The only Italian success in the Tour of Oman's general classification dates back to 2016 with Vincenzo Nibali, while Diego Ulissi was the last Italian to win a stage in 2023. This year, Team Xds Astana arrived in Omani territory with an aggressive formation that on paper is the number one rival of UAE Team Emirates, led by defending champion Adam Yates. Christian Scaroni is the team's most in-form rider, having already won in Spain and fresh from a fourth place obtained just yesterday at the Muscat Classic. He can count on valid teammates like Diego Ulissi, Alberto Bettiol, and Lorenzo Fortunato, who in the most difficult stages, such as the third and fifth, could truly make a difference.

2025 was one of the best seasons in the Bologna native's career, having won a stage in Romandie, the blue jersey at the Giro, but above all finding consistency in his performance. Unfortunately, the finale went in the opposite direction of what he expected, an underestimated ailment during the Vuelta made his last month truly complicated. "My season finale was anything but simple, after the first week of the Vuelta I started having problems and could no longer find the right pedal stroke. The team gave me a long rest period, I practically stopped for two months and I need to race as much as possible. In Spain, I had some good sensations and I'm happy to have helped Scaroni win. In recent days, we've tried some breaks and I believe that here in Oman there's an opportunity to do well with the entire team. We are a well-equipped and very strong group, ready to fight," explains Lorenzo, who with the team chose to come to Oman for the first time precisely to put kilometers in his legs.

The team's objective is clear: XDS Astana wants to win not just a stage, but the general classification. Lorenzo tells us this without mincing words, and just looking at the names of the riders fielded confirms this. The Kazakh team's approach is aggressive, determined, and leaves nothing to chance. It's a way of racing that all athletes adopted in the past season when, faced with the risk of not obtaining a World Tour license, they understood they had to do something. "Exactly a year ago, we found ourselves managing the points problem, not just as athletes but the entire staff rolled up their sleeves to try to do their best, we couldn't be relegated. In the team, we had two important additions, first Alberto Bettiol and then Diego Ulissi, who brought their experience to the group and made us understand our potential," Fortunato continued. "We had become a bit complacent, we went to races but weren't determined to win, just satisfied, which was the wrong approach. Among the Italians, we are a very united group, we challenge each other to achieve the best result, and this is truly benefiting everyone."

In a stimulating environment, especially among the Italians, Lorenzo has rediscovered himself. Now he's no longer the "guy who won on the Zoncolan" as some used to call him, but an athlete who knows what he wants and, above all, has learned to know himself. Lorenzo feels comfortable on challenging climbs, can make a difference in short stage races, while in grand tours he prefers to be aggressive and focus only on stages, not the overall classification. To aim for a good result would mean losing his identity, being stubborn about something that isn't currently in his wheelhouse. Among his plans for 2026 is to confirm himself as the determined and decisive rider of the previous season and in the future to wear the blue jersey again as happened in September in Rwanda.

Formally, Lorenzo is in Oman to support the team, but on the last day of the race, there will be the Green Mountain climb, which is very suitable to his characteristics. If he's feeling good, he'll definitely want to try. Meanwhile, step by step, he's trying to regain his form. After the race, he'll go to altitude training, then he'll be at the start of the Volta Ciclista Catalunya. Only then will he decide with the team which stage race to focus on. His dream is to return to the Giro, especially to tackle the home stage, but the Tour de France and Vuelta are also calling loudly.