Monegasque rider Victor Langellotti has left Netcompany-Ineos with immediate effect, making a rare mid-season switch to XDS-Astana.
The 31-year-old climber will make his debut in his new jersey at the Tour de Pologne next week, and hopes to race his third Vuelta a España with the team, with the 2026 edition starting near his home in Monaco. He has signed a contract that will run to the end of the 2027 season.
The UCI implemented a new ruling in 2024 allowing riders to transfer between teams in the first two weeks of August if there is a three-party agreement between both teams and the rider. Usually this also includes a transfer fee being paid by the new team to the rider's previous employer.
“I’m incredibly excited to join XDS-Astana Team and begin a new chapter in my career. A mid-season transfer is a huge opportunity for me, and I’m very grateful to the team for the trust they have placed in me,” said Langellotti in a team press release.
Langellotti's is the latest in a series of mid-year deals. The Kazakh team were also the beneficiaries of Tour of Flanders winner Alberto Bettiol’s transfer from EF Education-EasyPost in 2024. Charlotte Kool also made a move from Picnic-PostNL over to Fenix-Deceuninck last year, but this kind of move remains uncommon.
Langellotti’s signing pushes XDS-Astana over the maximum squad size of 31. Cycling journalist Daniel Benson has reported that the team have offloaded young Italian rider Florian Kajamini to ProTeam MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort. XDS-Astana have also signed Greek sprinter Nikoforos Arvanitou as a stagiaire for the rest of the season.
The current national champion of Monaco in both the road race and time-trial, titles he won despite being the only Monegasque rider in the field (the Monaco national championships take place alongside Spain’s), Langellotti began his cycling career with the long-running amateur team U.C Monaco before turning professional with Spanish team Burgos-BH in 2018.
He joined Netcompany-Ineos last season, racing the Vuelta a España and winning a stage at the Tour de Pologne.
“XDS-Astana Team has a rich and successful history, strong ambitions and a truly professional structure. I want to contribute to the team’s success, whether that means working for my teammates or taking my own opportunities when they come,” Langellotti said.
“I’m convinced this is the right place for me to continue not only my career but also my development as a professional cyclist, and I’m highly motivated to repay the team’s confidence with hard work and strong results.”
The team’s General Manager Alexandre Vinokurov, who has been resident in Monaco for two decades, added: ”We had the opportunity to strengthen our roster, and Victor Langellotti fits perfectly into our plans for both the second half of this season and next year. We reached a full agreement with both the rider and his team, Netcompany-Ineos, making this mid-season transfer possible.”
“There are still several busy months of racing ahead this season, so Victor will have the chance not only to settle into the team but also to fight for results straight away. In just two days he will start the UCI WorldTour Tour de Pologne, where he performed very well last year. And we won’t hide the fact that we are also considering Victor for our Vuelta a España lineup.”
