XDS Astana Team bolsters squad with Spanish rider Berrade

In the 2026 season, Berrade recorded a series of strong results. He finished second on a stage of the Vuelta a España, took third place in the road race of the Spanish National Championships, and finished third at the one-day race Clàssica Terres de l’Ebre.

Other notable results included fourth place overall at the Giro di Sardegna, sixth in the general classification of the Baku-Khankendi Azerbaijan Cycling Tour and eighth at the Tour de l’Occitanie.

Among the Spanish rider’s most significant career achievements are a stage victory at the Vuelta a España in 2024 and a win at the one-day race Clàssica Camp de Morvedre in 2025.

“I am very happy to take a step forward and join the WorldTour with a team like XDS Astana Team. This is a huge opportunity for me, and I would like to thank the team management for giving me this chance. I will do my best to repay their trust with my results. Next year, my main goal will be to gain experience and learn from my teammates, coaches, and sports directors, so that I can become stronger and more confident step by step. I am 100% ready to help the team wherever needed and do everything I can to achieve our important goals. Of course, I will also try to seize every opportunity to show what I can do,” said Urko Berrade.

“We followed Urko’s season with great interest. He performed at a high level throughout the year and rode a very strong Vuelta a España, where he came just short of securing the second stage victory of his career. He is a strong climber who can help us fill one of the positions that have become available in the team. We still need to fully assess Berrade’s potential and see how he performs in different roles, but I believe he has everything needed to become a solid WorldTour-level professional,” said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of XDS Astana Team.

Earlier, experienced Kazakh rider Anton Kuzmin extended his contract with XDS Astana Team for one more season, through 2027.