Chinese bicycle manufacturing titan XDS has continued its expansion into the upper echelons of professional cycling, announcing a technical partnership with the UCI Women’s ProTeam Laboral Kutxa-Euskadi for the 2026 season. The deal, unveiled on Saturday at XDS headquarters in Shenzhen, marks the manufacturer’s first sponsorship of an elite women’s squad.
This move follows the brand’s significant entry into the men’s WorldTour via an ownership stake in the rebranded XDS Astana Team. While the Astana deal involved deep financial integration and naming rights, the arrangement with Laboral Kutxa-Euskadi is a technical supply partnership that will see the Basque outfit switch from Mendiz Bikes to the XDS premium 'X-LAB' marque.
The timing is significant for the Basque squad. Despite finishing the 2025 season with 12 victories – the most among ProTeams – and securing a top-15 UCI ranking, the team management opted not to apply for a WorldTour licence.
Image credit: XDS
As the UCI introduces a tougher financial line for 2026–2028, the team’s €1.8 million budget was deemed insufficient to absorb the 'skyrocketing' costs associated with the top tier. However, their sporting performance guarantees automatic wildcards to all 2026 Women’s WorldTour events, including the Tour de France Femmes, Giro d’Italia Donne and La Vuelta Femenina.
Global ambitions, local roots
For XDS, a company founded in 1995 with a production capacity of 10 million frames annually, the partnership bridges the gap between Asian manufacturing might and European racing heritage. Sports Manager Aitor Galdós and rider Usoa Ostolaza travelled to Shenzhen for the announcement, touring the facility to witness the vertical integration of the manufacturing process.
The team will compete aboard the X-LAB AD9, the brand’s flagship aero road bike which features a distinctively aggressive geometry. Constructed from Toray T1100G and M40X carbon fibre, the frame has a claimed weight of 850g for a medium size.
XDS makes bold claims regarding the chassis’s aerodynamic efficiency, citing wind tunnel data that suggests a 1.5-watt saving over the Canyon Aeroad CFR at 45km/h. The frame design features a 'sword' head tube and dropped seatstays intended to reduce drag by 7 per cent compared to the brand’s previous RS series.
Image credit: XDS
While the men’s XDS Astana Team team will utilise a dual strategy – employing the AD9 for flat stages and the lighter RT9 for mountains – Laboral Kutxa-Euskadi will use the AD9 as their primary machine for all terrains. This suggests a confidence in the frame’s mix of aerodynamics and low weight.
The squad is set to integrate the new equipment during their pre-season camp in Altea, Spain, which runs until 21 December.
Cover image credit: XDS
