Mathieu Warnier, Media365, published on Friday January 3, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.
Chinese rider Haoyu Su has officially signed for the next two seasons with the XDS-Astana team and will replace Gleb Syritsa, relegated to the development squad, in the squad.
The squad of the XDS-Astana team is finally complete. Gleb Syritsa having been relegated to the development team last week, the place left vacant by the Russian was officially filled this Friday, as announced in a press release published on the official website of the Kazakh team. While the Chinese group XDS has invested heavily in the team this winter to become its main partner, which also involves the supply of bikes bearing its X-Lab brand, it is a local rider who will occupy this 30th and last place in the squad placed under the orders of Alexandre Vinokourov. After having proven himself in Chinese teams, notably China Glory-Mentech in 2024, Haoyu Su will take the plunge towards the World Tour within the XDS Astana team from 2025 on the basis of a two-year contract. The 24-year-old rider will thus be the first to represent his country in the elite of men's professional cycling since Meiyin Wang, who played for the Bahrain-Merida team between 2017 and 2019.
Su: “This is a huge step forward”
“Joining the XDS-Astana team and bringing China back to the World Tour is a great honor for me. This is a huge step forward and I am grateful for this unique opportunity,” Haoyu Su said in a statement. A lot of work lies ahead and I aim to gain experience during European races. I will do my best to represent China at the highest level and contribute to the team's goals in every race I participate in. » For Alexandre Vinokourov, “the arrival in the World Tour of a new rider from China was only a matter of time”. “With the arrival of the XDS group as a major investor, it is logical that China returns to the global professional scene through our team,” adds the former Olympic road cycling champion. Haoyu Su is a young rider and he needs to have experience racing at the highest level but he has potential and, above all, the desire to progress. » While the XDS-Astana team will launch its 2025 season during the Tour Down Under, the program of events in which Haoyu Su will participate has not yet been defined. However, Alexandre Vinokourov assured that he will be a support element “on important races in Asia and Europe”.
