XDS Astana Development Team

The XDS Astana Development Team is a Kazakhstani UCI Continental cycling team established in 2022. The team acts as the development program for UCI WorldTeam XDS Astana Team.^[1]

XDS Astana Development Team

Team information
UCI code	AQD
Registered	Kazakhstan
Founded	2022
Discipline(s)	Road
Status	UCI Continental
Key personnel
General manager	Serguei Yakovlev Alexandre Vinokourov
Team manager(s)	Alexandr Shushemoin Alexandre Shefer Claudio Cucinotta Giacomo Notari Giuseppe Martinelli Orlando Maini
Team name history
2022–2024 Astana Qazaqstan Development Team 2025– XDS Astana Development Team

For the 2022 season the team focused on two goals; To provide a gateway for Kazakh cyclists to reach a higher level and to have a team that will be competitive as a UCI Continental team.^[2] With the same goals going into the 2023 season the team focused more on Kazakhstan growth with six riders from Kazakhstan and the rest from around the world.^[3]

The first win that was not a national championship came in 2023 at the Tour of Sakarya where Astana Qazaqstan Team rider won while riding for the development team.^[4] A rule introduced in 2020 allows riders from the development team to race with the Main team in select races and it allows Main team riders to race with the development team.^[5]

In September 2024 Ilkhan Dostiyev was suspended and had his contract terminated after admitting to using a banned substance following an anti-doping rule violation in July 2024.^[6]

Team roster

As of 30 June 2025.^[7]

Rider Date of birth  Luca Attolini (ITA) (2006-10-16) 16 October 2006 (age 18)  Pierre-Henry Basset (FRA) (2004-03-29) 29 March 2004 (age 21)  Alessio Delle Vedove (ITA) (2004-02-11) 11 February 2004 (age 21)  Artem Fofonov (FRA) (2005-01-08) 8 January 2005 (age 20)  Lev Gonov (RUS) (2000-01-06) 6 January 2000 (age 25)  Daniil Marukhin (KAZ) (1999-02-13) 13 February 1999 (age 26)  Ludovico Maria Mellano (ITA) (2006-08-23) 23 August 2006 (age 18)  Mattia Negrente (ITA) (2005-05-28) 28 May 2005 (age 20)

Rider Date of birth  Ivan Smirnov (RUS) (1999-01-14) 14 January 1999 (age 26)  Gleb Syritsa (RUS) (2000-04-14) 14 April 2000 (age 25)  Santiago Umba (COL) (2002-11-20) 20 November 2002 (age 22)  Alexandre Vinokurov (KAZ) (2002-07-07) 7 July 2002 (age 23)  Gustav Wang (DEN) (2003-03-13) 13 March 2003 (age 22)  Ruslan Yelyubayev (KAZ) (2002-06-28) 28 June 2002 (age 23)  Simone Zanini (ITA) (2004-03-26) 26 March 2004 (age 21)  David Zanutta (ITA) (2006-01-05) 5 January 2006 (age 19)

Major wins

2022

 Kazakhstan National Under-23 Time Trial, Daniil Pronskiy

 Kazakhstan National Under-23 Road Race, Nicolas Vinokurov

2023

Overall Tour of Sakarya, Martin Laas

Stage 2, Martin Laas

Asian Under-23 Time Trial, Andrey Remkhe

 Kazakhstan National Under-23 Time Trial, Maxim Taraski

 Kazakhstan National Under-23 Road Race, Nicolas Vinokurov

Stages 1b & 5 Tour of Bulgaria, Michele Gazzoli

2024

Stages 2 & 3 International Tour of Rhodes, Alessandro Romele

GP Goriška & Vipava Valley, Mattia Negrente

Stage 2 Belgrade–Banja Luka, Davide Toneatti

Stages 1 (ITT) & 7 Tour of Japan, Max Walker

Stage 5 Tour of Japan, Nicolas Vinokurov

 Kazakhstan National Under-23 Time Trial, Andrey Remkhe

Stage 2b (ITT) Sibiu Cycling Tour, Max Walker

Stage 1 Giro della Valle d'Aosta, Ilkhan Dostiyev

Overall Tour of Szeklerland, Lev Gonov

Prologue, Lev Gonov

Overall Tour of Romania, Davide Toneatti

Stage 2, Rudolf Remkhi

Stage 4, Ivan Smirnov

2025

Stage 1 Visit South Aegean Islands, Mattia Negrente

Overall International Tour of Rhodes, Pierre-Henry Basset

Prologue, Gleb Syritsa

Stage 3, Pierre-Henry Basset

Popolarissima, Ivan Smirnov

Stage 3 Ronde de l'Isard, Ludovico Maria Mellano

National & continental champions

2022

Kazakhstani Under-23 Time Trial, Daniil Pronskiy

Kazakhstani Under-23 Road Race, Nicolas Vinokurov

2023

Asian Under-23 Time Trial, Andrey Remkhe

Kazakhstani Under-23 Time Trial, Maxim Taraskin

Kazakhstani Under-23 Road Race, Nicolas Vinokurov

2024

Kazakhstani Under-23 Time Trial, Andrey Remkhe