“We won’t wait for Van der Poel or Pogačar”: Arjen Livyns dives in at Classics-focused XDS Astana

Livyns spent three seasons with Lotto, but moved on when the team merged with Intermarché-Wanty. “I didn’t have a running contract with Lotto,” he explains. “From the start, it was clear that if something nice came along, I could definitely consider it. After the spring, it was a pretty busy period with contracts and transfers. Keeping everything in mind, we made a decision. But it’s certainly true that the merger helped me make that decision.”

In the end, choosing XDS Astana made sense. “Especially if you look at how they raced last year — and the huge history of the team. That’s something I look for when I make a transfer, and it’s something I looked for earlier when I joined Lotto: I wanted a strong base, a team that’s been in the cycling world for years. Astana have been at the top for a long time; they know what they have to do.”

Still, the move immediately tested his ability to adapt. “I’ve spent my whole career only riding for Belgian and Dutch teams, so the working language was basically my mother tongue. Now I’m in an international team where English is spoken, but also a lot of Italian. And I didn’t know anyone among the riders: I arrived at the first team days and I maybe knew two guys,” he laughs. “That’s uncomfortable, but on camp it loosens up pretty quickly.”

At 31, Livyns is no longer one of the youngsters — but in a way, he is also a late bloomer. In 2025, he felt he reached his best level yet. “So far I’ve taken a step forward every year. I’m not the biggest talent or a serial winner, but this year I felt strong and the races went the way I wanted them to, especially in the Classics.”

That turned out to be valuable for Lotto too, because Arnaud De Lie missed a large part of the spring. “We thought Arnaud was the leader, and my job was to try to help him in the final — either to a win or a top result. Then Arnaud dropped out, and we had to try and get ourselves into the final with a couple of riders. We grabbed that free role and made the best of it. It was a blessing in disguise.”

The highlight for Livyns came at Gent–Wevelgem. After being sharp throughout the spring, he was the only rider still there when Mads Pedersen really opened up. The Lidl-Trek Dane was, understandably, too strong in the end — but it was a real moment of confirmation for Livyns, who showed he could be there when it mattered most.

“I had it in my head that from the second time over the Kemmelberg, I wanted to slide up with a small group and get ahead of the peloton,” he says. “On the Plugstreets (the gravel sectors), I accelerated, and then Pedersen came over the top from my wheel. Kooij and Philipsen literally dropped away, and I was the only one left with him. That was a nice moment — because it was also the eventual winner.”

On the next passage of the Kemmelberg, the former world champion set off on a 56-kilometre solo. Livyns couldn’t follow and eventually finished 42nd. A top result at the Tour of Flanders didn’t materialise either, but with eighth place at Dwars door Vlaanderen and 17th at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, he was often just a step behind the very top finishers.

That approach could be especially valuable at XDS Astana. “We don’t have one outspoken leader, so we’re not going to wait for a Van der Poel or Pogačar,” says the Belgian, who joins a Classics group featuring Mike Teunissen, Alberto Bettiol and Davide Ballerini, among others. “The key is to get as many guys as possible into the groups that are just ahead — or, later on, just behind.”

Last year, Alexandre Vinokourov’s team collected strong results by racing smart and aggressively, and that requires depth. “The more, the better, because then you can play more cards. It gives a feeling of strength — of having the upper hand. They’re all solid guys who’ve proven they can get results in the Classics. I don’t think it will be a disadvantage for me at all.”