XDS commits to Astana sponsorship until 2028
Chinese bike manufacturer XDS will continue its naming rights sponsorship of the XDS Astana team until 2028, a team press release has announced.
XDS entered the pro peloton at the start of the season as a largely unknown quality – one of the biggest bike manufacturers in the world, but with most of its output for other brands. In the XDS Astana team, there was opportunity to provide exposure for the company's top-tier X-Lab brand of bikes – and despite question marks over the team's ability to avoid relegation, this season has provided a bounty of success, both in major races and by targeting points in less hotly-contested events. The team has 21 wins and 42 podiums in 2025, making it the fourth most successful squad of the season to date.
"The first half of the season has shown the team's high level and the success of our partnership," said Tan Yancong, XDS's CEO. "We are pleased with the results and are happy to announce our continued support for the next three years. The team has ambitious goals, and we are confident we will achieve them together.”
The sponsorship was initially touted as a long-term commitment of 5-10 years, so it's not entirely clear whether this is merely a re-articulation of the commitment or the arrival of new terms – but either way, it underlines XDS Astana's improbable escape from UCI points purgatory.
