Is this the Chinese 2025 Astana Qazaqstan team bike?

X-Lab AD9 bike to be used by Astana Qazaqstan
(Image credit: XDS/ X-Lab)

Astana Qazaqstan will be parting ways with Wilier as bike sponsor in 2025, as new Chinese investors XDS Carbon-Tech will be using the team as a vehicle to promote its bike brand X-Lab which the team are soon to begin using.

The likely bikes of choice will be X-Lab's AD9 aero bike and lightweight RS9, both of which showcase a move into the high-end of WorldTour performance bikes for the Chinese brand.

Peter Stuart
Editor

Peter Stuart has been the editor of Cyclingnews since March 2022, overseeing editorial output across all of Cyclingnews' digital touchpoints.

Before joining Cyclingnews, Peter was the digital editor of Rouleur magazine. Starting life as a freelance feature writer, with bylines in The Times and The Telegraph, he first entered cycling journalism in 2012, joining Cyclist magazine as staff writer. Peter has a background as an international rower, representing Great Britain at Under-23 level and at the Junior Rowing World Championships.