Nicola Conci will remain with XDS Astana Team for the 2027 season after agreeing a one-year contract extension.
The 29-year-old Italian joined XDS Astana at the beginning of 2025 and has established himself as a regular support rider across the team’s Grand Tour and stage-race programmes. His new deal keeps him with the Kazakh WorldTour team for a third season.
Conci has spent much of 2026 working for others but has also made use of the opportunities handed to him, most notably at the Tour de l’Ain, where he finished third on the decisive stage and sixth overall.
“I am very happy to extend my contract for another season. I joined the team in 2025, when the real revival of the project began.”
Conci commits to the XDS Astana project
Conci was one of the riders recruited during XDS Astana’s extensive rebuild ahead of the 2025 season, joining after two-and-a-half years with Alpecin-Deceuninck.
The Italian has since become a dependable part of the team’s climbing group rather than occupying a fixed leadership role. He has been used to support the team’s main contenders in Grand Tours and WorldTour stage races, while still receiving occasional freedom when the circumstances suit him.
Conci believes the environment he found after joining was an important factor in deciding to stay.
“Everyone saw what this team was capable of, and I was happy to become part of this transformation and a new stage in its development. I immediately felt at home at XDS Astana Team.”
He added that the atmosphere within the squad had translated into better performances across the team.
“The atmosphere is truly amazing, both at races and training camps. This atmosphere translates into results. So I am happy to continue being part of this project, and I hope that together we can achieve many more big goals.”
Tour de l’Ain showed Conci still has his own opportunities
Conci’s sixth place at the Tour de l’Ain was one of his strongest individual results of the season.
He finished third on the key stage and remained close enough to complete the race sixth overall, showing that his role does not have to be confined entirely to working for team-mates.
He has also finished 11th at the Grand Prix Castellón and 14th overall at the Giro di Sardegna during 2026.
Those results are useful for a team that primarily values Conci for what he can do before the decisive part of a race. XDS Astana general manager Alexandr Vinokurov made that distinction clear when explaining the extension.
“The work of a domestique during races is not always visible on television, but it is extremely important and valuable for achieving the team’s goals.”
Vinokurov said Conci had settled quickly into the team’s structure after joining in 2025 and had demonstrated his reliability across two seasons.
“Over these two seasons he has proven himself to be a strong and loyal domestique both at Grand Tours and at other WorldTour and professional-calendar races.”
XDS Astana want continuity around their leaders
Retaining Conci gives XDS Astana an experienced rider who already understands how the team operates, particularly important as the squad makes further changes for 2027.
His ability to work on climbing-heavy days should remain his principal role. He can stay with leaders deep into difficult stages, cover moves earlier in the race and take responsibility when a team needs to manage a breakaway rather than simply wait for the final climb.
Vinokurov also expects there to be occasions when Conci is allowed to pursue a result himself.
“This year, he had several opportunities of his own, and, for example, at the Tour de l’Ain, Conci demonstrated that he can also achieve strong individual results.”
That balance should continue in 2027.
Conci does not need a large number of leadership days to make the extension worthwhile. His value comes from being able to perform the support role consistently while still offering another option when the team’s principal leaders are absent or the race develops unexpectedly.
XDS Astana continue shaping their 2027 squad
Conci’s extension comes as XDS Astana continue building a squad that mixes continuity with several significant additions.
The team has already confirmed that Andrea Bagioli will join XDS Astana from Lidl-Trek on a contract through 2028, adding another option for hilly Classics and selective stage finishes.
Anthony Turgis is also joining XDS Astana for 2027, strengthening a Classics group that has become another focus of the team’s recruitment.
Conci provides continuity alongside those new arrivals.
He already knows the riders, staff and racing structure and has spent the past two seasons working inside a team that has changed substantially since his arrival.
His extension has also been added to ProCyclingUK’s men’s cycling transfers hub, which is tracking the confirmed signings, departures, retirements and contract renewals shaping the 2027 peloton.
For XDS Astana, keeping Conci is less about adding another headline name and more about retaining one of the riders who makes the wider roster work. His Tour de l’Ain result showed he can still take an opportunity of his own, but his main task in 2027 will remain helping the team’s leaders reach theirs.
