XDS-Astana name an attacking squad for the Vuelta a España: 'If Tadej attacks, I’ll go the other way'

XDS-Astana is the sixth team to finalize its roster for the Vuelta a España, which begins Saturday in Monaco. The team from Kazakhstan will start the third Grand Tour of the year with its only local rider—Victor Langelotti—and will field a well-balanced squad that has many ambitions in Spain.

In addition to Langelotti and Van Bekkum, riders such as Lorenzo Fortunato, Cristian Rodriguez, and Harold Tejada stand out for their climbing ability, while Yevgeniy Fedorov and Alessandro Romele occasionally like to get involved in a sprint. Henok Mulubhran rounds out the team.

Fortunato and team manager Mario Manzoni spoke with Tuttobici about the team’s ambitions. Fortunato won the mountains jersey in last year’s Giro and would like to do the same in this year’s Vuelta. “My goals are to win at least one stage and to stand on the podium in Granada wearing the mountains jersey,” he said.

He’ll be aiming for that right from the early breakaway, partly because of Tadej Pogačar’s presence. “If Tadej attacks, I’ll go the other way.” Fortunato, who finished in the top ten at the Tour de Romandie and the Vuelta a Burgos this year, has set his sights on the fourth stage in Andorra, among others.

"I have my sights set on the fourth stage, which finishes in Andorra-la-Vella. It's a place that brings me luck: last year, I finished third in Andorra. This year, we'll be climbing from a different side, but it's still ideal for me."

Team Manager Manzoni discusses the team’s other goals. “It would be fantastic to win a stage and the mountains classification with Lorenzo. Tejada, riding as a free agent, will be going for stage wins. Our man for the top spots in the general classification is Rodriguez. As for the general classification, we’ll of course assess the situation after the first ten stages to determine our strategy for the decisive days,” he says.

Yevgeniy Fedorov
Lorenzo Fortunato
Victor Langellotti
Henok Mulubrhan
Alessandro Romele
Cristián Rodríguez
Harold Tejada
Darren Van Bekkum