After a season developing his form with the XDS Astana Development Team, Russian sprinter Gleb Syritsa will step back up to the WorldTour level in 2026, rejoining the main XDS Astana Team.
The 25-year-old was temporarily moved to the development squad for 2025, as the Kazakh outfit focused on securing its WorldTour licence and optimising UCI points. Despite the change, Syritsa remained a key figure within the organisation, splitting his racing calendar between the Continental and WorldTour teams while gaining valuable experience.
Throughout 2025, Syritsa impressed with both his teamwork and personal results. He supported sprinters Max Kanter and Matteo Malucelli in several major races while also achieving strong individual performances. His highlight came with victory in the Tour of Rhodes prologue, along with podium finishes on stages of the Tour of Hellas and Czech Tour, and a series of top-10 results in one-day races.
“I think the season was very productive for me,” Syritsa reflected. “Most of my races were with the WorldTour team, helping the sprinters in the finals and working to set up our leaders for good results. That was the plan, and I’m happy I could contribute to several wins and podiums. At the same time, I had opportunities for my own results with both teams, which helped me develop further. I’m really glad to be returning to the main team next year, and I’ll keep giving everything to help achieve our goals.”
Team general manager Alexandr Vinokurov praised Syritsa’s growth and consistency. “Over the past season, Gleb has made great progress in teamwork and his understanding of race dynamics,” he said. “He’s become an important part of our sprint structure, and his partnership with Max Kanter worked very well this year. Next season, his presence in the WorldTour squad will strengthen our sprint group and give us more tactical options.”
Syritsa, a former Lokosphinx rider, first joined Astana as a trainee in 2022 and quickly made his mark with a series of wins in the Tour de Langkawi, establishing himself as a powerful finisher and dependable lead-out man.
With six professional victories already to his name, including stages at the Tour de Langkawi, Tour of Rhodes, and Circuito del Porto, Syritsa now returns to cycling’s top level with renewed confidence and a clear objective: to help deliver more wins for XDS Astana in 2026 while continuing to refine his own sprinting potential.
