Christian Scaroni had his major breakthrough at the highest level this year. The Italian was the key points scorer for XDS Astana and thus helped the Kazakh team avoid relegation. As a sign of appreciation, his contract has now been extended until the end of 2028.
Scaroni's contract initially ran for one more year until the end of 2026, but the 28-year-old Italian will now ride at least three more seasons for Alexander Vinokourov’s squad. Scaroni had a successful and memorable 2025. He secured five victories (including a stage in the Giro d'Italia), ten podium finishes, and amassed a total of 2,399 points in the UCI World Ranking.
Thanks to Scaroni’s many UCI points, XDS Astana managed the near-impossible by avoiding relegation from the WorldTour. "Christian grew into a true team leader last season. He started the year strong and delivered high-level results throughout the season," sums up team manager Vinokourov.
Christian Scaroni| Year | Team |
|---|---|
| 2028 | |
| 2027 | |
| 2026 | |
| 2025 | |
| 2024 |
"Over the past few years, he has steadily developed, and a breakthrough was only a matter of time. This year, everything came together. Christian’s maturity and experience aligned perfectly with the overall changes within the team, as well as the motivation and ambition of the entire project. That’s why I’m happy that, despite an existing contract, we’ve reached a new agreement."
Scaroni celebrates his Giro victory with teammate Lorenzo Fortunato - photo: fotopersburo Cor Vos
"This year was unforgettable, and I still can't quite grasp how much progress I made in 2025," Scaroni says enthusiastically. "My stage win in the Giro d'Italia still feels like a dream. At the same time, the season was filled with other victories and podiums, as well as important results like my fourth place at the European Championships and eighth in the Clásica San Sebastián."
"At XDS Astana, I feel at home – this is my team – and I’m happy to continue for two more seasons with the squad. There’s still a lot of work ahead to tick off both the new goals of the team and my personal ambitions," he adds with strong determination.
