening Astana’s growing dominance.
The Astana cycling team finished the season with 32 total wins — nearly triple its tally from 2024 — and accumulated more than 16,700 UCI points, placing it among the highest-scoring teams of the year.
Astana’s Breakthrough Moment at the Giro d’Italia
The defining moment of the Astana 2025 season came in the Giro d’Italia’s Stage 16. Christian Scaroni and Lorenzo Fortunato produced a brilliant one-two finish. Fortunato, who later captured the mountains classification, allowed Scaroni to take the stage win — a gesture that underlined the unity and discipline that drove Astana’s resurgence.
It was a performance that symbolised the team’s revived energy, ambition, and tactical intelligence.
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Transfers and the Road to 2026
The Astana cycling team approached the 2025–2026 transfer period with stability in mind. With much of its core already under contract, the team focused on impactful reinforcements.
New signings include:
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Arjen Livyns (Lotto)
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Cristián Rodríguez (Arkéa–B&B Hotels)
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Marco Schrettl (Tirol KTM)
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Gleb Syritsa (from Astana Development Team)
Departures include: Cees Bol, Wout Poels, Anthon Charmig, Michele Gazzoli, Fausto Masnada, and retirees Nicolas Vinokourov and Ide Schelling.
What’s Next for Astana in 2026
Astana enters 2026 with a balanced mix of experienced leaders — including Fortunato, Bettiol, Velasco, and Livyns — and rising young talents such as Darren van Bekkum, Harold Martín López, Matteo Malucelli, and the promising Marco Schrettl.
With its WorldTour licence secured, a successful strategy executed, and a performance rating of 7.8 for the year, the Astana cycling team has re-established itself as a formidable presence in pro cycling. The 2025 season marks a powerful comeback — and sets the stage for even greater ambitions in 2026.
