Alexandr Vinokurov presents jersey to Pope Leo XIV
Kazakhstan's Alexandr Vinokurov, Olympic champion and General Manager of XDS Astana Team, presented the team jersey to Pope Leo XIV, the team's press service reports.
In response, the head of the Vatican City State congratulated the team on its impressive performance at the Giro d’Italia and wished the riders further victories and new achievements.
The first Grand Tour of the season, the Giro d’Italia, concluded yesterday, May 31, in Rome, becoming one of the most successful editions in recent years for XDS Astana Team. The team claimed three stage victories and also managed to wear the famous pink jersey – the main symbol of the Giro – during the race.
“The team worked really hard to perform strongly at the Giro d’Italia and represent Kazakhstan with dignity at one of the biggest cycling races in the world. Receiving such wishes at such a high international level is a great honor and additional motivation to keep moving forward and achieve new victories,” said Alexandr Vinokurov.
It is symbolic that the congratulations came at the very moment when the Giro d’Italia, one of the three biggest cycling races in the world alongside the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, was coming to an end in Rome.
Following the Giro d’Italia, where XDS Astana Team scored 1565 points, the Kazakh team maintained its 5th position in the UCI World Team Ranking, having collected 8318.71 points over the first five months of the season.
It is also worth highlighting the achievements of the project’s Continental team – XDS Astana Development Team (where 50% of the riders represent Kazakhstan). In the 2026 season, the team has already achieved 5 victories and 5 podium finishes, currently holding third place in the UCI Continental Team Ranking and leading among the development squads of WorldTour teams. With 891.1 points, XDS Astana Development Team is more than 300 points ahead of its closest rival — UAE Team Emirates Gen Z.
The impressive season of XDS Astana Team and XDS Astana Development Team continues to strengthen the position of the Kazakh project in the world of professional cycling and contributes to promoting Kazakhstan’s image on the international sporting stage.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Alexandr Vinokurov rode La Vuelta's opening stage with the Prince of Monaco.