Victor Langellotti has left Netcompany-Ineos with immediate effect to join XDS-Astana, completing a rare mid-season transfer that was confirmed on Saturday. The 31-year-old Monegasque rider, the current national champion of Monaco in both the road race and the time trial, will race for the Kazakh WorldTeam for the remainder of the 2026 season and throughout 2027 after signing an 18-month contract.
The switch was made possible by the UCI rule introduced in 2024 that permits riders to transfer between teams in the first two weeks of August when both teams and the rider reach a three-party agreement. Langellotti's contract with the British outfit was due to run until the end of 2026, but the two clubs and the rider agreed on an immediate release.
The Monegasque climber will make his debut in his new colours at the Tour de Pologne next week, and he hopes to line up for a third Vuelta a España with the team, with the 2026 edition starting near his home in Monaco.
"I’m incredibly excited to join XDS Astana Team and begin a new chapter in my career," Langellotti said in the team's announcement. "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."
The move also carries special personal meaning for the rider, who recalled walking alongside Astana during the official presentation of the 2009 Tour de France, which started in Monaco when he was a young rider from a local cycling school. "This move also has a special personal meaning. Back in 2009, when the Tour de France started in Monaco and young riders from local cycling schools accompanied the teams during the official presentation, I had the chance to walk alongside Astana, the team of my favorite rider at the time, Alberto Contador. Now, 17 years later, I’m becoming part of this team as a professional rider. It’s incredible how everything has come full circle."
Langellotti began his career with the long-running amateur team U.C. Monaco before turning professional with Spanish side Burgos-BH in 2018. He joined Netcompany-Ineos last season, winning a stage at the Tour de Pologne and finishing fifth overall, and he also took second place overall at the Tour of Norway. Earlier in his career he claimed stage wins at the Volta a Portugal and the Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye.
His arrival pushes XDS-Astana beyond the UCI maximum squad size of 31 riders. Cycling journalist Daniel Benson has reported that the team have offloaded young Italian rider Florian Kajamini to ProTeam MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort, and the Kazakh squad have also signed Greek sprinter Nikiforos Arvanitou as a stagiaire for the rest of the season.
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