He's not saying a move would definitely be a good thing, but former Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis has argued that the recently confirmed backing of Danish sponsor Netcompany for the Ineos Grenadiers team might offer a great opportunity for Jonas Vingegaard to join a new squad and that he should at least give it some thought.

Earlier this week, it was announced that the Danish IT company would be a new backer of the British team, with the squad officially to be rebranded as Netcompany-Ineos as soon as the Giro d'Italia in May.

Netcompany has been estimated to be planning to spend around €100 million over a five-year period on the team for their new project.

That figure has not been confirmed, though, and it is not yet fully clear whether there might also be any kind of reduction in Ineos' current financial contribution to the squad as a result, either. Asked directly about this at the new sponsor launch, Director of Racing Geraint Thomas answered regarding Ineos that: "They're still the owners. They're still 100% committed, and I think it's just gonna be a great partnership between everyone."

Even so, the former Tour de France winner and team owner, Riis told BT that he believed Vingegaard – a Dane like himself –might possibly benefit from transferring from his current squad, Visma-Lease a Bike, to the rebranded team.

Asked if Visma should be nervous about the arrival of a powerful new Danish sponsor into the sport, Riis answered, "I would think so.

"It would be unambitious of Jonas if he didn't look into that. I'm not saying he should change, but he should think about it."

For all Riis' argument that the 29-year-old Dane might want to weigh up moving on from his current team, there has never been any real indication up to now that he might do so or that Vingegaard is in any way dissatisfied with his lifelong WorldTour team.

In 2023, Vingegaard extended his contract with Visma-Lease a Bike until the end of 2028. It has been his only WorldTour team since he joined cycling's top league in 2019, after two years with the Continental ColoQuick squad.

Yet for all the Dane has taken two Tours de France and a Vuelta a España, as well as a string of week-long WorldTour events, in the process establishing himself as one of the best stage racers of all time, Riis is seemingly convinced that at least mulling over the possibility of a change would do Vingegaard no harm.

"Right now, it would be a dream team for Jonas. The best team he could get into if he was going to threaten [Tadej] Pogačar," he told BT.

"I definitely see a match. Visma probably won't be happy to hear that, but there's no doubt about it. This new team has the people, resources and experience it needs."

Still known as Ineos Grenadiers, the British squad has given no indication about what it will do in the future regarding signings, although any large injection of extra funding would inevitably give rise to speculation about potential new riders, along with multiple other possible investments.

Team Principal Dave Brailsford has said, however, of the partnership with Netcompany that "Ultimately, it’s about creating the conditions to win the Tour de France.

Ineos Grenadiers currently are planning to build their main GC bid for the 2026 Tour around Oscar Onley, signed from Picnic PostNL at the end of 2025 after finishing fourth overall last July - behind Pogačar, Vingegaard and Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).

Meanwhile, Vingegaard is currently building for his debut in the Giro d'Italia, where Visma-Lease a Bike are defending champions with now-retired racer Simon Yates. Later this summer, the Danish star will return to the Tour de France to try and win it for a third time in five years.

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It's seemingly never too early for the transfer rumour mill to begin churning out a few possible signings for next season, with Het Laaste Nieuws reporting that British allrounder Ben Turner may be quitting Ineos Grenadiers to strengthen Soudal-QuickStep's Classics line-up in 2027.

A notably versatile rider, Turner, 25, raced all of the major cobbled Classics this Spring from Omloop Het Nieuwsblad onwards, returning to Paris-Roubaix after suffering a spectacular crash in In Flanders Fields, which he later compared to doing a boxing round with Mike Tyson.

Part of Ineos Grenadiers since 2022, Turner has had ten participations across Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix to date. However, his biggest success so far was when, as a last-minute addition to the Ineos Vuelta a España squad, he was the fastest in the peloton on a very hilly stage of the race last year. Earlier last summer, he also secured another bunch sprint victory in a crash-marred, undulating stage of the Tour de Pologne.

Soudal-Quick Step are in the process of overhauling their cobbled Classics line-up following the departure of Remco Evenepoel, most notably scoring a victory in Scheldeprijs with Tim Merlier – back from injury – and a third place in Paris-Roubaix with Jasper Stuyven.

According to HLN, Turner will reportedly be one of their main new assets for that plan in 2027.

In further big changes at Soudal, British time trial specialist Ethan Hayter and veteran Grand Tour specialist Mikel Landa are both likely to leave at the end of 2026.

Dwarfing those changes in a Belgian WorldTour team, though, could be if Lotto-Intermarché's top sprinter Arnaud De Lie could, as HLN reports is possible, move on for 2027. Both Tudor and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe are in the market.

Following the departure of Biniam Girmay from Intermarché – prior to its fusion with Lotto – last winter, if confirmed, this would be the second major fastman to move on from the Belgian WorldTour squad in as many years.

In another important development, again, if confirmed, French Classics specialist Christophe Laporte is set to remain in Visma-Lease a Bike in 2027.

Critical to Wout van Aert's success and fifth himself in Paris-Roubaix on Sunday, according to the newspaper, the Belgian himself highlighted the quality of Laporte's contribution to Visma's Classics lineup, and Laporte now will most likely stay with the team beyond 2026.

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While much of the media attention at the opening stage of the 2026 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana will logically be on Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), another top up-and-coming Belgian racer will quietly be making his debut for new team Movistar in the same five-day event.

Cian Uijtdebroeks, 22, has had his fair share of the spotlight regarding team switches over the last three years, following his early contract terminations first to leave Bora-Hansgrohe for Visma-Lease a Bike and then again to move onto Movistar.

However, as he told Het Laatste Nieuws prior to his first event in Valencia, he's now much happier with a more relaxed attitude to racing with the Spanish WorldTour squad.

After what was – for him, though not for other riders – a less relaxed approach at Visma-Lease a Bike, Uijtdebroeks also expressed strong ambitions for his Tour de France debut this summer, where he'll be battling, he said, for a top ten placing overall. At Valencia, meanwhile, his ambitions are much more modest.

"I can definitely lose another three kilos," he told Het Laatste Nieuws. "We didn't want to go too fast. This race [Valencia] is very punchy and not a main goal for me.

"I can lose a bit more for Paris-Nice, and especially for the Basque Country, which is my first goal and important for our team.

"This will be a test leading up to the Tour, where I'm aiming for a top ten finish. Many of the riders here also ride the Tour. We want to forge the team here and test out the time trial."

Uijtdebroeks said that he had not raced on a time trial bike since Tirreno-Adriatico last year, but that while Visma were very data-driven and, in terms of training, were "the most precise team in the world," he'd personally missed out on his time trialling practice at Visma.

The young Belgian also claimed to Het Laatste Nieuws that he felt he had not had much chance to provide much input into his training programs at the Dutch squad. Putting it all together, as well as with what Movistar had to offer, he felt it was time to move on.

In terms of approaches to racing, Uijtdebroeks argued that the atmosphere was more relaxed. For example, when it came to riders weighing their food intake at dinner – now a standard practice in many top World Tour teams – he said, "There are also scales on the table, but you're free to use them. On Tuesday afternoon, five of the seven riders used them, and I even saw a few enjoying pastries.

"If you want to live a very strict lifestyle, as I do, you can. I'm in daily contact with the nutritionist. If you look at my teammate Enric Mas, he's not the widest in the peloton."

Comparisons with Evenepoel are pretty much de rigeur for top Belgian stage racers, and Uitjebroeks said that in time trialling, he felt he had at least reduced the gap on the rider widely rated as the best specialist in that area in the world.

"I've already lost three minutes to Remco, but now it shouldn't be more than a minute," he said, referring to Thursday's individual time trial. "I have a new bike position and 'bespoke' handlebars. I feel at home in my training here."

Asked why he felt Movistar was a better choice for him after two years at Bora and Visma, respectively, he said, "Because I've already seen both extremes. You can't compare today's Red Bull to Bora in 2023. That team is more Visma-like now.

"I need a more relaxed team, where I can create a professional environment for myself and get my chances. Of course, things will still go wrong. That happened with Primož Roglič when he moved to Bora. That's not a problem; what matters is that I'm in a different position here than where I was last year."

Clara Koppenburg is swapping road racing for gravel this season after becoming Tudor Pro Cycling's first woman rider.

The German has raced on the road for Bigla, WNT-Rotor, Paule Ka, Rally, Cofidis, and EF Education-Oatly since turning professional back in 2015, but she'll switch surfaces in the 2026 season.

Koppenburg, 30, has the 2019 Setmana Ciclista Valenciana as the main achievement on her road racing palmarès, but has explored gravel racing more and more. The latter part of the 2025 season saw her take on several events, finishing fifth at the UCI Gravel World Series in Girona and sixth at the Gravel Burn stage race in South Africa.

Tudor said that the results "lit the fire for her new passion", and she'll now join men's rider Jan Stöckli on the Swiss team's gravel racing squad.

"I'm happy and feel privileged to pursue my newly discovered passion for gravel racing at Tudor Pro Cycling," Koppenburg said upon signing the deal.

"At the first training camp in December, the whole team welcomed me warmly and fully supported me. During the past season, with quite a few ups and downs in road cycling, I felt I needed a change and a new challenge.

"After signing up for a gravel race, I realised how much energy and happiness it brought me, leading me to shift my focus and begin a new chapter in my cycling career. I look forward to starting the race season.

"I will test myself at the most challenging Gravel events and proudly represent the Tudor shield in off-road racing. I am committed to making the most of this opportunity, inspiring and leaving my mark in gravel racing."

Koppenburg and Stöckli are set to make their Tudor gravel debuts on February 14 at the two-day Santa Vall race in Spain. Their main targets for the season will come at The Traka and Unbound Gravel in May.

"Welcoming Clara Koppenburg to Tudor Pro Cycling marks a proud moment for us," said Tudor Pro Cycling CEO and co-owner Raphael Meyer.

"We are thrilled to have secured a promising Gravel rider and to broaden our roster with such an inspiring individual. Clara embodies our core values and, as our first female rider, enhances the diversity of athletes at Tudor Pro Cycling."

Former Soudal-QuickStep team boss Patrick Lefevere has revealed that he contacted Juan Ayuso while he was still a UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider as a potential replacement if Remco Evenepoel left during his time in charge, which ended at the end of 2024.

Lefevere started making moves in the GC rider market after continued interest poured in for Evenepoel from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe owner Ralph Denk, who eventually managed to lure the Belgian away one year before his Soudal-QuickStep contract expired this past summer.

There's not been much love lost for Lefevere whenever he speaks about Denk, admitting several times how he dislikes the German team boss, and that grudge has lingered even past him stepping down from everyday involvement in the sport.

"I sold Remco's project to Soudal for five years. And then, after three years, the trouble started," said Lefevere in a recent extensive interview on La Dernière Heure Les Sports' Radio Peloton podcast.

"Denk offered Remco a contract. Since then, it hasn't stopped. I even filed a complaint with the UCI. Because there's a regulation that says all three parties must agree for a rider to break their contract. I hate him. There was a rule, and he ignored it."

Lefevere also suggested how the UCI were "afraid" to take action against Denk due to his team's financial backing, saying: "In case of a lawsuit, Red Bull has unlimited financial resources that would bankrupt the UCI."

With that in mind, it was the rising Spanish GC rider whom Lefevere had in mind as his contingency plan in the early 2020s, but by 2022, Ayuso had already locked up his future until 2028 – until the issues of last year arose and he departed for Lidl-Trek.

Lefevere said he protected his and the team's interests by "being one step ahead. That's why a few years ago I contacted Juan Ayuso's father in case Remco were to leave. But the rider was under contract and we didn't go any further."

He admitted that he still speaks with Evenepoel, who kicked off his Red Bull career with a bang in Mallorca, taking a hat-trick of wins with his new team, and commented further on his decision to leave early.

"Yes and no," he said, to the question of whether he understood the change. "I can understand that you're fed up with your surroundings. And well, I can also hear that, if you're ambitious, you might think the grass is greener elsewhere. I just hope Remco doesn't ask to come back in two years."

Despite his recent bouts with illness in the autumn, which Lefevere didn't hide the severity of in his words, admitting that "I thought I was going to die. Twice, I told my wife that it was all over for me," he still had a keen opinion on Evenepoel and taking on Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG).

While noting how it will, of course, be a "great challenge" for Evenepoel to dethrone the Slovenian, he has high hopes for his former superstar and is well in the belief that the world champion isn't invincible.

"I'm certainly looking forward to seeing them both at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The Tour de France? That's something else entirely. For Remco, having had optimal winter preparation is crucial. Every time he's done that, he's had a great season afterwards," said Lefevere, who called for more cooperation against the UAE rider.

"I'm convinced that Pogačar is beatable. For me, Pogačar isn't killing cycling. What's negative is the lack of coordination among the other teams to try and stop him from winning.

"If I had been in the team car at the 2024 World Championships in Zurich, the Slovenian would never have become world champion. I would have gone to see the national selectors from other countries, and we would have organized ourselves to ride as a team. That's the only way to beat such a champion."

French national gravel champion Axelle Dubau-Prévot will ride for EF Education-Oatly in 2026, adding top-level road racing to her schedule after a rapid rise in the off-road ranks.

Dubau-Prévot, 29, has long mixed the disciplines and ridden for lower-level road teams in the past before taking a break from the sport, but her arrival at EF comes after she found her groove in gravel and had a hugely successful 2025 in the discipline.

The Frenchwoman won two rounds of the UCI Gravel World Series, podiumed at two others, and came second at the Traka 360, before four stages and the overall at Gravel Burn. Her performances were enough to catch the attention of WorldTour teams and allow her to make a return to the road for 2026.

"This is my dream team," she said in a team press release. "They think outside of the box at EF Education-Oatly. It’s the only team where I can see myself because I don’t have a traditional cycling background. I want to be serious and also to keep the joy and the fun in racing."

She will continue to race both gravel and road with the American team, which mixes its WorldTour programs with various off-road and alternative racing calendars, such as Lachlan Morton's adventure programme, or the cyclo-cross team built around Mattia Agostinacchio. Adding a female off-road rider was a goal for EF manager Esra Tromp.

"We were looking for a rider who could be competitive in gravel as well as be an asset with our road team, so Axelle is a great fit," Tromp said.

"On the road, she’s something of an all-rounder, and on gravel, she has the endurance for stage races and the speed to go for one-day races. Axelle’s background isn’t that of a typical cyclist, and I like that.

"I think it gives her a healthy perspective on racing and on life. knowing that she has chosen to step away from the sport at times. This kind of maturity says a lot about her character.”

Dubau-Prévot says her goals for 2026 will include defending her French gravel title, a return to the Traka, and developing as a teammate on the road.

When it comes to road racing, it's no surprise that the Frenchwoman is hoping to start at the Tour de France Femmes in the coming season, particularly after seeing her sister Pauline Ferrand-Prévot win the yellow jersey in 2025.

"When I heard a few years ago that the Tour was coming back, I was out of the cycling world, and I felt a bit sad to think that I would never take part in it," she said. "I’m French, and if someone asks me what I do and I say I’m a cyclist, they immediately ask if I race the Tour de France. It’s the reference.

"Now, after watching the race and seeing that EF Education-Oatly really wants to do something big at the Tour, I would love to make the Tour squad one year."

The news of Simon Yates' sudden retirement announcement sent shock waves across the sport, especially in Spain, where many riders were gathered in training camps.

Everyone is focused on preparing for the new season, with new goals and new motivation, so Yates' announcement was a bolt from the blue. Yet it also touched a nerve with riders about the intensity, stress and demands of the sport.

Tudor Pro Cycling were holding their media day, with riders speaking about their ambitions and plans for 2026, when the Visma-Lease a Bike rider released his message on Wednesday afternoon.

Matteo Trentin raced alongside Yates at Mitchelton-Scott when Yates won the 2018 Vuelta a España. The Italian is now 36 and still hungry to race but praised Yates for his bravery to decide to retire.

"You have to be brave to quit. He's decided to stop and he's done it with a mic drop. Boom! He's gone out on top, as a Giro winner. Chapeau," Trentin told Cyclingnews.

"I'm surprised but not too much. Modern cycling has become super stressful, especially if you ride for the GC in stage races and Grand Tours like Simon did. He could never have a 'day off' and then there's more training camps, more specific work and more pressure.

"Perhaps he's just had enough of all the stress… He won the Vuelta and he won last year's Giro. He won a stage at the Tour and won a Tour with Pogačar. He has little else to achieve.

"I don't think he woke up and suddenly decided to quit today. I imagined it had been on his mind for a while and had been eating away at him."

Larry Warbasse didn't know about Yates' retirement when he sat down to talk to Cyclingnews outside the Tudor team hotel in Moraira on the central Costa Blancas coast. The US rider is 35 and like Yates has been a professional for over a decade.

But he has no thoughts of retirement himself and has a new two-year contract with Tudor. He was shocked to hear about Yates' sudden announcement.

"Are you kidding? That's insane!" was Warbasse's immediate reaction. "It's not like he was slowing down, he won the Giro!"

Warbasse also highlighted the stress of modern-day professional cycling.

"I can understand him," Warbasse said. "When we turned pro, the sport was a lot more balanced in general. You didn't have to be as crazy about everything. Not everyone can handle that, especially the riders who turned pro when I did, back in 2012.

"I imagine that at Visma it's a step higher, for the level of dedication and precision they aim for. Of course, if you can do it, it's super rewarding but not everyone is capable of being that switched on for always.

"That's perhaps what led Simon to call it a day. I'm happy for him if he is happy but it's sad for the sport to lose a great rider so suddenly."

Cyclingnews will cover all of the 2026 cycling transfers from around the men's and women's pelotons with news, analysis, and an updated transfer index, to make sure you don't miss a thing this transfer season.

The numbers of WorldTour riders without a contract for 2026 has shrunk by one as NSN Cycling announced the signing of Dion Smith, formerly with Intermarché-Wanty, on a one-year contract. The team also brought Israeli Rotem Tene up from the organisation's development squad.

Despite having a valid contract with his former team, the 32-year-old New Zealander was left on the job market after the Lotto-Intermarché merger.

"To have this late opportunity to sign for NSN Cycling Team this season feels very natural as the team has always seemed like a great fit for myself," Smith said in the team's press release.

"Being surrounded by familiar faces and guys I train with a lot creates an environment I feel very motivated to be a part of. 2026 will now be key for me to show I still belong in the WorldTour, being a valuable asset to race leaders within the team."

Smith, who narrowly escaped being taken down by a goat in a notable incident in last year's Giro d'Italia, won't start with the team until February 2, 2026, following Simon Clarke's retirement after the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on February 1.

"We are pleased to welcome Dion Smith to the team and happy to have made space for him ahead of the 2026 racing season," NSN Cycling Team General Manager Kjell Carlström said.

"At the same time, we have wanted to bring Rotem Tene up from the Development Team, a promotion he well and truly deserves, and it made sense for him [Smith] to take Simon Clarke's spot in the team following his retirement at the end of the Australian racing block.

"Dion brings a wealth of experience after a decade in the pro peloton and will add depth to our one-day and stage race rosters, playing a key role as a support rider. While Rotem has repeatedly shown his strength as a sprinter in the five years he has raced for the Development Team and we are excited to see him develop further over the next two years.

"Dion's experience and Rotem's long-term potential perfectly complement our strategy as we continue to build a competitive and cohesive roster for the coming seasons."

There are approximately 21 WorldTour riders from last season and 28 from ProTeams who either have not announced a team for 2026 or a contract renewal. The most notable riders who might still be on the market include Hugh Carthy, Chris Froome, and Ruben Guerreiro.

Cyclingnews will cover all of the 2026 cycling transfers from around the men's and women's pelotons with news, analysis, and an updated transfer index, to make sure you don't miss a thing this transfer season.

After terminating his contract with Israel-Premier Tech over 'personal beliefs', Derek Gee-West has finally found a team for 2026 and joined Lidl-Trek on a three-year deal.

Gee-West completes Lidl-Trek's roster as their 30th rider and sixth new signing. The Canadian will make up part of their GC core, alongside the likes of fellow new signing for 2026, Juan Ayuso, and Mattias Skjelmose.

"It’s pretty special to be joining Lidl-Trek," said Gee-West. "From the outside, you can already see that this is an organisation operating very close to the gold standard in our sport, and that was something that really appealed to me.

"The ambition, the structure, and the depth of talent across the Team are impressive, and it feels like the right environment for the next phase of my career.

"I’m really looking forward to racing with shared ambitions and multiple options within the team. Lidl-Trek have world-class riders across so many areas of the sport, and being part of a group where we can play different cards in stage races and Grand Tours is something new for me. I’m excited to learn from that, to keep developing as a GC rider, and to see what we can achieve together over the coming years."

The Canadian rider ended his contract with Israel-Premier Tech, which was due to run until 2028, before the Vuelta early in August. In an initial statement, he cited how "Certain issues simply made my continuation at the team untenable."

He then clarified further that "it followed an irreparable relationship with the team principal, as well as serious concerns related to racing for the team, both from a safety and personal-belief standpoint that weighed heavily on my conscience."

Israel-Premier Tech were the subject of several protests throughout the 2025 season, as Israel's armed conflict in Gaza continued. But they reached their peak during the Vuelta, where several stages were modified, and the finale in Madrid was cancelled as pro-Palestine protesters dramatically heightened their challenge to the team's participation.

Speaking in October, after the team claimed his contract remained valid and questioned Gee-West's decision, sending the case to the UCI's arbitral board, the Canadian revealed he was facing approximately €30 million in a damages claim.

Gee-West said not having a confirmed place for 2026 was a risk worth taking when it came to his decision, stressing how money had nothing to do with his termination, and how the way things played out legally only vindicated his actions.

"Leaving has meant the risk of having no team or protection if I get injured without a contract," he said.

"It is a risk I was – and am still willing – to take, as I was simply unable to continue racing for the team."

With his signing to the German super-team now confirmed, his former team – who have now rebranded away from their Israeli identity as NSN Cycling Team after an acquisition by NSN and Stoneweg – confirmed that an agreement to end his contract was finalised between the three parties and approved by the UCI. In a statement, NSN wished Gee-West the best with his new team.

In Gee-West, Lidl-Trek have secured one of the fastest developing stars of the sport. The 28-year-old Canadian has improved his consistency during 2025 with a top-four GC finish in all four stage races he competed in and victory in the Canadian National Championships road race, his final appearance in a competitive event before the contract termination saga began.

"Bringing Derek on board is a big boost for us," said Luca Guercilena, Lidl-Trek General Manager.

"Over the last three years, he has shown an incredibly high level in stage races, and we’re sure we haven’t even seen his limit yet. Derek will have the full support of our performance resources to fully realise his potential. As a team, we have big goals across the entire season, and recruiting Derek brings us one step closer to achieving them."

The impact of an overcrowded transfer market, late major moves and team uncertainty is continuing into the new year, with late transfers being announced in January, the latest being Louis Barré signing for Visma-Lease a Bike.

French puncheur Barré is a victim of the Lotto Intermarché merger, which has seen several riders out of contract late in the season. Despite being one of Intermarché-Wanty's best performers in 2025, Barré wasn't brought over to the newly merged team, and seemingly had some delay finding a new home, with his arrival at Visma only announced on Thursday, January 1.

The Frenchman isn't the only Intermarché rider to have his fate confirmed late on, with former teammate Kobe Goossens also announcing his retirement on Thursday at only 29.

Late moves in January aren't unheard of, but the market chaos in 2025 – with mergers and promotion/relegation meaning there were many more riders than spots available – has shifted the transfer period forward, with things still shaking out in the new year.

Moves for riders like Oscar Onley came later than expected as decisions were only made right at the end of December, and we still don't have confirmation on the destination of riders like Derek Gee-West. Uncertainty around big riders also trickles down to other riders, as teams don't know what budget they will have.

Despite what may have been a nerve-wracking late move, Barré will arrive at Visma as an added Classics and stage-winning option who will thrive in the hilly Classics. In 2025, he impressed with top 10s on stages at the Critérium du Dauphiné and Tour de Romandie, and sixth at the stacked French National Championships. He has signed a contract through to the end of 2028.

"The team’s story and the plans they have really convinced me," the 25-year-old said. "Team Visma–Lease a Bike is one of the best teams in the world, and I believe that with the support and structure here I can make significant progress. The team is innovative in every area: nutrition, equipment, training camps, and more. I want to challenge myself, and I think this is where I can become the best version of myself."

The team's head of racing Grischa Niermann added: "Louis caught our eye during the tougher one-day races. He achieved some great results there, and he also showed himself in the Dauphiné. He is still relatively young and has good potential for growth. We believe he can continue to develop within our team and see him as a strong addition to our lineup for the demanding hilly classics."

Barré's arrival brings Visma's roster up to 29 riders, so there is scope to sign one more rider for 2026, though they only had 29 riders in 2025, so the roster may be complete.

Though we're into January now and the racing season begins in a matter of days, the results of a chaotic 2025 transfer market will continue to rumble on into the new year, with more contract situations still to be resolved, and more retirements possible as riders give up their searches for new jobs.

Gravel and mountain bike star Keegan Swenson will ride for Specialized Off-Road in 2026, 2027 and 2028, moving from Santa Cruz to the team that will boast several big stars next year.

Swenson, 31, is a multiple-time US champion in mountain bike as well as reigning marathon world champion, and a winner of Unbound Gravel 200, SBT GRVL, and three-time overall Life Time Grand Prix victor.

He is one of off-road racing's most decorated stars and a figurehead of American cycling and beyond.

The Utah native has ridden for Santa Cruz Bicycles since 2021, but will make the move to Specialized for 2026 on a three-year contract, the brand announced on Tuesday.

"Keegan brings extensive experience and consistent top-level performances across some of the sport’s most demanding courses, including a UCI World Championship title in Marathon MTB, a win at Unbound, and multiple course records at Leadville 100 mtb," a press release from Specialized reads.

"Known for his bike handling, race intelligence, and consistent top results, Keegan aligns closely with Specialized’s performance-driven philosophy."

"Together, we hope to achieve big goals at the highest level," Fiona Swartz, Global Sports Marketing Manager for Specialized said.

"With this strategic team, innovative product from Specialized and all of our team partners–I’m excited to see what’s to come in 2026."

Swenson also expressed his excitement, writing on Instagram that "2026 with [Specialized] is going to be an absolute heater".

"Specialized is always looking forward to create the best and most innovative equipment on the market," he said in the brand's press release. "For us athletes ,all these small gains can add up to big ones awfully quick and can mean the difference between winning and losing."

Specialized have not confirmed the full line-up for their off-road outfit in 2026 yet, promising "a balanced roster of returning athletes, and more new signings". But Swenson will join what is already one of the sport's strongest squads.

The US rider will line up alongside women's gravel's dominant force Sofía Gómez Villafañe, multiple-time Cape Epic champion Matt Beers and five-time world champion Annika Langvad.

The exact role of teams in gravel has been hotly debated, especially in 2025. But Specialized Off-Road are certainly approaching super team status by adding one of the sport's biggest stars to their already stacked line-up.

Rising French cyclo-cross star Amandine Fouquenet will ride for Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw in 2026 after a late battle for a contract, moving to one of the sport's top teams after an impressive season so far.

Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw team manager Jurgen Mettepenningen confirmed the news to Sporza over the weekend in Dendermonde, where Fouquenet finished third.

Victim of the collapse of the Arkéa-B&B Hotels team, Fouquenet was simultaneously having a breakthrough season and fighting to find a home for 2026 over the festive period of racing, after announcing in October that she didn't have a contract lined up.

Following podiums in the first two rounds of the World Cup, she took the biggest win of her career at the Superprestige in Heusden-Zolder on December 23, backed up with second at the World Cup in Gavere on Boxing Day.

Even after Gavere, she said in her post-race interview that she did not yet have a contract, adding "I certainly hope [recent results] strengthens the teams' confidence in choosing me".

Clearly her efforts and successes have not gone unnoticed, though, and after a lengthy wait, she has a home at Pauwels Sauzen in 2026. She'll swap jerseys after the New Year – possibly debuting for the Belgian team at the GP Sven Nys on January 1 – and will ride alongside the likes of Michael Vanthourenout, Eli Iserbyt and Leonie Bentveld.

"We believe in her," Mettepenningen told Sporza. "She's motivated and even wants to move to Flanders for six months a year to race here.

"She has a lot of potential; we just need to work on her technique. But I think we can write a great story with her."

Though it took until the final weekend of December for Fouquenet to sign a contract, it wasn't for lack of interest, Mettepenningen said, with his team winning a battle to secure her signature.

"Many teams had their eyes on her," he said. "But we absolutely needed someone to compete alongside Leonie Bentveld week after week at the top of women's cyclo-cross."

Bentveld, the team's other top female cyclo-cross rider, rides on the road with AG Insurance-Soudal during the summer, and Pauwels Sauzen said they are "looking into whether that's also possible" for Fouquenet.

As well as being good news for Fouquenet, the arrival of the French rider offers a big boost to the Belgian team, who are currently without their star rider Eli Iserbyt who is dealing with a long-term iliac artery problem.

The 28-year-old, who used to battle with riders like Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Pidcock, is yet to start his 2025/26 campaign, and it's unlikely he will race at all this winter, with no return or even improvement in sight.

Mettepingen said "there's little change in Eli's situation", and many have speculated that early retirement could even be on the cards.

"Let's hope Eli finds the courage to make the miracle happen and that everything works out. But it's going to be a difficult story."

Scottish rider Oscar Onley has signed for Ineos Grenadiers for 2026, prematurely ending his contract with Picnic PostNL in a very late season move.

Onley was under contract with Picnic PostNL until the end of 2027 – though, notably, his contract was not publicly extended or renegotiated after his success this year – but under current UCI rules, mid-contract moves can take place if both parties and the UCI agree. Such moves often involve a buy-out fee.

"I grew up watching Geraint, Dave and the team dominate the sport and put cycling on the map in the UK, so I am really proud to be joining the Grenadiers on a long-term deal, which will also mean racing for a British team when the Tour de France departs from Scotland in 2027," Onley said in the Ineos announcement.

"I want to thank Team Picnic PostNL for all their support, I'm really proud of what we have achieved together. I'll miss my friends in the team and hold the memories made with them close, and I know I'll face tough competition from the next generation of talent they develop in the years to come."

Ineos' new Head of Racing, the now-retired Geraint Thomas, sees Onley's signing as a new chapter for the team. "Our whole team has worked really hard over the winter to refocus and reset our ambition, changing our structures and processes to help us deliver against our goals. Oscar fits naturally with this project – and I'm confident the new system we're building will help him achieve his absolute best."

Still only 23, Onley had a break-out year in 2025, finishing fourth overall at the Tour de France, and being a large part of Picnic PostNL's successes, but they weren't able to hold off the advances of rival teams, with Ineos Grenadiers successfully securing the young rider's signature.

"Oscar's performance in 2025 has been incredible," Thomas said. "I rode my first Tour when I was 21, so to see what he achieved at this year's Tour at just 22 was super impressive. The way he rides and understands a race is mature beyond his years – he's a proper racer. I can't wait to work with him – at his age there's still loads of headroom."

The news is not entirely surprising, with rumours around Onley's future brewing for some time, and only fuelled by his confirmation to Cyclingnews at the start of December that is future was still "up in the air".

He then did not attend Picnic PostNL team camp as his future was undecided, but his destination for 2026 is now known.

Picnic PostNL head coach Rudi Kemna credited the team for Onley's progression in the team's announcement that they had reached an agreement to terminate the contract.

"Our team is all about getting the most out of our riders, and we have a credible track record of doing so. What Oscar has achieved this year is testament to that.

"We of course would have loved to have kept Oscar but knowing the young riders in our team and those coming through our Development program, we're confident that the next generation is on the brink of becoming world-class riders."

Elite women's world champion Magdeleine Vallieres will remain on the EF Education-Oatly women's team through the next Olympic Games in 2028, the young Canadian star given a one-year extension to her contract that already had her in the Women's WorldTour for the next three seasons.

The reigning road World Champion has already announced that her 2026 campaign will begin at the Tour Down Under, her first appearance at the Australian stage race. It also marks the first time the rainbow jersey will be part of the peloton at the early-season race.

Vallieres now has the longest contract deal with the WorldTour squad. Teammates Noemi Rüegg and Mirre Knaven are next in line with terms through 2027.

“I learned a lot from helping others. I won the worlds because of it," Vallieres said about her development as a domestique in the past four seasons with EF Education.

"Now, I am looking forward to taking a different approach and trying to bring everything I learned to race more as a leader. I also know that I still have a lot to learn to be consistent at the top and I'm looking forward to taking this as an opportunity to continue learning in this new role and learn together with my teammates."

Vallieres began her journey in the professional peloton with a move from Canada to Switzerland in 2020 to compete on the World Cycling Centre squad, then joined EF Education in 2022 when the squad was part of the TIBCO-SVB programme. When EF Education-Cannondale formed their own Continental-level squad in 2024, Vallieres was given a contract as one of the original riders.

In that debut season, Vallieres went on to earn her first professional race in just her second race day of the season, soloing to victory at the Trofeo Palma Femina. She then won the Canadian criterium championship in June.

A few weeks after turning 24, the slight but powerful Canadian pulled off a daring solo attack in Kigali at the Worlds which resulted in her successfully claiming a rainbow jersey, her only race victory of the season. In the distinct colours as world champion for her final two races of the season, she netted two top 10s in the hilly late-season Italian one-day races.

“Daring to race and have confidence in herself and finally get that world championship win was really inspirational for all of our riders,” said team General Manager Esra Tromp in a team statement.

"Mags will draw a lot of confidence from the jersey and will get more confidence from the team to go out and race a lot of finales and find more wins.

"For the other girls now, seeing her rainbow jersey there in the group when they are out training or at dinner will make them think, ‘Okay, now we need to step up, because we have the World Champion in our team and we need to show that in the races. We need to be able to help her'."

After a start with WorldTour racing in the Southern Hemisphere, Vallieres is expected to focus on a block of Spring Classics. She has her sights set on retaining the rainbow stripes on home soil when the Road Worlds take place in Quebec, September 20-27, 2026.

Four national champions and a Nations Cup race winner are among the 10 new riders confirmed for the NSN Development Team next season. The Continental programme enters a seventh season in 2026 with a 20-rider roster.

Following the lead of their WorldTour parent organisation NSN Cycling Team, NSN Devo also boasts a "clear evolution" with a refreshed roster and a team rebrand that includes new registration in Switzerland.

British junior cyclocross champion Oscar Amey joins as the youngest rider in the group, just 17 until December 28, while a trio of 18-year-olds include Canadian junior road champion Ben Morin, Australian junior TT champion Max Goold and Nations Cup race winner Filip Smørås of Norway. Polish under-23 road champion Dawid Lewandowski is also among the new arrivals at just 19 years of age.

Six of the 10 retained riders for 2026 rode with NSN’s professional team this past season, and Australian U23 time trial champion Zac Marriage joins the squad after a successful time as an end-of-year stagiaire, which emphasizes the pathway offered to the highest level of the sport.

"Our team is a real springboard to the WorldTour. We’ve successfully progressed riders into key roles at the highest level before, and that pathway remains a central part of what we do," said Tim Elverson, NSN Devo team manager, in a press release.

“We race as a team to win, but we’re equally focused on every part of the process required to get there. While 2025 was another strong year, the 2026 roster reflects a clear evolution of the squad. We have an exciting group of young riders, including new national champions such as Morin, Goold, Lewandowski, and Amey, alongside many other promising talents. I believe we can win a lot of races – never say never.”

Amey is an example of budding young talent that the team relishes. His cyclocross skills prove he has strong technical abilities and "explosive power", demonstrated at UCI Cyclocross Worlds in February, where he finished sixth in the men's junior division. He was also part of Great Britain's team mixed relay gold medal performance. With a Dutch club team last summer, Amey finished second overall in Austria's Junior Tour and had five podiums in British one-day races.

"Joining the NSN Devo Team means a lot to me, as it’s the next step towards becoming a professional, something I’ve been working towards since I was a kid. My main goal for the season is to fight for podiums and victories in UCI races, while learning as much as possible from the experienced staff and teammates around me,” Amey said in a team statement.

Among the familiar faces on the squad, Moritz Kretschy and Matar Peretz return for their third seasons. The 23-year-old Kretschy won two stages at the Alpes Isere Tour on the devo team, and when called up for an appearance with the parent squad in March, he scored second overall at Tour de Taiwan. Peretz, 20, is one of four Israeli riders on the squad and holds U23 national titles in both the road and time trial races.

The team scored 12 victories in 2025, Australian Brady Gilmore the most prolific winner with a GC title at Circuit des Ardennes and two stage victories at Volta a Portugal. On an appearance with the WorldTour squad, he won the overall at the Tour de Taiwan. He earned a promotion to NSN Cycling Team for next season along with Pau Marti and Floris Van Tricht.

Among the programme's alumni who have had success at the ProTeam and WorldTour levels are Canadian Derek Gee-West, who finished fourth overall at the 2025 Giro d'Italia, and British rider Joseph Blackmore, who won the U23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2024.

Cyclingnews will cover all of the 2026 cycling transfers from around the men's and women's pelotons with news, analysis, and an updated transfer index, to make sure you don't miss a thing this transfer season.

NSN Development Team roster 2026

• Oscar Amey (GBR)
• Dylan Bibic (CAN)
• Patrick Casey (IRL)
• Roei Edinger (ISR)
• Imry Faingezicht (ISR)
• Alvaro Garcia (ESP)
• Max Goold (AUS)
• Alex Hewes (AUS)
• Moritz Kretschy (GER)
• Dawid Lewandowski (POL)
• Enrique Maranchón (ESP)
• Zac Marriage (AUS)
• Ben Morin (CAN)
• Matar Peretz (ISR)
• Miko Pirinen (FIN)
• Omer Ramon (ISR)
• Filip Smørås (NOR)
• Finlay Tarling (GBR)
• Jens Verbrugghe (BEL)
• Kiaan Watts (NZL)

Ineos Grenadiers' new director of racing Geraint Thomas said that he has no new information to provide on the swirl of rumours that top-five Tour de France finisher Oscar Onley (Picnic-PostNL) may end up racing with Ineos Grenadiers in 2025.

Onley has been repeatedly linked with Ineos Grenadiers, although so far there have been no direct recent comments from either the team or the rider on the possible signing.

When asked about it by Cyclingnews at the Vuelta a España presentation on Wednesday evening, Thomas was not willing to open up on the current state of play.

"I don't know what to say about it, I'm just focussing on the riders in the team, and he's not in the team at the minute, so that's something for people higher up than me," Thomas said.

Whilst the Onley rumours will not evaporate until a clear direction of travel emerges for the young British racer, Wednesday saw the Vuelta a España 2026 route published in full, starting on roads that as a Monaco resident of 13 years standing, Thomas knows very well indeed.

"It's a hard race and looks as hard as ever. The opening time trial is going to be amazing, very technical and grippy, it'll be a good first test," he said. "It'd be good for a guy like [Primož] Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) to gain some time on the climbers, so it's definitely going to be key."

While Ineos have a fairly clear idea of who will be doing the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, Thomas said, their Vuelta leaders had yet to be decided in full.

"We've got a rough idea of who'll be doing all three, but a lot can change. There's always some guys who don't end up making the Tour or Giro who end up doing the Vuelta, so maybe on paper at this time of year, the line-up might not seem so deep, but it's always super-stacked by the end."

That said, there is speculation amongst the Spanish media that Carlos Rodríguez, as a rider hailing from the region of Granada and who grew up in Almuñecar, one of the Vuelta's stage start towns, will likely be heavily involved.

Meanwhile, Thomas continues to settle into his new role as head of sport, something he says he's "looking forward to going to races on the other side, while hopefully I keep remembering what it's like. Ex-riders quickly forget how hard it is, so I need to remember that."

"It's all new, very early days, but I'm looking forward to it." He said that perhaps when he sees the riders on the streets of Monaco next summer, "it'll maybe make me feel a bit nostalgic to be racing again, but when I think about what it takes to get there - No."

He agreed, though, that with the final stages being very tough in Granada on roads he knows himself from a couple of altitude training camps in Sierra Nevada, the race will not be decided until the very last few days.

"A lot of the racing is down south. I don't know Spain as well as a lot of people here, but I certainly know it's going to be hot. It's going to take a lot out of the boys. Every year there's a lot of climbs, but this year it's certainly stacked."

No news yet: Grand Tour champion Chris Froome has yet to reveal if he will definitively hang up his wheels in 2026 despite having no team lined up for next season.

The 40-year-old received a moving homage at the end of the 2026 Vuelta a España route presentation in Monaco, being brought up on stage to watch a brief film of his double victories in the Vuelta in 2011 and 2017.

Froome has been a pro with Israel-Premier Tech for the last five years but currently has no squad for next year.

However, when asked by Cyclingnews after the Vuelta presentation about plans for his future, the four-time Tour de France winner would not reveal if he had decided to retire or not.

Following a bad crash earlier this autumn, Froome did confirm that he was back on the recovery trail, having had a third operation in hospital as recently as Tuesday.

"The last few months I've been in and out of hospitals, only getting out there just yesterday, so my focus has been on that," Froome told Cyclingnews.

"I'm not really ready to talk about my plans just yet, but when I am, I'll be sure to let everyone know."

Asked directly if a decision had not been made or if plans had not been made yet, he said, "People will know soon enough." Asked for a specific point when it might become public, he replied, "in the next couple of months. Literally, I just got out of the hospital so it's been about getting back on my feet.

"I've got a pretty good idea, but I'm not quite ready to announce it yet."

Froome said he got very emotional watching images during his first pro win at Peña Cabarga in the 2011 Vuelta a España.

"It was like watching a race from back in the 1980s or 1990s, it feels so long ago, but that really was where it started for me, in terms of believing in my own GC potential and what I could achieve as a professional rider."

"The Vuelta really has been such a special part of my career, as a rider, it's given me so many special memories, and a lot of suffering in between. But it's the race I've always looked forward to the most."

Regarding the 2026 route, he said, "It's incredible how the organisers manage to make each year's edition harder than the last and next year's doesn't disappoint. What did they say, it's got the most altitude metres it's ever had?"

"Especially heading from here in Monaco to the south, the heat is going to predominate, and it'll get hotter and hotter all the way. It's going to be a brutal edition."

For several weeks after the transfer market officially opened, SD Worx-Protime didn't make a noise. No signings, no departures, no drama. For a minute, I wondered if they were even going to sign anyone new, such is their commitment to not just signing riders for the sake of it.

But, eventually, at the end of November, SD Worx did get going with the signings, and what they may be lacking in quantity or speed, the signings they made us wait for certainly bring the quality. They have signed just two new riders for 2026 – fewer than most other WorldTour teams – but they're making it count.

Those two riders are up-and-coming climbers Valentina Cavallar and Nienke Vinke, whilst most of their roster is filled by strong riders they've retained from this season. Only three riders are departing the team at the end of this year.

Consistently ranked the best team in the world for most of the last decade, SD Worx-Protime were knocked off the top of the UCI rankings this year, bettered by FDJ-Suez. That isn't to say they had a bad year, but they didn't quite hit the mark in terms of GC racing, where there are a lot of points to be gained, so it's no surprise to see that their recruitment has centred around climbing.

Let's get into a closer analysis of the team's transfer activity and roster building for 2026.

Maintaining the core

More so than recruiting new stars, SD Worx's main focus in 2025 and going into 2026 (and even before that) has been about maintaining their core of riders. They've extended deals with Lotte Kopecky, Lorena Wiebes and Mischa Bredewold, with Marie Schreiber and Femke Gerritse locked in until 2028, too.

When you have a core group as strong as that, you don't need to go on a wild recruiting spree, and SD Worx clearly didn't. In many ways, that's never been their style, always taking time over signings and maintaining very high standards – you very rarely see them taking a punt on an unproven rider.

On the theme of rider retention, the team are only losing three riders at the end of this season, and none of them currently have other homes. Chantal van den Broek-Blaak already retired mid-year, and December will see contracts expire for Geerike Scheurs, Laura Stigger and Skylar Schneider. Scheurs and Stigger are primarily off-road riders supported by Specialized, and both raced sparingly on the road this season

To be able to retain so many riders – literally no one has been tempted away to another team – is fairly rare in cycling, and a testament to the professional, functioning set-up at SD Worx, where a lot of riders must feel that they're treated fairly and given opportunities. This maybe wasn't true two years ago, when some of their biggest stars, including Demi Vollering and Niamh Fisher-Black, opted to seek pastures new, but something must be working now.

Even if they had signed no one new, a team boasting Kopecky, Wiebes and Bredewold would do well in any season, but given Kopecky's move back away from GC racing after a brief foray into that, the team is fairly Classics-focused, and 2025 left them wanting more on the climbing front.

A focus on climbing

In their first year without Demi Vollering (and Marlen Reusser and Niamh Fisher-Black), SD Worx-Protime were always going to feel something of a gap when it came to GC racing. There was a hope that Anna van der Breggen might quickly return to her high level in stage races, or that Kopecky might build upon the promise she showed at the Tour in 2023.

Unfortunately, neither of those things quite materialised, and whilst Van der Breggen still has time to improve, it became clear quite quickly that SD Worx needed to reinforce their climbing contingent and focus on riders who could deliver good Grand Tour performances.

The two riders they've recruited to that end may not be the biggest, headline names, but they are truly canny signings that reflect a team looking for real potential and talent rather than flash-in-the-pan results.

Valentina Cavallar may be a fairly new name to many readers, but she shouldn't be. The 24-year-old Austrian is a former Olympic rower and only started cycling at the UCI level partway through 2024, but immediately showed her talent, coming second at the Tour des Pyrénées, and then seriously impressing at the Tour de France Femmes, finishing seventh on Alpe d'Huez and 22nd overall in her first-ever Grand Tour.

So clear was her talent that Arkéa-B&B Hotels signed her up until the end of 2027, but with that team's unfortunate demise this year, the opportunity opened up for another team to snag her signature, and SD Worx succeeded.

Still only young and relatively inexperienced, Cavallar has a lot of room to grow, and the high-performance set-up at SD Worx seems like the ideal place to really tap into her abilities. It doesn't seem over the top to suggest she could be aiming at top 10s and top fives in stage races this season, plus Grand Tour stage wins.

The team's other new recruit, Nienke Vinke, tells a pretty similar story: a growing talent who was locked in with another team, but the opportunity for a move opened up, and SD Worx acted swiftly. Vinke has more headline results than Cavallar, finishing on the podium of the Tour Down Under last year and then claiming the white jersey at the Tour this year.

Vinke had extended with Picnic PostNL last year, but had a clause in her contract that left the door open for a move at the end of 2025, and she took it, after SD Worx had reportedly been interested in her for some time – unsurprising that the Dutch team wanted to sign a young Dutch talent.

Given her results in stage races so far – including ninth at the Vuelta Femenina this year – Vinke is already a top 10 GC contender, so 2026 will be about how far she can step up. A Grand Tour top five should certainly be her goal.

Of course, the ambitions of Cavallar and Vinke will have to be balanced against those of Van der Breggen and other riders, but it helps spread the pressure out at SD Worx-Protime, and means they should be able to target the top 10 in all three Grand Tours, something they didn't have the horsepower to do in 2025.

The verdict

Quality over quantity really is the key to SD Worx-Protime's recruitment strategy this year. I respect the fact that they haven't rushed into filling the gaps left by Vollering, Reusser and Fisher-Black, and have prioritised real, long-term talent over a quick return in terms of results.

Given that various high-profile moves have dominated the transfer discourse in 2024 and 2025, this is a pretty assured approach, and one that could really pay dividends for the Dutch team. They have bided their time and been rewarded with not one but two riders who could be really serious GC contenders in the years to come.

Retaining Kopecky and Wiebes, they're sure to remain a dominant force in the cobbled Classics and sprints, whilst Mischa Bredewold is a great contender for the hillier Classics, so even without doing any recruitment, SD Worx were already very well-placed for 2026. But with two well-considered signings, they've rounded their team out again, and if things go to plan, they should be fighting for that top spot on the UCI rankings again next year.

Canyon SRAM zondacrypto Generation have completed their 2026 roster with the signing of reigning double Eritrean National Champion Monaliza Araya Chneslasie, on a two-year deal.

Araya Chneslasie is the fifth new signing made by the WorldTour team's Continental development squad, joining Germany's Sophie Alisch, Italian rider Erja Bianchi, Poland's Weronika Wąsaty and the exciting rising Ethiopian talent, Tsige Kahsay Kiros.

The five new signings join five continuing riders to complete the roster, with Valentina Corvi, Jule Märkl, Joëlle Messemer, Awen Roberts and 2025 Zwift Academy winner, Emily Dixon, continuing into next season.

After only racing in Africa throughout her first five racing seasons, this will be 22-year-old Araya Chneslasie's first season on a UCI team.

"I am so excited to be part of the team. In my first season, I expect to learn a lot, to be competitive in the races I will take part in, and to aim for good results," said the Eritrean via the team's website.

The team highlighted Eritrean influences in her pursuit of a racing career, following the success of the likes of Daniel Teklehaimanot and Biniam Girmay, who have blazed a trail for Black Africans in cycling over the past 15 years.

"When I was a child, I used a bike to go to school, and that’s when I started to love cycling," said Araya Chneslasie. "I also enjoyed watching races in our village."

The team laid out big dreams for the Eritrean, who made contact with them to try and secure a place and race in Europe this past season. One of her long-term ambitions is to become the best time trialist in Africa.

"I met Monaliza at the World Championship in Rwanda, and a few weeks before that we had already been in contact because she wanted to join our team," recalled sports director Gosia Jasinska.

"I saw that she was very motivated and determined, and that she was one of the strongest African riders in the Worlds road race. After the race, we spoke together and I saw a lot of passion in her; she wanted to go to Europe to race her bike and to show that she’s a capable rider.

"I think she has the potential to be a strong puncheur and also a good time trialist. We will need to work on her bike skills and communication, but that aside, she has a huge passion for cycling. I believe this is the key to growing into a great rider, because without that passion, nothing truly amazing will happen."

After the UCI officially awarded a three-year WorldTour licence to the now-official Lotto-Intermarché merged organisation, the team announced a 30-rider roster for the men's WorldTour. The team also stepped up their women's outfit from a Continental license to ProTeam status, with 14 riders on the roster for 2026.

The UCI's announcement also confirmed that Cofidis would no longer be a part of the WorldTour after failing to make the top 18 in the three-year UCI Team Rankings, while Uno-X Mobility have been promoted to the WorldTour through 2028. The French team missed the top 18 by just 397 points over three seasons.

For Lotto-Intermarché, the merger was not an even split. Most of the riders came from the 2025 Lotto team, with 20 of their riders remaining, while only eight riders moved across from the Intermarché-Wanty organisation.

However, Intermarché-Wanty's General Manager Jean-François Bourlart will lead the merged team as CEO and Aike Visbeek takes the reins as performance manager after serving as a director sportif with Intermarché-Wanty. Lotto's DS Kurt Van de Wouwer will take the role of sports manager in the 2026 team.

The team's equipment sponsors come mostly from Lotto, with Orbea, Vermarc, Ekoï, and Caps, while Intermarché-Wanty's bike sponsor Cube will support TotalEnergies in 2026.

"Today, thanks to the unification of two historic Belgian teams, a new chapter begins in international cycling," Bourlart said in the team's announcement. "In recent months we have worked very hard behind the scenes to build a solid project, based on the foundations of Lotto Cycling Team and Intermarché-Wanty.

"We are pleased that the UCI places its confidence in us for the next three years to make this project succeed. The recognition of the UCI ProTeam status for the women's team also makes us happy. Preparations for the new season are now in full swing, with the first collective training camp in Spain currently underway. I already feel a strong enthusiasm throughout the entire team."

The team held onto sprinter Arnaud De Lie and climber Lennert Van Eetvelt, winner of the UAE Tour and Tour of Guangxi in 2024, as well as Classics specialists Jasper De Buyst and Taco van der Hoorn. However, they lost Biniam Girmay to the ex-Israel-Premier Tech team, NSN.

Van de Wouwer emphasised the team's continuing commitment to developing young riders between the WorldTour squad and the 20-rider Lotto-Wanty development team.

"Newly crowned European champion Jarno Widar joins the pro squad, and with Huub Artz and Felix Ørn-Kristoff, we welcome two more former European champions from the youth categories. It demonstrates the potential of our group and the quality of our development programs," Van de Wouwer said.

"Talent development remains one of our key pillars in the renewed structure. In recent seasons, both development teams together delivered more than 26 riders to the pro ranks. With combined expertise, I am convinced we will continue to be one of the best continental development teams with Lotto-Wanty."

Visbeek said he "conducted an in-depth analysis of both performance organisations" in deciding which staff to bring on. "It quickly became clear that each team has complementary strengths. Lotto Cycling Team has strong collaborations with Ghent University and the department of Professor Jan Boone, coupled with a great deal of knowledge in nutrition under the leadership of Britt Lambrecht.

"From Intermarché-Wanty, we bring a tightly structured and methodical approach with a clear focus on R&D, along with technical innovation driven by Head of Equipment Mikey van Kruiningen. Bringing all this knowledge together today is a tremendous asset in elevating the new team to an even higher level."

Of course, with every merger comes a load of riders and staff left looking for new positions elsewhere. Of the combined teams' riders, 16 have found homes for 2026, six have retired, and the status of nine riders is still unknown.

Lotto-Intermarché for 2026

Lotto-Intermarché Men

• Arnaud De Lie (Lotto)
• Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto)
• Cédric Beullens (Lotto)
• Felix Ørn-Kristoff (Wanty-Nippo-ReUz)
• Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Huub Artz (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Jarno Widar (Lotto Development)
• Jasper De Buyst (Lotto)
• Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto)
• Jonas Rutsch (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Joshua Giddings (Lotto)
• Lars Craps (Lotto)
• Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto)
• Liam Slock (Lotto)
• Lionel Taminiaux (Lotto)
• Lorenzo Rota (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Luca Van Boven (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Mathieu Kockelmann (Lotto Development)
• Matthew Fox (Veloce Club Rouen 76)
• Matys Grisel (Lotto Development)
• Milan Menten (Lotto)
• Reuben Thompson (Lotto)
• Robin Orins (Lotto)
• Roel van Sintmaartensdijk (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Sébastien Grignard (Lotto)
• Simone Gualdi (Wanty-Nippo-ReUz)
• Steffen De Schuyteneer (Lotto)
• Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Toon Aerts (Lotto)
• Vito Braet (Intermarché-Wanty)

Lotto-Intermarché Women

• Dina Boels (Lotto)
• Julie Brouwers (neo)
• Katrijn De Clercq (Lotto)
• Elisabeth Ebras (BePink)
• Romina Hinojosa Cruz (Lotto)
• Marieke Meert (Volkerwessels)
• Annelies Nijssen (neo)
• Linda Riedmann (Visma-Lease a Bike)
• Ilken Seynave (Lotto)
• Sandrine Tas (neo)
• Lea Lin Teutenberg (Lotto)
• Anna Van Wersch (Lotto)
• Sterre Vervloet (Lotto)
• Lani Wittevrongel (Lotto)

Transfers out

• Francesco Busatto (Alpecin-Premier Tech)
• Gerben Thijssen (Alpecin-Premier Tech)
• Alec Segaert (Bahrain Victorious)
• Hugo Page (Cofidis)
• Eduardo Sepúlveda (Continental)
• Henri Vandenabeele (Flanders-Baloise)
• Dries de Pooter (Jayco AlUla)
• Lorenz van de Wynkele (Lotto-Wanty Development)
• Biniam Girmay (NSN)
• Alexy Faure Prost (Picnic-PostNL)
• Brent van Moer (Pinarello-Q36.5)
• Arne Marit (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
• Jarrad Drizners (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
• Laurenz Rex (Soudal-Quickstep)
• Alexander Kamp (Uno-X Mobility)
• Arjen Livyns (XDS Astana)

2026 Team Unknown

• Dion Smith (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Gerben Kuypers (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Gijs van Hoecke (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Jarne van de Paar (Lotto)
• Kamiel Bonneu (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Kevin Colleoni (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Kobe Goossens (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Logan Currie (Lotto)
• Louis Barré (Intermarché-Wanty)

Retired

• Adrien Petit (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Elia Viviani (Lotto)
• Jonas Gregaard (Lotto)
• Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Simone Petilli (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Tom Paquot (Intermarché-Wanty)

Oscar Onley will not immediately travel to the Picnic PostNL team camp in Spain this week and has been given permission to stay at home, Cyclingnews understands, as discussions about his future at the team and a possible transfer to a rival team continue.

Daniel Benson's Cycling Substack first reported Onley's absence on Wednesday and Cyclingnews also verified that he is not currently at camp. Like many other teams, Picnic PostNL riders and staff are gathering in Calpe, Spain from today, with pre-season training and preparations due to start on Thursday. Onley has just returned from Australia where he spent the winter and most recently took part in the recent Tour of Bright event.

When Cyclingnews' Australian Editor Simone Giuliani asked Onley at that race if he would still be in Picnic PostNL colours in 2026, he said: ​​"For now, yes. We'll see. But yeah, it's still things up in the air a little bit."

He may still travel to Picnic PostNL's camp at a later point.

Daniel Benson has indicated for some time that Ineos Grenadiers are interested in signing Onley and confident of reaching a deal, even in time for the 2026 season. The British team are trying to reboot their Grand Tour ambitions after several disappointing seasons and following the return of Dave Brailsford and the appointment of Geraint Thomas as Director of Racing.

It is not clear if Ineos owner Jim Ratcliffe and key sponsor TotalEnergies have agreed to fund a transfer move for Onley. Mid-contract moves are allowed by the UCI but require both teams and the UCI to agree, and any deal would likely include a fee to break Onley's current contract – which runs until 2027 with Picnic – and a salary that could be upwards of €2 million for a rider of his ability.

Cyclingnews understands that Picnic PostNL have so far refused a number of formal and informal offers for Onley and would be happy for him to stay at the team despite the contract tension. Some kind of contract extension would reward Onley's breakthrough Tour de France performance from this summer.

The 23-year-old Scot is logically keen to capitalise on his success, admitting to Cyclingnews that 15 teams had reached to the team or his agent.

Picnic PostNL could also be open to a rider trading deal if a team makes what they consider is an acceptable offer. Because Onley has a contract with Picnic PostNL until the end of 2027, a three-party agreement is needed between Onley, Picnic PostNL and any new team, with the UCI then giving final approval.

Onley finished an impressive fourth in the 2025 Tour de France, fourth at the Tour Down Under and third at the Tour de Suisse this year. His haul of points helped Picnic PostNL avoid relegation from the WorldTour. Losing him for 2026 would be a major blow but could be mitigated by a hefty transfer fee.

PicnicPostNL was only given a one-year WorldTour licence for 2026 by the UCI on Wednesday as they work to secure a key contract extension with a title sponsor for the 2027 and 2028 seasons.

Picnic PostNL team manager Iwan Spekenbrink has often used 'rider trading' to bolster his team's budget and has always preferred to release riders who claimed to be unhappy with the team's way of working and strict protocols, with two riders – Charlotte Kool and Nienke Vinke – already leaving the team early this year.

Despite the UCI trying to regulate rider trading has become more frequent in recent years as riders become unhappy and feel locked into long contracts. Remco Evenepoel ended his contract with Soudal-QuickStep a year early to move to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and Lidl-Trek signed Juan Ayuso after his fallout with UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

Cyclingnews understands that Picnic PostNL have refused a number of formal and informal offers from rival WordTour teams to buy Oscar Onley out of his contract. At least for now, the talented Scot is on their roster for 2026 and expected to arrive at the team's Spanish training camp on Tuesday.

Onley is currently traveling from Australia to Spain after spending the winter down under and recently riding the Tour of Bright event.

His fourth place overall at the Tour de France made him one of the revelations of 2025 and his UCI points helped save Picnic PostNL from WorldTour relegation. However, his success and future Grand Tour potential have sparked huge interest from wealthier rival teams.

Onley has a contract with Picnic PostNL until the end of 2027 but Cyclingnews understands he and his agent Eelco Berkout of the SEG agency have yet to agree a new deal that reflects and rewards Onley's 2025 results. Berkout preferred not to comment about any ongoing negotiations with Picnic PostNL when contacted by Cyclingnews.

Onley's comments about his future to Cyclingnews only fueled a report last week on Daniel Benson's Cycling Substack that Ineos Grenadiers are one of the teams working on trying to sign him.

"For now, yes. We'll see. But yeah, it's still things up in the air a little bit," Onley told Cyclingnews when asked if he would still be in Picnic PostNL colours in 2026.

When asked if he was considering Ineos, Onley told Cyclingnews: "It's quite obvious that there's going to be interest in me after coming fourth in the Tour, and there's been, I think, probably 15 teams that have reached out to my manager or reached out to the team directly.

"And you know … you also have to capitalise on what I've done this year, but, yeah, I can't really say so much just now."

Picnic PostNL refused to comment about Onley's future at the team when contacted by Cyclingnews on Tuesday. They expected Onley to attend the December training camp on the Spanish coast. The team has already planned their race calendar for 2026 with Onley scheduled to make his season debut at the Tour Down Under.

Picnic PostNL appear to be standing firm and refusing the offers from rival WorldTour teams, at least for now. Any deal would have to be a three-party agreement that satisfies Picnic PostNL, with the UCI then giving final approval based on their regulations.

Team manager Iwan Spekenbrink has regularly used 'rider trading' to boost his team's budget and release riders who claimed to be unhappy with the team's way of working and strict protocols.

​​Tom Dumoulin ended his contract early to transfer to Jumbo-Visma for 2020, while Marcel Kittel also left a year before the end of his contract to join Etixx–QuickStep in 2015. Other riders to make similar moves include Michael Matthews and Marc Hirschi.

If a huge offer arrived for Onley from Ineos or another big-budget team, Picnic PostNL may decide to ultimately cut a deal and invest the cash in other riders and future talents. However, they would lose their team leader and Grand Tour hope and would need other riders to score vital ranking points in the next three-year WorldTour cycle.

Rider trading has become more frequent in recent years as riders become unhappy and feel locked into long contracts.

Remco Evenepoel will be presented as a Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider on Wednesday in Mallorca after striking a deal to end his contract with Soudal-QuickStep a year early. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe reportedly covered a fee of six million Euro to secure Evenepoel's signature and become their Tour de France leader.

Lidl-Trek signed Juan Ayuso after his fallout with UAE Team Emirates, with reports the German team will pay ten million Euro as part of the deal.

It is unclear how much Picnic PostNL would be willing to accept and if Ineos even have the funds in place for such a deal. Ineos have also been linked to Derek Gee after the Canadian unilaterally terminated his contract with Israel-Premier Tech before the team was taken over by NSN.

As Remco Evenepoel's official departure from Soudal-QuickStep looms ever closer, team CEO Jurgen Foré has recognised the massive contribution made by the Belgian star to his squad, but also highlighted the drawbacks of the protracted saga surrounding Evenepoel's exit.

Soon to leave for new team Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe – in fact he is already at their training camp – Evenepoel took 67 wins during his time at Soudal-QuickStep, with the Vuelta a España, a podium finish overall and stages of the Tour de France, and multiple editions of Liège-Bastogne-Liège amongst his many triumphs.

However, as Foré told Belgian newspaper Dernière Heure, while Evenepoel's success was a huge part of Soudal's history, he also had the feeling that for part of the outside world, the team "only existed for the rider from Brabançonne [Evenepoel]". On top of that, he said, the lengthy uncertainty about Evenepoel's departure had partly befogged their rider recruitment strategy.

"We're talking about a process that unfolded over several years… I joined the team in January 2024, and this issue was already on the table," Foré told Dernière Heure.

"The uncertainly sometimes got to be a burden; I prefer clarity to a question mark that lingers for too long.

"Last winter, this doubt wasn't helpful when it came to certain recruitment decisions: was it worth continuing to invest around Remco if he was just going to leave a few months later?" Foré asked rhetorically.

When faced with Evenepoel's decision to end his contract a year early, Foré argued that the team had little room for manoeuvre, as Belgian labour law normally favours employee rights in these sorts of situations.

"I've never hidden my opinion that a contract is made to be respected," Foré said. "We're not like football" – a sport where contracts are often terminated early – "and I'm very glad about that.

"But the Belgian labour legislation hasn't helped that because it always puts the Belgian riders in a position of strength."

"We didn't have any choice, in fact, but to accept Remco's departure. If he'd been a different nationality, we'd have been in a better position."

Moving on

Evenepoel is now about to leave, though, and the team has continued, with Foré saying that once it became official, "I turned a page in my head for good."

Looking ahead, he insisted that Soudal-QuickStep would aim to win at least as many races in 2026 as they had in 2025, where the team took 56 victories, a total only beaten by UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

"It's been a huge achievement to work with a superstar like Remco, but a new chapter of the team is now about to open next season," he reasoned.

"These last few years, several of the guys have been able to mature, patiently, in Remco's shadow, but now they're ready to blossom.

"Evenepoel's exit marks a new approach and new responsibilities for these riders, but I'm convinced it can be a fruitful one."

Foré pointed out that Evenepoel's abandon in the 2025 Tour de France in the Pyrenees when ill and injured had already shown how the team could turn things around, with a subsequent triumph on the Ventoux for Valentin Paret-Peintre coming off the back of sterling support from teammates like Pascal Eenkhoorn and Ilan Van Wilder.

Equally, the signing of riders for 2026 like Classics veterans Jasper Stuyven, amongst others, would offer the squad a chance to support their up-and-coming talents such as French sprinter Paul Magnier.

"Above all, and I'll say it again, we're reconnecting with the team. The Tour de France remains the most important event of the year in terms of advertising revenue for our partners, and my primary goal at the start of a new season is to win there. This was a key factor in our recruitment," Foré told Dernière Heure.

In what is surely another encouraging sign for the Soudal-QuickStep squad in the post-Evenepoel era, Foré said that the team's budget was already securely in place for two more years. Most of the principal sponsor contracts were in place until the end of 2027, and the squad was already negotiating to prolong them even further.

Jayco-AlUla have confirmed the finalisation of their 2026 roster of 29 riders with two late signings: Rudy Porter returns after a season away from the WorldTour while rehabilitating a pinched artery in his left leg, and Dries De Pooter joins the team from Intermarché-Wanty, who work to complete their merger with Lotto.

Leaving the team are Michael Hepburn, Campbell Stewart and Welay Hagos Berhe.

De Pooter, 23, closed out his 2025 season with a stage win in the Tour de Kyushu in Japan and finished seventh overall. A strong climber who can still have a strong sprint on a tough day of racing, De Pooter showed his promise as an under-23 when he won a stage of the Flanders Tomorrow Tour in 2022.

After three full seasons in the WorldTour and two Grand Tours in his legs - the Giro d'Italia in 2024 and Vuelta a España this year - De Pooter is destined to be a part of Jayco-AlUla's team for the Spring Classics.

"I'm feeling super excited about joining this team. I grew up watching them rocking the TTTs back in the day and now to be part of this team with such a great history makes me super happy," De Pooter said.

"I'm most looking forward to being part of the Classics squad for next year and to giving it a shot at trying to win races together because that's what makes us all start racing bikes in the end."

Sporting Manager Gene Bates sees big things for the young Belgian. "He is still young with lots of potential and paired alongside some of the more experienced riders in the Classics group, we believe he can develop and learn a lot from them. He's already been racing at the top level for a few years now and has done two Grand Tours which is a big plus for a young rider."

Porter, who turns 25 next week, had a strong under-23 season with Trinity Racing in 2022, finishing second overall in the Course de la Paix and fourth overall in the Alpes Isère Tour. However, after his first neo-pro season, he began to have problems with his left leg, and ended his season in May. By the end of 2024 his doctors finally solved the problem of a pinched artery with a Botox injection into his psoas muscle.

He did not get a contract for 2025, but competed with the Australian National Team at the Tour Down Under and Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, finishing 11th on the Willunga Hill stage and 16th overall.

"I'm really excited to be coming back to GreenEDGE. Returning after the long injury I dealt with in 2024 feels especially meaningful," Porter said. "I've put in a huge amount of work to get back to full strength, and that period taught me a lot. It'll be great to reconnect with familiar faces, meet the new ones and collectively work towards a successful year as a team."

Bates said, "It is great to see him come back after a season away from the WorldTour. He is a rider with plenty of talent, but injury has prevented him from really exploring his strengths as a rider. He has had a season to recover and reset, and we hope that with this opportunity that Rudy is able to show what he is capable of."

Jayco-AlUla 2026 roster

• Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech)
• Koen Bouwman
• Amaury Capiot (Arkea-B&B Hotels)
• Filippo Conca
• Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
• Dries de Bondt (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale)
• Dries de Pooter (Intermarché-Wanty)
• Davide de Pretto
• Robert Donaldson
• Paul Double
• Luke Durbridge
• Felix Engelhardt
• Anders Foldager
• Patrick Gamper
• Alan Hatherly
• Asbjørn Hellemose
• Christopher Juul-Jensen
• Jelte Krijnsen
• Michael Matthews
• Hamish McKenzie (Hagens Berman Jayco)
• Luka Mezgec
• Kelland O'Brien
• Ben O'Connor
• Finlay Pickering (Bahrain Victorious)
• Luke Plapp
• Rudy Porter (none)
• Mauro Schmid
• Jasha Sütterlin
• Andrea Vendrame (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale)

Australia's Jack Haig has signed for Ineos Grenadiers for 2026, moving from Bahrain Victorious after five years to join the British team on a two-year contract.

Now 32, Haig has shown strength and success in Grand Tours, finishing third at the Vuelta a España in 2021, and whilst individual success hasn't come often in recent years, he has developed into an experienced road captain and climbing domestique.

On Monday morning, journalist Daniel Benson reported that Haig was at Ineos Grenadiers' team camp in Denia, Spain, and the official news of his transfer came shortly after.

"I can’t wait to get the season started, meet my new teammates, and play my part in challenging for future successes," he said in a team press release. "I’m also looking forward to supporting some of the talented young guys who’ve joined the team."

New Director of Racing Geraint Thomas also praised the Australian, bringing him on board after confirming recently that he hopes to take Ineos back to the top step of the Tour de France.

"I raced wheel to wheel against Jack for many years and he’s always impressed me," Thomas said. "He’s a fighter and a grafter, and he knows what it takes to stand on the podium at a Grand Tour. I’m sure he’ll be a big part of what we’re going after in the next few years."

Haig may not be the only Australian joining Ineos next year, however, with Daniel Benson's report also suggesting that Sam Welsford is at the team's camp with his compatriot.

Some Strava sleuthing – first pointed out by Bluesky user @cyclingreno – shows that Welsford has been completing rides in Denia that start and follow the same route as rides logged by Ineos riders, including Kévin Vauquelin, Thymen Arensman and Dorian Godon.

Though nothing has been officially confirmed yet, it seems as if Welsford is at least at the Ineos camp this week, which would heavily suggest that contract news is on the way.

Welsford, who this year rode for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, was pushed out of their sprinting hierarchy and left searching for a new home for 2026. According, again, to Daniel Benson, talks with Ineos have been in the works for some time, and had stalled at one point, but his presence at team camp looks like the move is back on.

With the arrival of Haig, Ineos have now made five new signings for 2026 with six departures confirmed. Their confirmed roster for next year is up to 28, leaving just two free spots, one likely to be filled by Welsford.

Whether they fill the spot to make a maximum of 30 remains to be seen, but they continue to be heavily linked with young Scottish talent Oscar Onley, who recently confirmed to Cyclingnews that things were still "up in the air" regarding his future and a possible mid-contract move away from Picnic PostNL.

Australian Hamish McKenzie will make a year-delayed move into the WorldTour in 2026, stepping up from Hagens Berman Jayco to Jayco-AlUla.

McKenzie, 21, signed for Hagens Berman Jayco at the start of 2024 and was due to step up to the WorldTour squad in 2025, but spent an additional year at development level owing to an injury.

In 2026, however, the Australian will finally make the move, joining the WorldTour team from January.

"Hamish is one of our long-term projects, he’s a big talent and we’re delighted to see him making the step up into the WorldTour next season," Jayco sporting manager Gene Bates said.

"The plan was always for him to spend some time with Axel Merckx and our development setup before graduating to the pro ranks with us.

"Unfortunately, he had an injury that meant the move was delayed by a year, but we believe he’s proved that he is ready after his performances this season and we’re looking forward to helping him develop further."

McKenzie's 2025 season centred around a steady programme of European stage races, racking up a solid 40 race days and plenty of racing experience, if not many stand-out results.

A high point of his season came in September when he finished 10th in the under-23 time trial at the Road World Championships in Rwanda, confirming his readiness for the next step.

He has already had two tastes of riding for the WorldTour team, having raced alongside his future teammates at the CRO Race and Tour of Hellas, and expressed his joy at making the permanent move after an extra year of racing.

"I’m really proud and excited to be stepping up to the WorldTour with Team Jayco-AlUla. It’s a team that truly values development, teamwork, and creating opportunities for younger riders like myself," he said.

"I’ve watched and admired this team for years, and I’m incredibly grateful for the trust they’ve shown in me leading up to this point. I’m looking forward to learning from riders I’ve always looked up to, as well as working with the amazing support staff. I can’t wait to get stuck in and kick off my season in Australia in January!"

McKenzie's compatriot Wil Holmes signed for Hagens Berman Jayco at the same time in 2024 and was slated to move up to the WorldTour in 2026. However, the 19-year-old has also delayed his move and will spend an additional year at under-23 level. He's slated for a two-year contract with Jayco AlUla starting in 2027.

Jayco-AlUla's roster for 2026 now stands at 27 riders out of the maximum of 30.

Tour de France Femmes white jersey winner Nienke Vinke has signed for SD Worx-Protime on a three-year deal, despite having a year left on her contract with Picnic PostNL.

The Dutch climber was set to continue for Picnic PostNL until at least the end of 2026 after extending her contract in May 2024, but has broken that deal early to join SD Worx-Protime through to the end of 2028.

Under current UCI rules, riders can move mid-contract if all parties agree and get approval from the UCI. The Picnic women's team have already released one rider this season, with Charlotte Kool making a move to Fenix-Deceuninck in the summer.

However, in the case of Vinke, Picnic PostNL told Cyclingnews that an unspecified clause in her contract allowed for the move.

"Nienke had a clause in her contract allowing her to change teams after the 2025 season. We were happy with Nienke and we would have loved to see her longer in our team colours, however, we wish her all the best," the team said.

A talented climber, Nienke Vinke shot to recognition at the 2024 Tour Down Under, where she finished second overall and won the young rider classification, and has since impressed further, taking eighth at Flèche Wallonne and ninth overall at the Vuelta Femenina this year, before securing the white jersey at the Tour de France Femmes.

In a team press release confirming the news, SD Worx-Protime say that the team "had Vinke on its radar several years ago already, but back then [team sports manager Danny] Stam was unable to sign her", but they have made the move happen for 2026.

"We see Nienke as a rider who can develop into a GC contender in the major stage races in the coming years, but also as someone capable of achieving strong results in the Ardennes classics," Stam said.

My view

For the 21-year-old Dutch rider, there is clearly a lot of excitement about moving up to one of the sport's best teams to ride alongside some top Dutch talents.

"There are big names and riders with a lot of experience in the team. I hope to learn a great deal from them," she said. "It’s also a team where winning is very important. With that mindset, the team starts practically every race. I hope to help the girls achieve new victories next season and to continue developing myself in that supporting role."

After the success she had in the Vuelta and Tour this year, GC improvement is a big goal for Vinke, and she is in line to be a possible future leader at SD Worx-Protime, who said goodbye to riders like Demi Vollering and Niamh Fisher-Black last year. She won the white jersey this year, but was close to doing even better, finishing 19th overall.

"In the Tour, I had hoped to finish one day a bit closer to the big GC riders," she explained. "Partly due to a puncture in the penultimate stage, in the valley leading up to the Col de la Madeleine, that didn’t quite work out. Still, winning the white jersey in the Tour is, of course, very special."

"It was clear early on that Nienke is a real talent," Stam added. "We’re happy to have been given a second chance to work with her. In her first year, she can continue to grow in the shadow of riders such as Lotte Kopecky, Anna van der Breggen, Lorena Wiebes and Mischa Bredewold. She has already shown her climbing potential. Both on hilly terrain and on the long climbs in stage races, she performs very well."

Vinke is only the second signing SD Worx-Protime have made for 2026 so far, after also securing the signature of fellow talented climber Valentina Cavallar. However, having secured most of their existing riders for next year, their roster is already at 17.

They are currently in the process of winter preparation, with their team launch planned for January 8.

Biniam Girmay has joined NSN Cycling Team on a three-year contract, the team, which emerged from the acquisition and rebrand of Israel-Premier Tech, confirmed on Monday.

A three-time Tour de France stage-winner, Girmay had been linked with Israel-Premier Tech from earlier in the year, but it remained unclear what kit he would be racing in for 2026 as the messy fusion of Lotto and Intermarché began to take shape. The late confirmation of the merger of the Eritrean's old team – which he had been signed with through 2028 – and the changes at his prospective new team delivered a dual roadblock.

But after it was announced on November 28 that he had departed Intermarché early after agreeing a deal to terminate his contract early, this opened the door for his big move to take place and NSN to get the star they wanted.

"We are incredibly excited to welcome Biniam to NSN Cycling Team. Not only will 2026 mark a new chapter for the team, but it also represents one for Biniam and I couldn’t think of a better time to embark on a new chapter together," said team General Manager Kjell Carlström.

"Biniam represents everything we love about cycling. His talent is obvious, but his humility and drive are what make him an extraordinary cyclist. From the first conversation, it was clear he shares our vision both on and off the bike and I have no doubt he will be a fantastic fit and will be a leader of our team, inspiring our riders and the entire cycling community."

Israel-Premier Tech changed to NSN on November 20 after a joint takeover by sports and entertainment company NSN – which was co-founfed by legendary Spanish footballer, Andres Iniesta – and global investment platform Stoneweg. The latter is a Swiss company, and the team will race under a Swiss licence in 2026.

Girmay had been looking to stay with Intermarché-Wanty for the long term before the merger took place with Lotto, which, if he stayed, would have left Girmay racing alongside fellow versatile sprinter Arnaud De Lie.

"I’m really happy to be here, especially with a new atmosphere and a new beginning, for me and for the team," added Girmay. "When I look back at the last two years of the team, the team has improved so much. There is a really good team spirit.

"I see a great opportunity with NSN Cycling Team and I feel that this is the best thing for my future."

Girmay started his professional cycling career with ProTeam Delko in 2020, before moving up to the WorldTour mid-2021 with Intermarché-Wanty and quickly adding a historic Gent-Wevelgem victory to his palmarès in 2022. He also took his first Grand Tour stage victory at the Giro d'Italia later that year. Then, in 2024, Girmay made more history as the first black African to win a stage of the Tour de France, to which he added two more and the green points jersey.

The momentum didn't continue into 2025 with a winless season, his first since beginning his career; however, his record and still strong results, including a runner-up spot on the opening stage of the Tour de France, meant there was never any doubt that the 25-year-old would remain a sought-after rider.

As a headline signing for the next three seasons, Girmay will garner considerable support at NSN Cycling alongside a new train, delivering a key sprint option for the team, which will be stepping back up to WorldTour level in 2026.

"To be honest, I never look back at what I achieved. I always look to the future," said Girmay.

"I always care what the next step is. What’s done is already done, so I don’t want to look back or be satisfied. I always want to do more. My main objective for the future, because I’m still only 25, is simple – to win bike races. I really love to win at the classics, and, for the moment, I only won Gent – Wevelgem so I still want to achieve more together with the team. I believe one day we can win one of the biggest races in cycling together."

After weeks of near-silence were broken on Friday by the confirmation of Biniam Girmay's departure from Intermarché-Wanty at the end of the season, quiet but solid progress on the squad's upcoming fusion with Lotto is now also reported to be taking place.

Criticisms of the prolonged uncertainty surrounding the futures of riders affected by the fusion had been made by CPA president Adam Hansen, partly as a result of the dearth of available information, former Lotto team manager Marc Sergeant described it to Dernière Heure as "a fiasco", and retired Lotto rider Thomas de Gendt, writing for Cyclingnews, directly described the ongoing situation surrounding the fusion as "a bit of a shit-show."

However, according to Het Laatste Nieuws, the teams' respective management had deliberately opted to take a low-profile approach about the upcoming fusion – and now, finally, some concrete details have emerged.

Quite apart from Girmay's long-expected exit, it's also emerged that the team will hold two training camps in Spain, HLN says, with the first running from December 6-20. Then there will be a team presentation on January 12 in the team's service course in Temse, Belgium, followed by a second training camp in Spain, starting January 13.

Describing the lack of news as "a compliment," Lotto's Gregory Maes – a board director in the team and member of the Captains of Cycling company which owns the team told the Belgian newspaper that "We always wanted to work discreetly."

"This is a scenario which isn't straightforward, and it's maybe a unique one in cycling."

While the team's 2026 bikes have already been delivered and the new jersey is '90% ready', according to the newspaper, the merger will likely not be officialised before the UCI announces the list of WorldTour teams for the next 2023-2025 cycle, expected shortly after the UCI WorldTour Congress on December 10.

It has also been reported by HLN that Intermarché-Wanty and Lotto's respective development teams will continue to exist as separate entities.

However, with some unspecified financial issues still unresolved, the newspaper concluded that "The fact is that there is still a lot to be 'cleaned up' and many [Intermarché-Wanty] riders and staff members, unlike Lotto, still don't know exactly where they stand at the moment."

Biniam Girmay has reached a deal with Intermarché-Wanty to terminate his contract, with the Eritrean sprinter widely expected to sign a contract with the NSN Cycling Team, the new organisation and team name of the troubled Israel-Premier Tech squad.

Girmay was under contract with Intermarché-Wanty until 2028, but their complex merger process with the Lotto team has led to a deal for Girmay to terminate his contract early. It is unclear if Girmay paid a fee to break his contract or if the UCI regulations prevailed and deemed him a free agent after the Intermarché-Wanty team management failed to register for 2026.

"It's been an incredible journey for me with Intermarché-Wanty," Girmay said when the team confirmed the agreement. "I'm still grateful for the confidence they showed in me five years ago and for the opportunity I was given to become a World Tour rider."

"Sometimes you have to embrace change. It's time for a new chapter, and I want to thank everyone at Intermarché-Wanty for the past five seasons."

Girmay's agent Alex Carera had first indicated that his "future was clear" three months ago, without specifying his future team, with XDS-Astana also reportedly interested in signing the 2024 Tour de France green jersey winner.

It also seemed possible that Girmay could stay with Intermarché and become a joint leader of the new Lotto-Intermarché team alongside Arnaud De Lie. However, budget concerns arose as the final UCI team registration deadline of November 1 neared, forcing the new team to cut riders and staff to respect their limited 2026 budget. The team reportedly tried to use Belgian employment law to their advantage and this only slowed the merger further, impacting the wider rider transfer market.

The UCI will only confirm the teams registered for the 2026 season on December 10, with Lotto-Intermarché likely to finalise their plans and reveal their roster just before then.

Girmay's success as a sprinter and Classics rider probably meant he had several offers when news of the Lotto-Intermarché merger first came to light during the Tour de France. Israel-Premier Tech were expected to change their roster even before Pro-Palestinian protests targeted the team and protests rocked the Vuelta a España, with Chris Froome's contract ending and Derek Gee locked in a legal battle to terminate his contract.

In early October, the team said owner and backer Sylvan Adams would step back from his day-to-day involvement but Premier Tech and bike sponsor Factor ended their sponsorships regardless.

Last week, the team announced that sports and entertainment company Never Say Never (NSN) and global investment platform Stoneweg had entered into "a joint venture" to take over the team structure under a Swiss licence for 2026.

Stoneweg and Icona Capital appeared as minor sponsors on the Israel-Premier Tech jersey at this year's Tour de France, with Stoneweg described as having a "longstanding relationship" with the team. Stoneweg and Icona Capital merged in March of this year to create SWI Group, which claims to manage more than €10 billion of assets in alternative investments, such as real estate, housing, logistics, digital infrastructure and private equity.

SWI Group recently created a Sports and Entertainment division and created a Strategic Advisory Board to consider a number of potential commercial initiatives. It is led by Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Frédéric Vasseur, F1 driver Charles Leclerc, and Andrés Iniesta, the former Barcelona and Spanish footballer, who is a co-founder of NSN.

NSN and Stoneweg formalised a strategic alliance to take over and manage the Israel-Premier Tech team, with Stoneweg becoming an NSN shareholder. The team is now called NSN Cycling Team, with Stoneweg and SWI Group likely providing much of the budget to run the team.

The NSN Cycling Team is expected to secure a place in the WorldTour-level in 2026, after the Israel-Premier Tech riders scored enough UCI ranking points to earn promotion in the last three-year cycle. The riders and staff have travelled to Spain for a training camp, wearing unmarked clothing provided by sponsor Ekoi rather than their 2025 Israel-Premier Tech kit.

According to Escape Collective, Adams has been seen at the camp.

"Sylvan is at the camp for some days to ride with other guests and finalise the transition with NSN and Stoneweg," a NSN spokesperson told Escape Collective.

The team has still to confirm if Derek Gee will be part of the team in 2026 but Girmay is expected to sign his contract later this week when he arrives in Europe, ending confusion about his future and giving NSN Cycling Team a new team leader.

Ethiopia's Tsige Kahsay Kiros has secured a three-year contract with Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto Generation, the development team signing the 18-year-old after she delivered impressive progress the last 12 months while racing for her domestic Mesfin Cycling Team and also with the UCI’s World Cycling Centre (WCC) 'Africa 2025' rider development programme.

The rising African rider is looking forward to officially joining Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto Generation in just over one month’s time.

“For 2026, I hope I am going to have good races and good times with the team. From now on, I want better results than before. I am going to race with bigger teams, but I hope I can still make results. Thank you so much Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto for giving me this opportunity.”

Kahsay Kiros was represented in this deal by Alex Carera, the agent of her hero Tadej Pogačar and Biniam Girmay.

"I am very proud that Tsige becomes a cycling professional like me," said Girmay. "Our path into professional cycling is very similar as when I arrived in Europe from Eritrea, I also rode for the World Cycling Centre team and lived in Aigle [Switzerland - HQ of the UCI]. I truly wish her the very best for next year, and for her career."

Her progress is mirroring that of Girmay very closely, with both joining the WCC at 18 and both winning the African Continental Championship Junior Road Race the same year. Kahsay Kiros is in fact a year ahead now, in that it took Girmay two years with the WCC to secure his first pro team deal.

Kahsay Kiro became the Ethiopian Women's Junior Champion in June and was racing and training in Brittany over the summer with the WCC. She raced the Tour de l'Avenir in August, an event which highlights the best junior talent.

As she was younger than any other competitor, quite simply the aim was for her to finish some stages and finish the race. The rider herself had other ideas and went on to be top 30 in every stage after the prologue, won the Most Combative prize on Stage 3, finished 22nd in the overall GC and was the only one of the eight 18-year-old competitors to finish within the top 40 on the General Classification.

We next saw her at the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda in late September in the Women’s Junior Road Race. Commentator Hannah Walker talked excitedly about her as she went on the attack from the start, blowing the peloton apart on the first big climb and finishing seventh overall from among the 77 riders.

UCI President David Lappartient was also quick to congratulate Kahsay Kiros after the finish line, animatedly describing how the performance of the recently discovered rider was a huge moment for the Africa 2025 programme.

Additionally, when, after the top 10 result, coach Clint Trevino Hendricks was asked about Kahsay Kiros' future, he told Cyclingnews, "She will win the Tour de France Femmes one day".

She then followed this up with the double at the African Continental Cycling Championships in Kenya last week, winning both the Women's Junior ITT and Road Race champion jerseys.

“She is a very talented African rider," said Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto Generation sports director Gosia Jasinska. "I saw her for the first time at Tour de l’Avenir, where she raced against U23 riders. I remember the second-last stage – she crashed and had to stop, and I was following the Polish national riders in the car.

"Tsige started behind their group, and on the long climb, she caught and then dropped them. She was very impressive in the climbs. That was the moment I thought, ‘wow, she is a very good rider.’ I was very impressed with her.”

My View

Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto Generation have taken eight African riders onto their squad since their inception in 2022, so they have experience in helping riders from the region launch into the highly competitive international cycling scene.

"For sure, she will be one of the strongest climbers in our team, but we must continue to slowly develop her as a rider," said Jasinska. "Helping her with her aspects like her skills on the bike, race tactics, living and racing more often in Europe and even her confidence with English.

"We will learn from each other, and she can be a key part of the team. I think it will be a very big point to work with the girls together.”

The Lidl-Trek Women's team have been among the top teams in the women's peloton since the team's inception in 2019, anchored in part for those seven seasons by Ellen van Dijk and Lizzie Deignan. However, both riders will have retired in 2026, leaving the team to re-form an identity in their absence.

Knowing that their superstars were approaching retirement, Lidl-Trek went on a blitz of bringing on young riders in 2024, adding Canadians Ava and Isabella Holmgren, junior world time trial champion Felicity Wilson-Haffenden and Belgium's Fleur Moors, but are now facing a situation where these riders – perhaps with the exception of Isabella Holmgren – are yet to reach their full potential while the team are losing two of their founding members.

The team has retained a majority of the squad, with their number one rider, Elisa Balsamo, still at her best, having secured five victories in 2025, including the Trofeo Alfredo Binda and Scheldeprijs one-day races.

However, the loss of Elisa Longo Borghini to UAE Team ADQ in 2024, along with Brodie Chapman and Elynor Backstedt, robbed the outfit of major firepower. As a result, Lidl-Trek went from being the world's number two team in 2024 to fourth behind FDJ-SUEZ, SD Worx-Protime and Longo Borghini's new team this year.

Longo Borghini's absence was somewhat offset by the arrival of four strong riders this year: Riejanne Markus and Anna Henderson from Visma-Lease a Bike, Niamh Fisher-Black from SD Worx, and Emma Norsgaard from Movistar.

Their recruits for the 2026 season don't quite match up to a Deignan or Van Dijk yet, but they've selected four riders with massive potential to fill the gap left by their departures.

Incoming riders

Lidl-Trek opted to bring on German Ricarda Bauernfeind from Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto. The winner of a Tour de France Femmes stage in 2023 - in her first year at the WorldTour level - Bauernfeind will fit right into Lidl-Trek's racing style.

Her solo escape into Albi to win that Tour stage was nothing short of heroic: she powered away with more than 35km still to race and only had a 30-second lead in the final 5km, but she held off a powerful chase. In the absence of a single GC superstar, given Gaia Realini's lowkey 2025, Bauernfeind should have ample opportunities on Lidl-Trek to put her aggression and tenacity to good use.

Bauernfeind said she chose Lidl-Trek because of their commitment to athlete development.

"That's something I value deeply, especially as I still feel I have untapped potential, particularly in my GC ambitions," she said.

"Lidl-Trek believes in my path, even after a challenging season with injury and fewer results. I'm incredibly motivated to learn from the best in the world — both riders and staff — and to give everything I have for this team. I'm confident we'll reach the next level together."

Dutch rider Loes Adegeest has similar qualities, although her qualities also include a strong sprint kick. Winner of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in 2023, Adegeest spent the 2025 season working for Demi Vollering in races like the Vuelta, Tour de Suisse and Volta a Catalunya and was rewarded in the latter race by getting a stellar lead-out from Vollering to win the final stage.

Adegeest is a brilliant support rider who will be key to Niamh Fisher-Black's growing GC potential but she will also have opportunities in the Classics, according to the team.

"In the races, it's a team that never goes unnoticed due to the attacking spirit," Adegeest said. "When I talked with the team, that image was confirmed.

"Personally, I was looking for a new challenge, a step out of the comfort zone FDJ-SUEZ had become. I hope to improve myself in the Classics, to colour the finals with the team. Also the TT is something I want to take another step forward."

Another developing talent comes to Lidl-Trek in 2026 in the form of Margot Vanpachtenbeke, who raced previously with the VolkerWessels team.

The 26-year-old started her career relatively late, just three years ago, and won the opening stage from a successful breakaway at the Thüringen Ladies Tour in 2024. She also won the Giro Toscana overall, but said she still has a lot to learn.

"To me, it's the perfect example of what a cycling team should be: a stable and professional environment, with a great atmosphere and a real sense of quality. I also love their attacking style of racing and the long-term vision they have for their riders," Vanpachtenbeke said.

"I know I still have a lot to learn and develop, and I truly believe that in a team surrounded by so much experience and knowledge, this is exactly the right place for me to grow and find my place."

A surprise signing, Irish rider Marine Lenehan is another late-starter in cycling with only three years of racing under her belt. The 27-year-old raced as a trainee with Lidl-Trek in August.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to be able to join as a full-time rider, and honestly, it still feels a bit surreal," Lenehan said. "It's a real pinch-me I'm dreaming moment. I still feel quite new to the sport, which makes this opportunity even more exciting. I only started cycling a few years ago and completely fell in love with the sport. The freedom, the community, and the constant drive to push my limits. To now be joining a team like Lidl–Trek full-time is something really special."

Staff and organisational changes

Lidl-Trek announced last month that the grocery magnate acquired a majority stake in the men's and women's teams, with Trek also maintaining a share in the organisation.

The deal comes along with a new team headquarters in Germany alongside Lidl's HQ in Bad Wimpfen and a new logistics center with a dedicated performance centre. The team also have a partnership with Schwarz Digits, a digital services company.

Funding stability is critical for recruiting and retaining top talent, and Lidl-Trek brought Fränk Schleck back into the fold as a new sport director for the women's team, working alongside Ina Teutenberg.

The verdict

Lidl-Trek have a solid organisational base and the women's team, although losing Deignan and Van Dijk to retirement, are keeping their core riders in Elisa Balsamo, Niamh Fisher-Black, Riejanne Markus, Anna Henderson, Amanda Spratt, Clara Copponi and the immensely talented Isabella Holmgren, while Shirin van Anrooij is on the mend after iliac artery surgery and had a solid road season.

Fisher-Black, with her silver medal at Worlds, and top tens in four one-day races early in the season, is not just living up to her potential; she appears to be on the cusp of exceeding all expectations.

They'll miss the diesel engine of Van Dijk and the smarts of Deignan, but they've made some smart signings in Adegeest, Bauernfeind and Vanpachtenbeke. Rather than rely on them to fill the shoes of their retiring stars, the team appear to be banking on the 'throw spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks' approach.

It might not be a million Euro signing of a massive superstar, but Lidl-Trek's recruitment only reinforces that they'll be attacking the heck out of every race they enter, which makes racing more fun to watch.

Fernando Gaviria has joined the Caja Rural-Seguros RGA team for 2026, sharing his sprinting experience with the team's young roster, while targeting a victory at the Vuelta a España to complete his set of Grand Tour stage wins.

​31-year-old Gaviria has raced for Movistar for the last three seasons but has struggled to replicate the sprint success of his early career years. His last victory was at Tour Colombia in 2024, but he secured a number of placings, often by starting his sprint early. He was second and third in two sprints at the 2024 Tour de France but did not ride a Grand Tour in 2025.

​Movistar opted to extend Nairo Quintana's contract for 2026 and signed Cian Uijtdebroeks, but there was no place for Gaviria. Caja Rural offered him a lifeline to continue his career.

​"What most motivated me to join Caja Rural–Seguros RGA was the conversation I had with the team, which gave me a feeling that I was welcome in the team," Gaviria said.

​"From now on, my goal is to work hard, help the team do everything they can, and try to achieve some victories. Competing in a Grand Tour would be special, and trying to win a stage in all three Grand Tours at the Vuelta a España would be truly exciting."

Gaviria began his career on the track and turned professional with ​​Etixx-Quick Step in 2016. He won four stages at the 2017 Giro d'Italia and the points jersey. He then won two stages at the 2018 Tour de France and wore the yellow jersey for a day.

He left QuickStep for UAE Team Emirates in 2019 but was one of the first riders to contract COVID-19 at the 2020 UAE Tour and spent four weeks in hospital isolation in the early days of the global pandemic.

​The Colombian recovered to win three races when the season resumed that summer, but then tested positive for COVID-19 again at the pandemic-delayed Giro d’Italia. He moved to Movistar in 2023 but has never quite got back to his previous best. He recently got married in Colombia during the off-season and hopes to reboot his career by stepping down to the Pro Team level.

Caja Rural said Gaivira would team up with their Portuguese sprinter Iúri Leitão and also lead the team's battle for UCI ranking points to ensure they remain in the top-30 ranked teams each year and are eligible to ride a Grand Tour.

​The Spanish ProTeam has also signed Italy's Stefano Oldani from Cofidis and a number of riders from their development team for 2026, creating a 28-rider roster. The USA's Tyler Stites is again part of the team roster for 2026, while Britain's Calum Johnston has joined the Chinese Li Ning Star continental team.

In many ways, 2025 was the year of the comeback for the men's team at Visma-Lease a Bike – and that, in turn, will inevitably have something both on how they tackle 2026, and how their recruitment strategy for next year can be evaluated.

After a clean sweep of the Grand Tours in 2023, culminating in all three top spots in that year's Vuelta, Visma's failure to claim more than one podium position – with Jonas Vinegaard as a clearly defeated runner-up in the Tour de France – in 2024 was notable. The downward trend could have continued, but instead in 2025 Visma turned the tables again to capture both Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España in a single year. First Simon Yates claimed the overall of a three-week stage race for the first time since 2018 in Italy, then at the end of the summer Jonas Vingegaard did the same in the 2025 Vuelta a España, in his case for his first overall GT win since the Tour de France in 2023. And that wasn't all.

Seven months after his terrible 2024 Vuelta crash, Wout van Aert netted hugely impressive – and challenging – stage triumphs on the strade bianche of Tuscany in the Giro d'Italia and then again on the cobbles of Montmartre in the Tour de France. Equally, Christophe Laporte was able to return to his winning ways after almost an entire year out for the count with illness in the late-season Tour of Holland. Overall, having dropped to 32 wins in 2024 from 69 in 2023, 2025 saw Visma pull their global total back up to 40, including a repeat GC victory in Paris-Nice for Matteo Jorgenson and no less than 11 wins apiece for sprinter Olav Kooij and new-kid-on-the-block Matthew Brennan.

To achieve so much in the teeth of the crushing superiority of UAE Team Emirates-XRG – with their total of 97 victories and an all-conquering leader like Tadej Pogačar – was nothing short of remarkable. But it also begs the question of how much higher can Visma-Lease a Bike bounce in 2026? Or is consolidation of their current standings their most realistic option?

Key to answering that (at least in part) is the transfer market, and it's fair to say that globally Visma-Lease a Bike are streamlining their operations and losing a lot more firepower than they are gaining.

The exit of a well-established sprinter like Kooij, whose double-digit tally in 2025 alone included stages in the Giro d'Italia, Tirreno-Adriatico, the Renewi Tour and the Tour de Pologne, removes a winner of over a quarter of Visma-Lease a Bike's final 2025 victory total. On top of which, at 24, his second place in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and eighth place in Milano-San Remo, not to mention sixth in Gent-Wevelgem in 2024, speak volumes about his potential to shine in the Spring Classics.

The exit of a former Paris-Roubaix winner and hugely experienced Dylan van Baarle for Soudal-QuickStep also means Visma will be bereft of one of their top one-day options next spring, while the departure of Tiesj Benoot, sixth in Flanders last year, is another big blow for their cobbled Classics line-up. Cian Uijtdebroeks may have not lived up to expectations in 2025 because of illness in 2025, but he is yet another high-profile loss.

As for team workers, Attila Valter and Tosh van der Sande are both leaving the Visma building, too – the Belgian retiring, the Hungarian heading for Bahrain Victorious – meaning the squad loses both valued domestiques in the stage races and Classics respectively. The list continues with the retirement of as experienced a racer as Dan McLay, signed as a lead-out man for Kooij, is yet another blow, while compatriot Thomas Gloag's move to Q36.5 sees the team witness an exit of a resourceful young rider.

By this point, in other teams you'd be talking about a serious brain drain. Fortunately for Visma-Lease a Bike, they have a very deep roster, and in many ways they can afford to take such hits and still remain a major contender in plenty of different arenas. Vingegaard's Vuelta victory gives him renewed motivation to return to the GT fray once again with Pogačar, whilst Simon Yates' Giro triumph has put the British veteran back on the GC map with a vengeance. Equally, while one of the team's top US riders, all-rounder Matteo Jorgenson, has maintained his enviable degree of versatility both for GC battles and for the Classics. Colorado's Sepp Kuss has surely not said his last word when it comes to standout performances in the high mountains, either.

On top of that, if Kooij's success in 2025 was more a process of consolidation, the stunning progress of Matthew Brennan in his first year as a pro creates all sorts of options for the young Briton. At the other end of the spectrum, Wout van Aert continues to demonstrate that on a good day, his capacity for sporting brilliance remains undimmed. Even if the tactical disaster that was the 2025 Dwars door Vlaanderen, when three Visma-Lease a Bike riders were out-powered by EF Education-Easy Post's Neilson Powless, can't be ignored, Van Aert's fourth places in this year's Flanders and Paris-Roubaix hold out real hope that he can clinch his long-sought second Monument in 2026. Nor can the steady progress of Ben Tulett through the ranks, culminating in a very promising Vuelta a España support role for Jonas Vingegaard, be ignored.

But the reality is that the expectations for top results are therefore mainly set to hinge on those already well-integrated into the Visma-Lease a Bike organisation in 2026, and the media spotlight will fall just as intensely on Vingegaard as usual, above all. Meanwhile, the team's eight new recruits to date will likely mostly be playing team roles or finding their feet in the WorldTour, at least in the first half of the season. Evaluating their success will only really be possible by the end of the year, in terms of how Visma perform collectively – and then in 2027 and beyond.

The Classics and the domestiques

At 32, Owain Doull's signing for Visma-Lease a Bike sees the Welshman brought in to play a key role as a Classics domestique, where he will be expected to provide as much backing as possible for Wout van Aert and Matteo Jorgenson. Promising early results in Belgian one-day races in his career meant it had been thought that Doull could shine in his own right, but after a fairly low-profile series of performances at EF Education-EasyPost, his skill set is now seen more as a team worker. As a result, it could well be that Doull now settles more into a position of providing cover for Visma's Belgian and American team leaders.

The same goes, up to a point, for Timo Kielich, although rather than the track, the former Alpecin-Deceunink racer has a past in cyclocross and MTB. Given he's only been racing on the road full-time for two years, he's clearly not hit any ceiling in terms of potential success, and he's already won a couple of minor Classics in his own right, too. So it would seem like his job description could be more one of getting in breakaways, perhaps, than initially projected for Doull.

Yet another rider cast into a similar role, but likely in the hillier Classics and stages will be VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè's Italian veteran Filippo Fiorelli. Albeit in his early 30s, Fiorelli said that Visma-Lease a Bike think he can take another big step up with his WorldTour debut, where – like Doull and Kielich – he'll be looking after the top names. His long track record at avoiding crashes, as well as established talent for climbing, also added to the team's interest in signing him.

"They told me I'll be the last man for [Matthew] Brennan and [Wout] van Aert, but I'll also have some personal opportunities," Fiorelli said in a press release. "Since I'm a fast rider, they'll leave me room to play my cards when the chance arises."

Albeit with a radically different background, three-times French National Time Trial Champion Bruno Armirail (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) is expected to play a similar role to Fiorelli: make the most of his own talents to rack up a win or three and then work in a team role in the hillier Classics and stage races as well.

Armirail is an intriguing character, popping out from under the radar in everything from breakaways in the Itzulia Basque Country – which netted him the KoM classification there this April – to last-ditch efforts for victory in the Critérium du Dauphine's transition stages. On top of that, when it comes to setpiece bids for victories in individual time trials, he's one of the most consistently reliable performers in the French peloton.

The new young guns

Apart from a partial reworking of their domestique roster, Visma's other big change for 2026 will be the arrival of new young talent, both bringing on riders from their development squad and from outside the team.

Mattio Pietro and Tim Rex, both 21, are from Visma's feeder team. Pietro has already shown a great deal of promise in one-day racing, being a former U23 Italian National Championships podium finisher and also taking fifth in the Paris-Roubaix Espoirs this year. He also claimed a top-five result in one stage in the prestigious Alpes Isère Tour.

Davide Piganzoli, on the other hand, has already raced for two years as a pro with Team Polti VisitMalta. The 23-year-old has taken some very promising results in the Giro d'Italia as well, claiming 13th and 14th overall, as well as a stage win and the overall at the 2.2 Tour of Antalya.

While Piganzoli is expected to develop further as a GC rider – "perhaps as a support rider for Jonas [Vingegaard] or Simon [Yates]," observed fellow-Italian and Visma rider Edoardo Affini – fellow new signing German Anton Schiffer is seen as something of a wildcard, following a promising career in triathlon. Winner of a summit finish stage of the Sibu Tour this summer with the small Bike Aid squad, the 25-year-old only began racing on the road fully from 2022 onwards. But he's already shown he's a very fast learner.

The addition of new young talent isn't limited to the team roster, incidentally. Visma-Lease a Bike also confirmed this autumn that they've added 32-year-old Luxembourger Gaëtan Pons to their list of sports directors. Pons has previously been working with Leopard ProCycling and the Unibet Rose Rockets squad for the last six seasons. Following the addition of Jesper Mørkøv to the sports director roster in 2024 and the Dane's rapidly successful impact on race strategy in the Vuelta a España, and when working with Matthew Brennan, Pons certainly has some good new wheels to follow, too.

The verdict

Two more spots could potentially yet be filled at Visma-Lease a Bike for 2026 before they reach their maximum of 30. However, rather than looking at their new recruits to hit the ground running, with the possible exception of Armirail in the time trials and the odd breakaway, what will likely impact the most next season in Visma's quest to stay at the top of the WorldTour game is how their established big hitters can perform. For the most part, the new recruits' contribution will probably be an indirect one, and anything more will be a bonus.

SD Worx-Protime found itself in unfamiliar territory during 2025 when the team was well off the podium on the all-important queen stages at two out of the three Grand Tours. Still, the once-dominant Dutch team is continuing to take steps to rebuild the depth in its climbing group with the signing of Valentina Cavallar through to 2028.

Cavallar decided to switch from rowing to cycling in the year after the Tokyo Olympic Games, ultimately moving to Italy so she could make her mark in amateur racing before finding a mid-season place with Arkéa-B&B Hotels in 2024. From there, she was quick to show signs of climbing promise, coming second in the mountains classification at Itzulia Women, second overall at Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées and seventh on Alpe d'Huez at the Tour de France Femmes.

There were some battles with illness and other obstacles to contend with in the 2025 season, but even then, Cavallar delivered a top ten finish on the summit of the Lagunas de Neila at the Vuelta España Femenina, captured eighth overall at Vuelta a Burgos, before taking her first professional win at Alpes Gresivaudan Classic.

"Valentina Cavallar is a great addition to our climbing squad," said SD Worx-Protime sports manager Danny Stam. "We hope Valentina can support our team in the mountains, because that’s where we were missing some power.

"She made the switch from rowing to cycling and still has a lot to learn. But she has already shown her climbing talent, for example, in the Tour de France. We will give her the time and space to develop herself."

The departure of Demi Vollering, Marlen Reusser and Niamh Fisher-Black certainly reduced the depth of the team's climbing squad, though the return of Anna van der Breggen and the introduction of mountain biker Steffi Häberlin to the squad helped offset the impact a little. It wasn't, however, an instant fix, particularly given Lotte Kopecky didn't have the year she had hoped for in the mountains.

Cavallar raced in the lightweight double sculls at the Olympic Games, and it was training with the rowing team after that which sparked her cycling ambitions.

"I got hooked on cycling when I went to watch the Tour de France Femmes in 2022," said the 24-year-old Austrian. "We were on training camp with the national rowing team and decided to add a bike training to go watch the stage on the Grand Ballon.

"Once the peloton had passed the Petit Ballon, the roads reopened. So I followed the course on my bike. Suddenly, I approached the tail of the peloton and ended up riding behind the last motorbike all the way to the finish. That was the moment the seed was planted to start racing."

After the opportunity that Arkéa-B&B Hotels offered came to an abrupt end with the closure of the French squad, opportunity knocked with the chance to ride alongside the likes of Van der Breggen, Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes.

“It was emotional when I heard that Team SD Worx-Protime was interested. From the very first Tour, this has been my dream team. That dream is now becoming reality," said Cavallar.

SD Worx-Protime, too, is getting a rider that could help them work back to the top step of one of the Grand Tour podiums in the seasons ahead.

"I’m a climber and I love stage races," said Cavallar. "The harder and longer, the better for me. I have a strong winning mentality and want to work hard to improve. To grow into a more complete rider at Team SD Worx-Protime and contribute to the team’s successes."

First, however, she has some recovery to tackle with Cavallar hit by a car earlier this month just as she started training for the new season, leaving her with a broken collarbone.

"After 7 intense and memorable years, it's time to hang up the bike," is what Geoffrey Bouchard said on October 13 as he thought his time in professional cycling had come to an end, but just over a month later, TotalEnergies announced him as a surprise signing for 2026.

Bouchard came to the pro peloton late, making his debut with AG2R La Mondiale in 2018 and staying there for the next seven years. Not a prolific winner, Bouchard did have several high points, notably taking the King of the Mountains jersey at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España. He has one professional victory from a stage of the 2022 Tour of the Alps.

After crashing out of the Tour de Luxembourg and fracturing his collarbone, and amid the current climate of team chaos, with Arkéa-B&B Hotels folding and Lotto and Intermarché heading into a merger, Bouchard accepted that his days were limited and retirement was imminent.

TotalEnergies picked up the phone a few weeks later and offered him a lifeline in the sport, to race for one year as a climbing domestique and mentor some of their younger riders. Bouchard took the opportunity with both hands.

"I had announced my retirement because I had crashed and broken my collarbone at the Tour of Luxembourg. I thought that with the current situation, the closure of many teams, it was going to be very difficult to find a new team," Bouchard told Eurosport France.

"In mid-November, I received a call from the TotalEnergies team. I wondered what the reason for his call was. And now, here I am, back for the 2026 season.

“This is a story I’ll remember for a long time. I was touched by the attention the team showed me. I quickly realized the opportunity, especially since I was preparing to retire from competitive cycling at the end of the year. The discussions convinced me to continue cycling at a high level, within a team that suits me: aggressive and uninhibited."

Bouchard's 2025 season was hit by several injuries, in Luxembourg but also in the Giro d'Italia, where he crashed in the same high-speed corner as Mikel Landa on stage 1 in Albania and fractured his collarbone and vertebrae. With only 35 race days and no wins in a contract year, it's no surprise that he, too, was not anticipating any opportunity to arise.

"It was unexpected, yes. Team TotalEnergies wanted to fill out its calendar and had additional support in the mountains to assist their talented young riders," he said.

"I fit the bill perfectly. I still had that love, that desire to do sport. I don't want to have any regrets about what I didn't do these past few years.

"I still had the ambition to find a team again. As the weeks went by, one thing led to another. I thought it was over. But the discussions I had with the Team TotalEnergies staff gave me a breath of fresh air. I'm going to change my environment. With the minor physical issues I've had in the past, it's a very good thing. And honestly, a few months ago, it was the team I hoped to join, the team I was aiming for."

During his time on TotalEnergies, he will ride under the management of Director of Sport, Benoît Genauzeau, but also long-term team boss Jean-René Bernaudeau, who – despite rumours of his departure – the team confirmed would be staying on for a 27th year as general manager of the Vendée outfit.

Jannik Steimle (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) and Jonas Gregaard (Lotto) confirmed plans for retirement from pro careers this week, both having raced on the pro level for 11 years.

Steimle, a 29-year-old from Germany, was reported by home newspaper Der Teckbote and then VeloPro to have not received an offer to return to Q36.5 for a third season, while Danish rider Gregaard, also 29, announced on social media his decision on Friday morning to close this chapter of his career and look for new opportunities.

"After many years as a professional cyclist, I’ve decided that it’s time for me to step away from the sport. This has been a journey that has taken me through every Grand Tour, across countless roads, and into moments I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life." Gregaard wrote on Instagram.

"A special thank you to my family and friends. Your support has been the foundation beneath everything. You’ve stood by me through the chaos, the stress, the joy, and the heartbreaks that come with this sport. I’m endlessly grateful.

"Choosing to retire hasn’t been easy, but it’s the right decision for many reasons. My body and my mental health have told me it’s time - and I’ve learned how important it is to listen to that. Cycling demands everything, and right now I need to give something back to myself."

The Dane's pro career saw him rise to Astana as a neo-pro in 2018 and remain on the WorldTour squad through 2021, then go to ProTeams Uno-X and Lotto. A versatile rider with a stage podium two years ago at Volta Valenciana, each team gave him a spot on a Grand Tour roster, the last two years competing for Lotto at the Vuelta a España, for a completion of all three events.

Like Gregaard, Steimle also got the attention of a top-tier team from his under-23 years with Continental and club teams. He joined QuickStep as a stagiere in 2019 after winning the GC at the 2.2-level Austrian stage race and two stages at the Tour of Austria. In his first race with the WorldTour team, he finished 20th at the Brussels Cycling Classic and the Championship of Flanders road race.

Steimle competed in a single Grand Tour, but made the most of his 2020 entry at the Vuelta with third place on the longest stage of the three weeks. He moved to Q36.5 Pro Cycling in 2024, winning Grand Prix de Denain-Porte du Hainaut.

The German was the third rider to retire this season from Q36.5, joining veterans Giacomo Nizzolo and Gianluca Brambilla.

Gregaard joined Elia Viviani in the Lotto retirement class of 2025, the Italian sprinter with 90 road victories concluding his two decades of racing with a third gold medal in the Elimination Race at the UCI Track World Championships.

Last season FDJ-SUEZ made seismic statements by signing Demi Vollering, Elise Chabbey and Ally Wollaston, the trio combining for 81% of the team's 22 road victories in 2025, almost doubling the team's total number of road wins in one season. So now the big question is - can the French team make additional impacts with recruitment, in what is their sixth season as a top-tier team?

The team supplanted SD Worx-Protime as the top-ranked Women's WorldTour squad this past season with a show of force on one-day and stage races, their rival having been at the top of the heap for four years. The new trio of recruits, along with Juliette Berthet (née Labous), all finished in the UCI's individual top 20 ranking, Vollering securing the number one sport ahead of former teammate Lorena Wiebes, with Chabbey and Berthet in sixth and seventh, respectively.

A look ahead into 2026 sees a refreshed roster ripe with four new faces, as well as four strong riders with contract extensions. SD Worx will still be a formidable adversary looking to regain top positions, but FDJ-SUEZ has reinforcements to continue their momentum.

New 'combative' riders

Now that FDJ-SUEZ holds the top ranking to start the 2026 season, the team hasn't finished their story but have more chapters to write in their history. Having climbed to the top of the WorldTour, it's time to reload and hold position.

Four riders departed this year, including the retirement of Eugénia Duval who spent her entire 11-year career with the FDJ programme, and a solid quartet of new signings bring experience so the team won't skip a beat.

Team General Manager Stephen Delcourt uses "combative" as a common description for each new rider. Three of the four move from other WorldTour teams - Franziska Koch (Picnic PostNL), Eva van Agt (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ).

Among that group, 25-year-old Koch already has six seasons on the WorldTour level, bringing versatility and her German road title for the next two seasons. She has spent a bulk of energy to support sprinter Charlotte Kool, who had podiums at Scheldeprijs and Gent-Wevelgem but only one win last year on stage 1 at Baloise Ladies Tour. Koch has the power to help Vollering and Chabbey in stage races, while should have the freedom to go for stage wins and one-day race results.

Bertizzolo has raced six of the last 10 years on the WorldTour level, where she focused on one-day racing and shorter stage races. While she has supported compatriot Elisa Longo Borghini as a top lieutenant in races such as Dwars door Vlaanderen and De Brabantse Pijl, the Italian finished fifth overall at Tour de Pologne Women and was second at the 1.Pro GP Oetingen this past year.

Dutch all-rounder Van Agt is what Delcourt calls a "luxury domestique", where the 28-year-old developed in three years at Visma-Lease a Bike. She is best on punchy hills, be it a one-day contest or a Grand Tour.Last she finished fifth in the Festival Esly Jacobs a Garnich and fourth overall at Tour of Norway Women.

"She is the kind of rider every team dreams of, ready to sacrifice herself for her leaders but also capable of igniting the race when the moment arises," Delcourt said in a team statement regarding her two-year contract.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Delcourt touted the addition of Lauren Dickson, just 25, as an exciting challenge as her background "doesn’t fit the traditional profile", but the team was impressed with her breakthrough season at the Continental level.

The young Scottish triathlete turned cyclist won the British road series race Lincoln Grand Prix in May and then finished third overall in the Tour of Norway Women. She added top 10s in both the road race and ITT at British Road Nationals.

Reliable reserves

What makes FDJ-SUEZ formidable in their quest to retain a top WorldTour ranking is the cohesiveness with the roster. Not only was there little turnover headed into 2026, but the team also extended contracts for a cluster of four proven riders. Nothing quite says 'confidence' like job security.

In May, extensions were secured for Vittoria Guazzini through 2028 and Amber Kraak through 2027, locking in two core riders with powerful engines for one-day Classics.

In Guazzini's first year with FDJ in 2022, she won world titles on the track and on the road, as part of Italy's Team Pursuit squad and the U23 winner in the individual time trial. The Italian's speed landed her back-to-back ITT national titles and a win at Le Samyn des Dames.

Kraak has versatility on hilly terrain and finishing speed to put the team in good positions in almost any race. She followed an overall title at UAE Tour Women in her first season with the squad in 2024 with an impressive GC title at Tour de Suisse Women.

French riders Léa Curinier and Marie Le Net will return, both seen as promising talents on the rise for a home team. The duo finished one-two at the French road nationals, Le Net scoring the title after going second in 2023. They'll both be team assets in Spring Classics, Le Net finishing fifth at Danilith Nokere Koerse and Curinier third at GP de Chambery last year, and are strong options for a Tour de France Femmes squad as well.

The verdict

FDJ-SUEZ went through a major rebuilding process after a modest 2024, where they won 13 races, six by Grace Brown who retired at the end of the year. They then landed the highly-productive Vollering, and along with that an apparel deal with Nike and more support for Specialized. Those moves would have been enough for some teams, but instead of adding development riders they continued with proven talent, adding Chabbey, Berthet and Wollaston.

The team notched 22 road victories in 2025, and it wasn't just the Vollering show.

Wollaston opened the season with the stage 1 win at Santos Tour Down Under and the New Zealander followed with victories at womens' Surf Coast Classic and Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. Chabbey came through on stage 1 at Volta a Catalunya and then one stage and the GC at Tour de Romandie Feminin. Berthet secured WorldTour points with fourth at Amstel Gold Race and fifth overall at womens' Vuelta a España and Vuelta a Burgos.

Vollering marked her debut with the team with the first European victory of 2025, winning stage 1 of Setmana Ciclista Valenciana and then going on to secure the overall in the four-day stage race in early February. She was a dominant force in the Grand Tours, winning Vuelta a España Femenina and taking second on GC at Tour de France Femmes.

New signings and contract extensions that make up nearly half the squad are a sign of confidence and a mission for consistency.

An illustration of the chemistry and "combative" spirit at FDJ-SUEZ was at the Tour of Britain Women last summer when Wollaston won the overall using a full team effort. She was tied on time with Cat Ferguson (Movistar) and needed bonus points on the final lap to give her the edge, which was also her top career moment, so far.

"It was a big ask for me to get the bonus seconds. The team was so amazing that day. I had a full leadout for every sprint. It was the best feeling ever, my first GC WorldTour win. One of my favourite days on the bike, ever," she said in a team social post.

Look for FDJ-SUEZ to stay at the top and be the team to beat in 2026.

Among the 18 men's WorldTour teams in 2025, Decathlon CMA CGM (previously Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) have announced the most transfers so far, with nine new riders confirmed for their 2026 squad as they build for the present and the future.

In a huge overhaul of their squad, the French team have brought in several big names, most notably top sprinter Olav Kooij and the versatile Tiesj Benoot, both from Visma-Lease a Bike, along with a lead-out train for the former and expert staff in Mark Renshaw to guide them.

Decathlon also have a luxury that most teams don't enjoy – a potential Tour de France winner among their ranks in Paul Seixas. The rising star remains a key focus as they head into 2026, and after his very impressive neo-pro season, alongside the presence of Felix Gall, Decathlon can be confident that they don't need to invest in a main GC prospect.

It's been two years since Decathlon came on board as a title sponsor and injected big money into the project, and their budget is set to grow again in 2026 as shipping giant CMA CGM joins as the co-title sponsor. In pursuit of 'super team' status, the French team have been improving rapidly, and with the new arrivals, are showing no signs of slowing down.

Building a new sprint train

In cycling's recent seasons, sprints have for the most part been dominated by four men: Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek), Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) and Olav Kooij.

Having one of them is a massive bonus and all but guarantees wins. In signing the latter, who is also the youngest of the four, it gives Decathlon the ability to compete for victories at any race, including the Tour de France, and at 24, Kooij should only get better into his mid and late 20s.

He's netted double-figure victories in three of his past four seasons and 47 already as a pro, 17 of which were at the WorldTour level, and it's this level of success that not only gives the French team someone to build around for sprints but should also take pressure off their other stars.

While reports suggest the money required to bring in his services was eye-watering, the value of a Tour de France stage win, which Kooij should be taking aim at on debut next July, would make the investment worth it. Plus, it's been two years since they won a stage of their home race and the biggest event in cycling's calendar.

Despite his talents, any sprinter will struggle to win on their own, especially at the Tour, so Decathlon has invested in several specific riders to form a new lead-out train. Tobias Lund Andresen, Cees Bol, Robbe Ghys and Daan Hoole should form part of what would be a formidable train, with Benoot also well-equipped to contribute.

And at the helm will be one of the best lead-out riders of recent memory joining as a sports director – Mark Renshaw – after he joined from XDS Astana to specifically work on the French team's 'sprint project'.

There will no doubt be a teething period for the fast man as they try to work out how to best deliver Kooij, who operated at Visma with various different leadouts and often freestyled in the bunch to victory, but if they can get it together before the Tour, his debut could be one to remember.

Classics and Grand Tour experience arrive with Benoot

Benoot is the biggest name to join after Kooij, as one of the most consistent and versatile performers in the peloton, with wins at Strade Bianche and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne to his name but also years of experience helping some of the top riders in the world.

The Belgian will no doubt play a vital role during the Classics, having already raced 31 Monuments in his career and finished in the top 10 of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour of Flanders on several occasions.

While he hasn't enjoyed leadership much in recent years as he's ridden in support of Wout van Aert and Matteo Jorgenson, Benoot certainly has the ability to be the main man be that over cobbles or during the Ardennes.

He'll be joining up with guys like Oliver Naesen and Stefan Bissegger, who have performed well, albeit without a massive result to show for it, so this addition could see Decathlon compete to become a top outfit in the Classics.

Aside from the one-day arena, Benoot has also proved to be a top-class domestique at Visma, aiding the likes of Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič to GC titles in Grand Tours and contributing in several areas, be it in the mountains, hills or providing protection during a sprint run-in.

The other arrivals

As already mentioned, Decathlon don't need to invest in new GC riders because they already have an established man for the present and one for the future, in Gall, who was fifth at this year's Tour, and 19-year-old Seixas.

But they will need more riders to support them, so climbers have been brought on board for 2026. The most notable of them is young US rider Matthew Riccitello, 23, who had his best result yet at the Vuelta a España this past season, winning the best young rider's white jersey and finishing fifth on GC.

He'll be another option for GC leadership, alongside Gall and Seixas, and has lots of room to develop into after impressing at Israel-Premier Tech these past few seasons. Also joining is Gregor Mühlberger from Movistar, who brings a lot of experience that will help the development of the younger stars.

The final new rider joining will be Antoine L'Hote, who is graduating from Decathlon's development program. He's shown promise with GC wins at the Olympia's Tour and Tour d'Eure-et-Loir, alongside taking third on a Tour of Denmark stage behind Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin-Deceuninck).

Seven fewer French riders in 2026

With nine riders coming, there of course had to be some outgoings from Decathlon, with nine departing to other teams for 2026 and two retiring.

One of their top performers and current French national champion, Dorian Godon, is among the top departures, as the team's third-highest points scorer in 2025 and having contributed six of their 26 victories. He's joined Ineos Grenadiers for next season.

Other big names departing include Sam Bennett to Q36.5, after the Irish sprinter didn't reach his previous best during two seasons on the French team, and Benoît Cosnefroy, a former winner of the GP Quebec and Bretagne Classic who has struggled with various injuries and other issues in recent seasons. Cosnefroy has joined UAE Team Emirates-XRG on a two-year deal.

As the team becomes more international and brings in several riders from different countries, they will have seven fewer French riders than they did last season, with eight departing and only one joining – L'Hote from the development team.

Alongside Godon and Cosnefroy, they've also said goodbye to former Tour de France and Giro d'Italia stage winner Victory Lafay (Unibet Rose Rockets), top time trial rider and domestique Bruno Armirail (Visma-Lease a Bike), Clément Berthet, Bastien Tronchon (both Groupama-FDJ) and the two retiring riders, Nans Peters and Geoffrey Bouchard.

The last two departing riders are Dries de Bondt and Andrea Vendrame, who, after varying levels of success in recent seasons, have both joined Jayco-AlUla for 2026.

The verdict

After two seasons of growth following the arrival of Decathlon as a title sponsor in 2024, and having finished sixth and seventh in the UCI team rankings these past two years, the French team's trajectory is continuing to rise.

With CMA CGM also coming on board for 2026, Decathlon have put the investment to good use, shoring up several areas to make them one of the most well-rounded teams on paper.

A whole new sprint train built around Kooij should last longer than just his current three-year deal, and at 24, he could well develop into the best sprinter in the world, though only time will tell. But it isn't just youth they've brought in, as with Benoot they have a wealth of experience and one of the peloton's most versatile riders among their ranks.

With a focus on Kooij, Seixas and Gall plus Benoot joining the likes of Naesen, Decathlon should be formidable in sprints, at the Classics and riding for GC at Grand Tours.

All in all, Decathlon seem to have filled the gaps they had and revitalised their squad for 2026 with international talent. While moving away slightly from their French identity, they have modernised and could well be on the path to 'super team' status if their new transfers pay off.

The bolstering of Jayco-AlUla's climbing group continues, with developing British rider Finlay Pickering signing with the Australian squad through 2027.

The 22-year-old Pickering, who has raced with Bahrain-Victorious the last two seasons, joins Alessandro Covi and Andrea Vendrame as new team members to help bolster the climbing ranks, which will be depleted by the departure of both Eddie Dunbar and Chris Harper to Pinarello-Q36.5 in 2026.

“We have been following Finlay’s progression as a rider keenly, and it is fantastic to have him joining the team next season. In his two years at WorldTour level, he has already shown himself to be a very promising climber," said Jayco-AlUla's newly appointed sporting manager Gene Bates.

"His performance at the Tour of the Alps showed his strengths in the mountains and we believe he can fit in well with our climbing group, where he can provide valuable support to the team’s leaders as well as developing himself as a rider.”

Pickering fully launched into his first concentrated season of international racing as a 19 year old, joining development squad Equipe Continentale Groupama-FDJ in 2022 and quickly finding the top step of the podium with a stage and overall win at the 2.2 ranked Tour Alsace.

He then shifted to Trinity Racing in 2023 before moving up to the WorldTour with Bahrain-Victorious in 2024 and as Pickering continued to develop and step up onto bigger stages the solid performances kept flowing. This season the rider claimed the mountains classification at the Tour of the Alps and 13th overall at the Tour de Suisse as well as fifth in the youth classification.

The rider also received a late call up to replace Damiano Caruso, who fractured his hand, at the 2025 Vuelta a España. Despite the quick turn around, with Pickering getting just 24 hours notice that he would be lining up, it was a strong Grand Tour debut with an eighth place finish on the stage to Mos. Castro de Herville.

"I’ve learned a lot about being in the WorldTour over the last two years, and now moving to Team Jayco AlUla, I can hopefully develop into being an even better bike rider,” said Pickering in a team statement.

Along with other new recruits Covi and Vendrame, other key members of the climbing group Pickering will be riding with include Luke Plapp, who won a stage of the Giro d'Italia this year, and the team's clear climbing leader Ben O'Connor, a two-time Tour de France stage winner plus Vuelta a España and World Championships runner-up.

Young talent and opportunities for more racing in the US are what make Project Echelon Racing's founder and Race Director Eric Hill excited for 2026. Four-time Pan-American Cyclocross Eric Brunner and Canadian U23 road national champion Jérôme Gauthier are two of the five new signings as the squad downsizes from 15 to 12 riders.

The new year marks a ninth season for the US-based squad and a fourth consecutive time at the Continental level. New riders include emerging US talents Quinn Felton and Luke Elphingstone as well as the "big diesel engine" of Tim McBirney.

Unlike last season where 11 riders returned, the 2026 season has a core group of seven riders coming back but a large departure to a new rival, Modern Adventure Pro Cycling. Other departures include Cole Davis looking at a new privateer programme and Jonas Walton going to a French team.

"We got quite a bit of transition to Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, Sam Boardman moving on, Kiean Haug, Scott McGill and Hugo Scala. We're reducing the roster a little bit, moving from a 15-man roster to 12-man roster and have a more focused calendar. We're really excited about that. And I think the return of several US races is allowing us to do that," Hill told Cyclingnews.

"We brought in Eric Brunner last year as a stagiaire, but he's going to be continuing with us again this year. I think he's definitely showing what he is capable of on the road over the years."

Brunner, who has won the elite men's US 'cross national title twice and the U23 title once, demonstrated his versatility by going fourth or better in all five stages of Tour of the Gila last year and securing second overall. Quinn, who was a teammate at Competitive Edge with Brunner, has demonstrated "true grit" with GC podiums last year at Redlands Bicycle Classic and Green Mountain Stage Race, while earning the overall title at lesser-known Tour de Tahiti to end the year.

Gauthier is just 21, and will bring another option for the sprints. For his U23 road title, he was fifth overall in the 199.2km competition which saw four WorldTour riders ahead of him, Derek Gee winning the elite title.

"We're really excited to bring over some young talent that has been knocking on the door continuously to be able to make their way to our team," Hill said.

"Luke Elphingstone from Kelly Benefit Strategies is one of the younger riders that we're bringing in. He had a breakout race at Redlands Bicycle Classic in a leadout position, a very good sprinter in his own right, so we're looking forward to having him step into that capacity for us. He's young and excited and has big ambitions."

"Tim McBirney is a big diesel rider. He's been riding with Mike's Bikes for the past several years. At Tour de Bloom, he was climbing with some of the best climbers in that race to get himself a GC podium and a stage win. He's a veteran, and an opportunity to pursue a dream and make that come to reality," Hill added, that McBirney's nickname is 'Tractor Tim' which describes his big engine.

Caleb Classen and Ethan Craine are a pair of strong 24-year-olds returning next season. Classen had two stage podiums at the Tour of the Gila and one stage at the Volta a Portugal. Craine focused on lead-out rides for several veterans and is the only non-North American on the roster. Québec time trial champion Laurent Gervais are back with US riders Brendan Rhim, Stephen Bassett, Colby Lange, Richard Arnopol, and New Zealander Ethan Craine,

"We brought Ethan in as a criterium specialist, and he won a couple races and was [second] for the points jersey at the American Criterium Cup. He was more in a support role in sprint situations recently, and we're excited to get him back to being a dedicated finisher for us," Hill said about the Kiwi, who made his debut in 2022 for the team and now notches up his fifth year.

Hill said it was still early to confirm the racing calendar for the team, but he said the emphasis would be to have appearances in North America, including one-day races Gastown Grand Prix, Gran Premio New York and Philadelphia Cycling Classic.

"We'll continue to explore in the gravel space as well, especially after some newfound success in that venue this year. Brunner is definitely interested and Classen has a high interest, too. Felton did quite a bit of gravel racing this past year and was successful."

The squad will start the season at Tucson Bicycle Classic and include a team camp in the Oro Valley with the Arizona trip. They will also host the Project Echelon Fondo in partnership with the Tucson Bicycle Classic this spring.

Prior to a US block of racing with Redlands, Tour de Bloom and US Nationals, the squad will return to races in Greece and Portugal.

Project Echelon Racing 2026 roster

• Ricky Arnopol (USA)
• Stephen Bassett (USA)
• Eric Brunner (USA)
• Caleb Classen (USA)
• Ethan Craine (NZL)
• Luke Elphingstone (USA)
• Quinn Felton (USA)
• Jérôme Gauthier (CAN)
• Laurent Gervais (CAN)
• Colby Lange (USA)
• Tim McBirney (USA)
• Brendan Rhim (USA)

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe may not have conducted the biggest squad revamp of the winter – at least not in terms of pure numbers anyway – but the German team has certainly made the biggest signing in this off-season's cycling transfer market.

Yes, the long-rumoured transfer of Remco Evenepoel from Soudal-QuickStep has finally come to pass. The Belgian has, over the past several summers, been linked with a move to both Ineos Grenadiers and Red Bull, though it was only this year, three seasons on from the birth of the rumours, that the move finally happened.

On August 5, the team, bolstered by the 2024 takeover and additional funds from the energy drinks giant, announced the addition of the man who is among the top three Grand Tour riders in the world (for now, he occupies a solid third place behind Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard).

So, what does the biggest move of the winter mean for the ambitious squad?

The big move

On paper, the marriage is a positive one for both parties. Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe already had several Grand Tour leaders on board, though they were lacking one rider to challenge 'the big two' at the Tour de France. Primož Roglič's time has come and gone, and the likes of Florian Lipowitz and Giulio Pellizzari are still working their way to the top, even if the German is rising fast.

Evenepoel neatly steps into that top slot for July. He may not be at the level of Pogačar and Vingegaard, but then again, no other rider is. Neither is any other rider at his level in terms of Grand Tour racing.

The team has won a Giro d'Italia with Jai Hindley and a Vuelta a España with Roglič. Now they've given themselves the best chance of adding a Tour de France title to that list, even if, right now, it looks as though it will take a sizeable stroke of luck – in the form of crashes, injuries, or calendar changes elsewhere – for it to happen.

For Evenepoel, the move is a step up from Soudal-QuickStep. The Belgian squad may be one of the biggest teams in cycling history, but they've never fully perfected a Grand Tour-challenging setup and, frankly, don't boast the same budget as his new squad.

A Tour support squad of Mikel Landa, Valentin Paret-Peintre and Ilan Van Wilder doesn't stack up to a potential lineup which might include Roglič, Hindley, Lipowitz, Aleksandr Vlasov, Jan Tratnik, fellow QuickStep transfer Mattia Cattaneo, and Gianni Moscon. Such a team would, on paper at least, rival the strength of UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma-Lease a Bike.

Off the bike, a mini-entourage has accompanied Evenepoel in joining the team, as is often the case in similar massive transfers. More on that below, anyway.

Taking a broad view of the single rider transfer, it's hard to look around the peloton and imagine a better situation for either rider or team, considering the reason the move was made. That is, to maximise their chances of winning the Tour de France.

But cycling exists beyond the Tour, too, and on that front it's only a positive move for the team. Even though Evenepoel hasn't managed to take home the maillot jaune, he's a proven winner at a host of the biggest races in the world.

In the 25-year-old, Red Bull have scored a rider who can win Olympic Games and World Championships, a rider who can challenge for Monuments such as Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia, a rider who can win WorldTour stage races and the other Grand Tours.

For Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, this deal is just about as good as it gets.

'Team Evenepoel'

With Remco Evenepoel's addition, the team's headline move of the off-season, and, well, their entire existence to this point, it's no surprise that Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have made a cluster of moves to support their new star.

As mentioned above, Mattia Cattaneo has joined Evenepoel in switching from Soudal-QuickStep. The Italian signed a three-year deal following a six-season stint at the Belgian team.

Cattaneo has logged 99 race days supporting Evenepoel at Quickstep since joining the team in 2020 – not quite an ever-present, but at the Belgian's side for his victories at the 2023 Vuelta, the 2020 Tour de Pologne, and 2024 Volta ao Algarve, as well as at the Giro in 2023 and this year's Tour de France.

At 35, he's not at the peak of his powers, but he's a solid climber and a strong time triallist, which is handy for next year's Tour-opening TTT in Barcelona. Having a familiar, experienced face on hand will only aid Evenepoel as he acclimatises to his new surroundings, and in the peloton, too.

'Team Evenepoel' next season also consists of a trio of QuickStep staff members as directeur sportif Klaas Lodewyck, soigneur David Geeroms, and mechanic Dario Kloeck make the switch. Evenepoel's former national coach, Sven Vanthourenhout, also comes aboard as a DS, while Rolf Aldag and Enrico Gasparotto have departed similar roles. Allan Peiper is also going to work for the team as a strategic advisor, bringing expertise from several years working with Pogačar.

The goal here is not to create a team within a team, a newcomer cell cloistered within the squad serving only Evenepoel, but a group of faces who are know him well and can assist his transition to a new team with ease. After all, who better to deal with Evenepoel's massages and his bike than his long-time soigneur and mechanic?

The other ins and outs

Suffice to say, Evenepoel's transfer – and the infrastructure around it – is the main focus for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe this off-season, though they're not the only moves the team has made.

Former gravel world champion Gianni Vermeersch has come on board from Alpecin-Deceuninck after spending the best part of a decade at Alpecin-Deceuninck. The 32-year-old Belgian joins alongside Australian racer Jarrad Drizners (Lotto) as the two other pro signings for 2026.

Both men, who have a pair of Tour de France starts apiece in recent seasons, have been signed for their experience and to support team leaders throughout the season.

Vermeersch has a wealth of such experience helping Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen to major victories over the years, so much so that he recently made the Cyclingnews list of 'Eight underrated riders who deserve more credit'. Meanwhile, Drizners has assisted leaders, including Arnaud De Lie and Maxim Van Gils, the latter of whom he's reunited with at Red Bull.

Neither man could be described as a climber. However, as we've already seen, the team is full of riders capable of providing support when the road goes up. Instead, both are solid and reliable signings who will be more than capable of doing the jobs asked of them in the hills and on the flats.

They'll fill spots vacated by several riders – Jonas Koch, Roger Adrià, Matteo Sobrero, and Ryan Mullen. German veteran Koch heads off into retirement, Spanish punchy climber Adrià is off to Movistar, while Sobrero reinforces Lidl-Trek and Mullen heads to Israel-Premier Tech.

The jobs of 32-year-old Koch and Irish time trial champion Mullen will be filled by others on the team, while Adrià and Sobrero might be missed a little more, results-wise. Adrià has won a stage at the Vuelta a Burgos and the GP de Wallonie in recent years, while former Giro d'Italia stage winner Sobrero finished third at the Tour de Pologne this season.

Of the quartet, Sobrero figures to be the biggest loss, especially as a solid Grand Tour support rider, though none of the departures will be make-or-break for Red Bull's 2026 campaign.

Elsewhere, the futures of former ski mountaineer Anton Palzer, triple Tour Down Under sprint winner Sam Welsford, and Filip Maciejuk – perhaps best known for being disqualified after causing a crash at the 2023 Tour of Flanders – are up in the air.

None of the three have confirmed contracts for next season, though Welsford seems the man most likely to remain aboard a team which otherwise can only really look to Jordi Meeus for sprinting power.

At the time of writing, Red Bull have 28 riders under contract for 2026, meaning two spots are up for grabs. The team recently cancelled the contract of Basque racer Oier Lazkano following his provisional suspension by the UCI over Biological Passport abnormalities.

Academy graduates

Three of those 28 2026 roster spots are taken up by neo-pros who make the step up from the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe Rookies development team – 21-year-old Australian Luke Tuckwell, 22-year-old Briton Callum Thornley, and 22-year-old Adrien Boichis.

The trio have all taken the same route to the WorldTour, spending time together at Trinity Racing before racing last season with Red Bull's development squad. Their familiarity with one another and with the wider team setup means they should all have no problems adjusting to life at the senior squad.

Tuckwell's recent results are the most eye-catching of the three, having won the Rás last year and taken second at this season's Giro d'Italia Next Gen, having only lost the maglia rosa in a final stage turnaround. He looks one for the hills and mountains, with top 10s at Liège-Bastogne-Liège U23 and the Tour de l'Avenir to his name in 2025.

Thornley figures to fit a similar profile. The Scot won the mountain classification at the 2024 Tour of Britain and is the reigning under-23 Il Lombardia champion. He also finished third at the Istrian Spring Tour and scored a top-10 at the Giro Next Gen. Furthermore, he's also shown time trialling chops, too, winning a test against the clock at the Sibiu Tour as well as the British under-23 title.

Boichis, meanwhile, was top of the podium at the Istrian Spring Tour, his stand-out result from the past season.

All three look to be strong, intriguing prospects in the pros. Under-23 results don't necessarily equal success at the top level, but they'll have time and space away from the starry Grand Tour-hunting leaders to hone their craft.

The verdict

After several seasons' worth of rumours and attempted signings, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have finally got their man. With the team's budget boosted since the arrival of the energy drink giant, there were no budgetary tradeoffs or cuts to make, no stars to offload to make room, as they brought Remco Evenepoel on board.

As a result, they've only strengthened their roster for 2026 as the Belgian superstar slots in at the top of the team's hierarchy alongside his ready-made support squad.

As stated above, the big goal for both rider and team is to win the Tour de France, one of the few achievements eluding both parties to date. Time will tell whether this partnership can deliver that in the face of Tadej Pogačar's unrelenting dominance, but one thing is for sure – bringing Evenepoel on board is only going to spell more wins and more success for the squad.

Elsewhere, there are sensible and helpful additions – both on- and off-bike – designed to help the star riders win the biggest races on the calendar. The team hasn't neglected the future, either, bringing on board a clutch of talented racers they've helped develop in-house. All-in-all, the future is looking bright for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

Britain's Leo Hayter will be among the 21-rider roster for Modern Adventure Pro Cycling in 2026, co-founders George and Rich Hincapie disclosed today, providing more substance to the team's debut as a UCI ProTeam.

There are 12 US riders who will wear the new burgundy-and-gold colours next season, led by veterans Robin Carpenter, Scott McGill and Tyler Stites. Eighteen of the 20 riders are under contract with two-year deals, with Hayter signed for 2026 only.

"I think we are a good programme for him on his way back. [There's] no pressure; he can take his time finding that talent back. He’s a real diamond in the rough," Rich Hincapie, general manager of the new team, told Cyclingnews Thursday.

"George and I are focusing on the culture and family atmosphere first; results will come later. Since we have a minimum six-year commitment [for the team], we have time to build it right."

Hayter moved to the WorldTour in 2022 with three seasons at Ineos Grenadiers, a year after showing tremendous success at Hagens Berman Axeon with the GC win in the under-23 Giro d'Italia. He stepped away from Ineos Grenadiers in August 2024, revealing a five-year battle with depression, anxiety and disordered eating, and only tested himself in a few races last year at a Continental squad, Voster ATS Team.

Another rider to move to the new US team from a European squad is Stites, who won the Tour of Gila overall in 2024 and was runner-up twice at Tour de Beauce. A former rider for Project Echelon Racing, he is expected to be confirmed soon to complete the roster, pending release from his contract at Caja Rural-Seguros RGA that went through 2026.

Expected to be a co-leader of the team, Carpenter has competed the bulk of his 14 pro years at the Continental and ProTeam levels with Hincapie Sportswear and Human Powered Health (previously Rally Cycling), where he raced several years alongside Ty Magner, one of team directors at his new team. The last three seasons he has competed in one-day US races for L39ION of Los Angeles, with podiums at signature races like Athens Twilight Criterium, Greenville Cycling Classic and Harlem Skyscraper Cycling Classic.

"I am really excited and intrigued by the idea of starting a team from scratch, and excited to play a small part in that. On top of that, we have guys like Joey [Rosskopf], Ty [Magner], and Alex [Howes] at the helm as DS's; there's a ton of knowledge there coming from high-quality folks who just happen to also be good friends of mine," Carpenter told Cyclingnews.

"For me personally stepping back into UCI road racing after three years of crits is going to be a challenge but one I am motivated to work hard for."

A total of four riders join from Project Echelon Racing, led by McGill, who has earned six podiums, including two wins at Volta a Portugal. Sam Boardman, who won the KOM title at the Tour of Rhodes last year; Kieran Haug, 2025 Tour of the Gila GC winner; and Hugo Scala Jr, who was sixth overall at Tour de Beauce, follow McGill to the new US team.

Reigning USPro men's U23 time trial champion Cole Kessler, 22, moves from Lidl-Trek Future Racing and 2024 US men's U23 time trial silver medalist Brody McDonald (Golden State Blazers) bring speed to the squad.

Additional young talent will come from 19-year-old Ezra Caudell (Team California), 23-year-old Sean Christian (Team Skyline), dual road race and ITT U23 Colombian winner Samuel Florez, 22-year-old Ian López de san Roman (EF Eduction-Aevolo), and 18-year-old Harry Lasker (EF Education-ONTO).

A wealth of international talent comes from a pair of South African riders, Stefan De Bod (Terengganu Cycling) and Byron Munton (Feirense-Beeceler) and two New Zealander riders, national road race champion Paul Wright (Factor Racing) and Ben Oliver (MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project), who won a stage at Tour de Beauce and grabbed eight podiums in 10 races at Tour of America's Dairyland for that GC title.

Mark Stewart and Lucas Towers are two more riders from Great Britain. Stewart moves from ProTeam Solution Tech-Vini Fantini, going fourth overall at Tour of Japan and winning Tour of Kumano. Towers, a 21-year-old, rode three seasons with Caja Rural-Alea, winning four hilly one-day races in Spain. Canadian Riley Pickrell rode five years at Israel-Premier Tech, winning stages at Sibiu Cycling Tour and Tour de l'Avenir.

"To see Modern Adventure Pro Cycling come to life is deeply meaningful. It's the culmination of years of George and I dreaming about creating a team that embodies the spirit of American cycling - bold, creative and united by purpose," Rich Hincapie said.

The first team gathering will be early December in Greenville, South Carolina, where the co-founders are based with Hincapie Sportswear and Hincapie Events, for bike fits and rider meetings with the majority of the staff, including team directors Howes, Magner, and Rosskopf. Winter training camp will take place January 10-22, 2026, in Girona, Spain.

Modern Adventure Pro Cycling is one of two US programmes, the other being Team Novo Nordisk, to have submitted the essential paperwork for final approval, with the confirmed list of teams published by the UCI on December 10, 2025. Novo Nordisk also confirmed 20 riders, the minimum for a ProTeam, for its 17th consecutive season as a UCI Professional Continental or ProTeam.

Modern Adventure Pro Cycling 2026 roster

• Sam Boardman (USA)
• Robin Carpenter (USA)
• Ezra Caudell (USA)
• Sean Christian (USA)
• Stefan De Bod (RSA)
• Samuel Florez (COL)
• Kieran Haug (USA)
• Leo Hayter (GBR)
• Cole Kessler (USA)
• Harry Lasker (USA)
• Ian López (USA)
• Brody Mcdonald (USA)
• Scott McGill (USA)
• Byron Munton (RSA)
• Ben Oliver (NZL)
• Riley Pickrell (CAN)
• Hugo Scala (USA)
• Mark Stewart (GBR)
• Lucas Towers (GBR)
• Paul Wright (NZL)
• Tyler Stites (USA)

After years of trying and narrowly missing out on a pro-contract twice at the Zwift Academy finals, Italian rider Mattia Gaffuri has finally earned himself a spot on a WorldTour team, joining Picnic-PostNL on a two-year deal.

The Italian came to cycling relatively late, but quickly made a name for himself in the amateur scene, and has long been recognised for his coaching work and impressive power files, which were part of the reason Picnic-PostNL decided to sign him.

He's most recently been racing in Gravel, but also for the now famous Swatt club in Italy, who managed to win the men's national championships road race ahead of all the WorldTour pros earlier this season through Filippo Conca, who has since also joined the WorldTour with Jayco AlUla.

Gaffuri made his professional debut after joining Polti-VisitMalta as a stagiaire at the end of August, but will now have to prepare himself for a more significant step up into cycling's top division of racing.

"Mattia’s story is quite a special one. He’s more of a late comer to the elite level from the sport and comes from the gravel scene," said team head coach Rudi Kemna in the team's announcement.

"There, he caught our attention, and from that moment we started following him closely. What we saw was really impressive, with strong performances, even against pros.

"Once we got in contact and looked at his data, that only confirmed what we’d seen; his numbers are outstanding. At the Italian Championships, for example, his teammate went on to win the pro title, and Mattia played a crucial role in making sure the main favourite never came back."

The Italian was part of the final three and four in Zwift Academy's finals in 2023 and 2024, which gave amateur riders the chance to compete for a spot on Alpecin-Deceuninck's development team and potentially make it to the WorldTour.

But, despite his high power numbers, he missed out on the winning spot twice, to Louis Kitzki, who is retiring due to safety concerns in the peloton, and Noah Ramsay, who has just completed his first season with Alpecin.

Now set to leap right into the WorldTour, Gaffuri was upbeat about the future partnership, which should allow him to develop as a pro and utilise the diesel engine and strong power numbers he already knows he possesses.

"I’d describe myself as a climber, more of a diesel type with a strong engine, and I know I still have room to grow when it comes to race craft," said Gaffuri.

"My goal is to become a rider who can target results in smaller stage races, while also being a reliable support for our finishers in the mountains. I’m quite consistent on the bike, and off the bike I’d say I’m a quick learner: once I set my mind to something, I really commit to it."

The team were already targeting the Ardennes Classics as a place he could flourish, but also lining him up as a domestique for the likes of their young leaders Max Poole and Tour de France fourth-place finisher Oscar Onley.

"At the Italian Championships, for example, his teammate went on to win the pro title, and Mattia played a crucial role in making sure the main favourite never came back," added Kemna.

"We see him as a rider who, in a few years, can potentially compete in the finales of the Ardennes Classics, while in the Grand Tours, he’s going to be an important piece of the puzzle for our finishers Max and Oscar. Even at the end of the season, he showed some truly impressive things while riding as a stagiaire, so we’re very happy to have him on board for the next few years."

Also joining Picnic-PostNL's men's squad is 22-year-old French rider Henri-Francois Haquin, who rode for Wagner Bazin WB in 2025. They join British riders James Knox, Oliver Peace and Irishman Dillon Korkery as new signings at Picnic PostNL for 2026.

Picnic-PostNL's women's squad also announced two new signings earlier this week, with Audrey De Keersmaeker and Gaia Masetti joining from Lotto and AG Insurance-Soudal, respectively.

This year's cycling transfer market has been defined by a few big storylines, and one of those was Remco Evenepoel's departure from Soudal-Quickstep to join Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

Over the summer, and even before then, a lot was made about where Evenepoel might go, what team could best fulfil his needs, and – once the deal was made – if and how Red Bull can help him achieve his ultimate goal of winning the Tour de France.

However, whilst a lot has been said about 'Project Remco' at Red Bull and the Belgian's future, there is another side to this whole saga – the team that Evenepoel leaves behind at Soudal-Quickstep.

Formerly a Classics-focused team, given their Belgian heritage, Soudal-Quickstep signed a young, fresh Evenepoel way back in 2019, and completely changed their strategy around him, gradually building a serious GC squad, and as a result, their Classics core took a back seat.

Whether that restrategising actually worked to its full extent is a question for another time – the fact that Evenepoel forced his way out early suggests it probably didn't, in his eyes – but it has left the team in a strange position, a team built around one rider now without that rider.

As a result, they had some work to do on the transfer market, to fill the gap Evenepoel left, and set the foundations for their strategy and focus for 2026 and beyond. With their 30-rider roster now complete, let's take a look at who they've brought on, what it all means, and how good their market activity has been.

Rebuilding their Classics core

It's clear what Soudal-Quickstep's key strategy this transfer season was: to rebuild and reinforce their Classics core, and move back towards focusing on the races that used to be their foundation. This is a team that used to be utterly dominant in the spring, let's not forget, and it was only the arrival of Evenepoel that pushed them more towards Grand Tour racing – it's not what's always been in their blood.

To this end, they have made some really big-name signings, picking up former Milan-San Remo and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winner Jasper Stuyven – prying him away from Lidl-Trek after more than a decade – as well as 2022 Paris-Roubaix victor Dylan van Baarle.

These aren't potential talents or riders knocking on the door of a win; they're riders who have already won several big Classics, and have maybe slipped into a more support role at their former teams, but can likely win again if given leadership, which they will at the Belgian squad.

The only question mark over these two signings is that they're in the latter part of their careers. The pair are both 33 years old, so have the team overlooked long-term investment in favour of some quick results? Perhaps, but Van Baarle is signed for two years, and Stuyven for three, so they're not one-year retirement contracts, and I don't think any party are expecting it to be a flash-in-the-pan situation.

However, the truth is that the team does need results straight away, so they had to go for reliable riders who can deliver, rather than riders who might be a year or two away from a big win.

GC options after Evenepoel

The biggest question facing Quickstep when the transfer market opened was how they might fill the gap left by Remco Evenepoel. The answer? Well, they haven't, but that shouldn't be a surprise. It was a pretty impossible gap to fill, and no riders on the market were capable of filling it.

Though they look to be pouring more focus into the Classics for next year, the team isn't completely forgetting about stage racing, and they've recruited two key climbers in Filippo Zana and Steff Cras.

Whilst obviously not Grand Tour podium finishers, both Zana and Cras have threatened the top 10 of cycling's biggest stage races, with the Italian finishing 11th at the 2024 Giro d'Italia and Cras taking the same result at the Vuelta a España two years ago.

They're not terribly far off what would be a good Grand Tour result for a Classics-focused team, then. These are riders with innate talent and room to grow, so probably the best way the team could have spent their money.

We can't forget, as well, that they have some existing riders who are ready to step more into GC roles. Mikel Landa may be 35, but he's a Grand Tour podium finisher, and another good campaign isn't out of the question. Valentin Paret-Peintre has also expressed how ready he is to take the opportunities that arise from Evenepoel's departure, and he showed real promise this year.

On the younger side, the likes of Ilan Van Wilder, Junior Lecerf and Gianmarco Garofoli are also solid climbers and could develop into more rounded offerings.

Sprint reinforcements

Already boasting two of the most prolific sprinters in the world – Tim Merlier and Paul Magnier – Soudal-Quickstep didn't have to get involved with the sprinters market, which has been a little fraught and complex this year. They have, however, brought in some reinforcements for the lead-outs, which should also help offer them solid support to both Merlier and Magnier.

From the Intermarché merger fallout, they've secured Laurenz Rex, a good signing – he's not averse to going on the offensive and even winning himself, while he's also been a super effective lead-out for Biniam Girmay for three years.

The team is also bringing in Alberto Dainese, and the proof of this one will be in the pudding. Dainese is a good rider, but QuickStep won't afford that many spare sprint opportunities. Will he be happy to be their third-option sprinter, often racing as a lead-out instead, or will that frustrate him?

A desire for more leadership seemed to be the reason for the Italian's move to Tudor, so it's surprising to see him go to a team where he'll be back down the pecking order. However, if he buys into the lead-out, occasional sprinter role, he's strong enough that it could be good. Perhaps even having him race more pure sprints will allow Merlier more time to target the Classics.

Overall, though, Quickstep are pretty solid already when it comes to sprinters and lead-out trains, so they certainly haven't done any harm to that arm with their signings, and so it should continue to be a fertile area for wins in 2026.

Development graduates

Whilst a lot of teams with development arms seem to be promoting two or three riders this winter, Soudal-QuickStep are keeping it modest with one, and I think that's a smart move.

The rider they've brought up is Jonathan Vervenne, a time trialist – currently under-23 European champion in that discipline – and workhorse who will bring some firepower to the team and continue his TT progress. As a Belgian, his arrival also fits in with the team's desire to go back to their roots a little.

In the absence of Evenepoel, it may have been tempting to bring up more than one development rider as a cheap option. Instead, they've wisely chosen to focus the space they have on experienced, reliable riders. Vervenne should fit in well, and at 22 years of age, he's a mature rider, but they're not bogged down with young riders in a year in which they need to hit the ground running.

Losses

Soudal-QuickStep are saying goodbye to eight riders this year. One to retirement (Pieter Serry) and two to Red Bull (Evenepoel is taking Mattia Cattaneo with him), but among the other departures, there isn't anyone who stands out as a rider they probably wanted to keep, but couldn't.

Three of those riders don't yet have a contract for 2026, so it's only really James Knox and Luke Lamperti who have been picked up by other teams, but perhaps without Quickstep trying too hard to keep them.

Outside of Evenepoel, which is a blow for obvious reasons, the team isn't really facing any serious losses. Serry and Cattaneo will be missed for their work rate, but Lamperti had probably reached a ceiling at QuickStep, and they have stronger sprinters and lead-outs to rely on – though he did reveal to Cyclingnews that they did try to renew his contract.

Knox does feel like a rider who could have still been useful, as he's a very committed climbing domestique, but he doesn't offer too much Classics value, so it makes sense to let him move on to Picnic-PostNL. It's paradoxical, because Quickstep are probably facing the biggest gap of any team with Evenepoel leaving. They have been able to retain all the other riders they wanted, though.

The verdict

It's clear that Soudal-QuickStep are going to feel the gap left by Remco Evenepoel, and with him, they do lose a serious Grand Tour contender that they haven't been able to replace.

However, instead of rushing to try and find a – probably substandard – replacement GC rider, they've taken the change as an opportunity. It's a chance for the team to choose their next direction, and they've clearly decided to move their focus back to the Classics, which was their bread and butter pre-Evenepoel.

With the budget freed up by his departure (and probably an injection of cash as part of his buy-out), they've been able to recruit really well, picking up some strong and established Classics riders. In the immediate future, this is more likely to pay off than bringing aboard a top 10 GC rider for the same cost.

We may not see Soudal-QuickStep on the podium of Grand Tours as much as we have in recent years, but the 2026 roster is strong and likely to earn them success in other areas.

President of the CPA riders' union, Adam Hansen, has spoken out about the ongoing Lotto-Intermarché merger, saying that the team has been "dishonest" with riders and agents as the process drags on.

The merger saga has been running since it was first made public at the Tour de France, and despite the new-look team having submitted WorldTour licence documentation last month, the squad has yet to be finalised – publicly at least.

Hansen told Sporza that the team has held all the power in "a dream situation" for them, with more riders under contract across Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty than there are spaces at the new squad.

"The teams can decide whether or not to keep a rider, but the rider himself can't do anything to leave," Hansen said, pointing out that for 2026, there are a maximum of 30 spots available for the 43 riders previously under contract.

"That's why I organised a meeting some time ago with the UCI and both team managers. We demanded a list of the riders who would have to leave.

"[Meeting the riders left out] was tough. Riders trust their agents, but the team wasn't just dishonest with the riders but also the agents."

The doubts about space continue into the final months of the year, with Biniam Girmay's uncertain future holding up a spot. Hansen also spoke of a rider on the 'dropped list' whom the merged team "didn't want to let go because they kept doubting whether they might keep him at all."

He said that the team "wasn't very honest with the UCI and us" over the list of riders who wouldn't make the merged team.

"The team can decide whether or not to keep a rider on their contract, but the rider can't decide whether or not they want to stay."

Hansen said that the UCI doesn't hold much power in the situation, with Belgian labour law taking precedence. He has called for better protocols for future merger situations.

"The law even allows teams to wait until, say, December 31 to let riders know. That's the sad truth. We want a better protocol for such mergers in the future, where riders receive clarity much sooner," he said.

"If a rider is told in July or August that he can't stay and he doesn't find a team for the following year, that's partly his own fault. But if that rider only hears that in October or November – as in this case – then the fault lies with the team. All the squads are already full for 2026, and that's not fair."

Agent says '60 to 70 riders' are battling over 'eight to 10 vacancies'

The Lotto-Intermarché merger is just one part of the cycling transfer landscape for 2026, albeit a large part. A Belgian cycling agent has explained how 60 to 70 riders are currently battling over "a maximum of eight to 10 vacancies" in the peloton for next season.

The merger of Lotto and Intermarché-Wanty – teams which employed 56 across their professional men's setups last year – has left numerous riders, mostly on the Intermarché side, without a deal for 2026. Elsewhere, the collapse of Arkéa-B&B Hotels has also left a swathe of riders searching for a new team.

Dries Smets of Wasserman Cycling, an agency which represents Tim Merlier, Michael Matthews, Julian Alaphilippe, Lotte Kopecky, and Tobias Halland Johannessen, among others, told Sporza that "dozens of riders will miss out" in the search for a contract next year.

"Solutions are being sought, but it's not pleasant," Smets told Sporza. "It's the beginning of November; the holidays are almost over, and riders are starting to prepare for the new season.

"Several riders are still living in uncertainty and hope for clarity soon. The uncertainty is gnawing at them, and they're eagerly awaiting a solution."

Smets' agency represents several riders caught up in the chaos, including Intermarché-Wanty trio Arne Marit, Kobe Goossens, and Gerben Thijssen. The latter has been linked with a switch to Alpecin-Deceuninck, though Marit and Goossens haven't yet found a new team.

"It's not just the merger team, but a team like Arkéa is also closing down. Of the 18 WorldTour teams, two are disappearing, which means there are 60 fewer positions available in the job market, and that seriously increases the pressure," Smets said.

"Currently, about 60 to 70 riders are still looking for a place, while there are a maximum of eight to 10 vacancies, so dozens of riders will miss out."

Smets also called cycling a "two-speed sport", contrasting the cluster of "top teams with big budgets" with a "latter category [which] wants to stay at the top of the sport, but doesn't always find the right sponsor." As a result, riders and staff members are left in a desperate search for fewer job openings.

"They're mainly concerned about the uncertainty and job security. They need to know where they stand as soon as possible," Smets said.

"Everyone is doing their best, and this is a small world," he added, referring to managers charged with keeping teams afloat and finding new sponsorship. "I'm also aware that the economic context is very difficult.

"The biggest strength of the sport is the return on investment. The visibility is very high, and teams are named after sponsors. But budgets do indeed need to increase, even though they are already higher than they were years ago."

When EF Education-EasyPost announced the arrival of Luke Lamperti earlier this week, it seemed like a surprising move away from Soudal-QuickStep. After all, with Remco Evenepoel's departure and the team's return to a focus on the Spring Classics, a rider of his qualities could be given a lot more opportunities.

But Lamperti revealed to Cyclingnews that he decided to leave the Belgian powerhouse team before knowing of Evenepoel's move to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

"I did have an offer extension from Soudal-QuickStep. I loved the team, I had no complaints, it was a really nice team," Lamperti said. "I made the choice to leave before I knew Remco was leaving.

"I just saw a lot of positives in a switch to EF. Of course, some of that is opportunity [to go for his own results], but I also had my fair share of opportunity in QuickStep. I do look forward to moving and am looking forward to the season of racing with [EF]."

Lamperti signed with QuickStep as a neo-pro after three impressive seasons as an under-23 with Trinity Racing. In his first year with the Belgian team, he established himself as a formidable sprinter and support rider who was often seen leading out Paul Magnier in races.

The winner of two stages in the Czech Tour, Lamperti landed on the podium in Nokere Koerse and the Koksijde Classic this spring, but had an inconsistent season afterward.

"This year I was definitely up and down," Lamperti said. "I had times when I had good form and times when I had bad form. I think a lot of that was because I never had a really good base.

"I missed last winter with a small knee injury and I think that affected my whole season this year, especially by the end of the season, I was just cooked."

The 22-year-old ended the year by dropping out of the GPs de Québec and Montréal, the Road World Championships, Coppa Agostoni and Coppa Bernocchi, which he said was "not ideal", but was on the mend.

"I had a nice break and am rebuilding now and looking forward to the new season, especially the Classics and getting underway with my new team."

Lamperti joins EF Education-EasyPost alongside four other young incoming riders, including Canadian Michael Leonard (21) from Ineos Grenadiers, and neo-pros Noah Hobbs (21), Matthias Schwarzbacher (19) and Mattia Agostinacchio (18). The team are losing Rui Costa to retirement and Owain Doull to Visma-Lease a Bike, but have so far not announced the status of at least 11 riders, including Richard Carapaz.

In the team's press release, EF Pro Cycling CEO Jonathan Vaughters described Lamperti as "a great sprinter and a great classics rider who knows how to do a lead out". More impressively for a 22-year-old, Vaughters described him as "a real leader" who "can already be a road captain".

"He has a great ability to lead a group of people on the road, and he knows how to read race tactics incredibly well," Vaughters said. "He's going to be one of our go-to classics guys in the cobbled races. And he is going to be a sprinter that we use quite a bit.

"I also think he's going to be a great mentor for Noah Hobbs, our superstar U23 sprinter that we're bringing on. Doing a grand tour this year along with a heavy schedule like Luke did should set him up for success this coming year. I could see him winning a race like Gent-Wevelgem. If you really want to dream: Milano Sanremo. Luke is good in highly technical, highly tactical races."

For Lamperti, continuing to progress is the biggest goal for his upcoming season.

"I want to get the best out of myself throughout my career," he said. "I want to perform in the best races in the world. For me, it is about continuing to step up until I am going for results in the biggest races."

Cyclingnews will cover all of the 2026 cycling transfers from around the men's and women's pelotons with news, analysis, and an updated transfer index, to make sure you don't miss a thing this transfer season.

After considering an early retirement to sell cheese in Japan or start a croque monsieur food truck, Victor Lafay has extended his career for at least one more year after signing with Unibet Rose Rockets.

Lafay, a former Giro d'Italia and Tour de France stage winner, has struggled ever since his memorable day into San Sebastian at the 2023 Tour, with injury and illness constantly setting him back, having earned a big move to Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale.

Such was the decline that he was losing his enjoyment of the sport, prompting the Frenchman to consider what he wanted to do next. As recently as the Tour of Guangxi – where he finished second on the queen stage and GC – Lafay was still 50-50 over whether he'd stay in cycling.

But after a couple of meetings with Rockets team owner Bas Tietema, whose YouTube channel the team was born out of, Lafay was convinced that he'd found the team for him to reignite his ambitions.

"The story Bas told me, and what this team stands for, made me realise I wasn’t done yet," said Lafay in the team's announcement on Wednesday evening.

"My love for the bike never really disappeared. It just needed the right environment to come alive again. Here, I feel I can be myself and play a real part in something exciting."

Lafay's arrival continues the trend of the Rockets welcoming new stars to their fast-growing project, after Dutch multiple-time Grand Tour stage winners Dylan Groenewegen and Wout Poels came on board for 2026.

It's an ambition of the French-registered team with Dutch roots to one day earn an entry into the Tour de France, where they can bring their at times unorthodox racing style and media approach to the biggest stage. Aside from rediscovering the joy of bike racing, the Tour de France is part of what Lafay will be aiming at next season.

"I dream of getting good results again and of being on the start line of the Tour de France," he said. "I’ve never finished in Paris, and that’s something I still want to experience."

The Frenchman's lead-up to joining the team was detailed in a video on their YouTube channel, which showed an initial rejection from Lafay's management as he decided it was time to end his career, a meeting in Annecy with Tietema where Lafay felt he wanted to "understand him" not just convince him to continue, and finally his arrival in the Netherlands after reconsidering.

"From the first moment we spoke, I felt there was still so much fire left in Victor," said Tietema. "He’s a rider who dares to be different, creative, explosive, and unafraid to follow his own path. In that sense, we really understand each other.

"Cycling can be a conservative world, but people like Victor remind us that personality and emotion belong in this sport. I’m proud he chose to continue his story with us."

Lafay showed that the form is still there with his performances in Guangxi and Tre Valli Varesine, where he was on the attack, and as he approaches his 30th birthday in January, he will look to be back at his best with the Rockets and possibly at the Tour de France once again.

Following the departure of Dylan Groenewegen to Unibet Rose Rockets for 2026, Jayco-AlUla have re-strengthened their sprinting lineup with the signing of Pascal Ackermann, who joins on a two-year deal.

The German sprinter has won 45 races during a professional racing career which stretches back to 2013, including three stages at the Giro d'Italia and two at the Vuelta a España.

He'll join the likes of Luka Mezgec, Jasha Sütterlin, and Michael Matthews among the team's sprint lineup next season.

Former German champion Ackermann, who turns 32 in January, also has three stages of the Tour de Pologne, the 2019 Eschborn-Frankfurt, and the 2019 Giro points classification on his palmarès. In 2025, he won the Classique Dunkerque in May and twice finished in the top 10 on Tour de France sprint stages.

"Team Jayco-AlUla is a team with a great history, and one that I was already looking up to when I was younger," Ackermann said upon signing with the Australian squad.

"It has always been a dream to join the team, so I am excited for this opportunity! For me, it’s definitely the best team to continue to chase my dream of winning races! Let’s get into 2026 and get back to the top."

The team will resume in cycling's top division, the WorldTour, next season after initially missing the deadlines for UCI registration last month.

Last week, the team told Cyclingnews that "paperwork issues had been resolved and relevant documents have been submitted to the UCI", enabling both the men's and women's squads to retain WorldTour and Women's WorldTour status.

Ackermann's addition is far from the only incoming transfer for Jayco-AlUla in 2026, with the team taking on a different look for the new season. On the outgoing list, Groenewegen is joined by Max Walscheid, Eddie Dunbar, Filippo Zana, Elmar Reinders, Chris Harper, and the retiring Alessandro De Marchi.

Joining Ackermann in signing with the team for next season are Andrea Vendrame, Amaury Capiot, Hamish McKenzie, Dries De Bondt, Wil Holmes, and Alessandro Covi.

"We are delighted to welcome Pascal to the squad and believe that he will fit in very well with the team’s well-established leadout train," said team general manager Brent Copeland.

"He has shown over his career that he can win at the highest level, which is demonstrated by his multiple Grand Tour stage victories. We are looking forward to working with him next season and seeing what he can achieve under the guidance of the team’s coaches and sport directors."

Cycling's off-season, and the winter, is an important time in the world of transfers, as riders start to wrap up their time with their old team and head to training camps with their new one, laying out goals and plans for the season.

However, as well as the rider transfer market, which has been rumbling on since August 1 and is still seeing the final moves made, there's another world of transfers that can be almost as influential as the riders themselves. We're talking about team staff, and the shuffle of sports directors and senior managers that happens every off-season.

These moves often aren't publicised in the same way rider signings are, but they can be really important, given how much tactics and rider management can play into a team's success. Having a great mind and a good motivator behind the wheel of the car can be as important to winning as the strength of the legs on the bike.

This year, some of the key staff moves have been driven by the biggest rider moves, with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe overhauling their staffing as they welcome Remco Evenepoel, who has also brought some key figures with him from Soudal-QuickStep and the Belgian national team.

Elsewhere, Ineos Grenadiers look set to lose some key DSs, and welcome some riders into new roles – including Geraint Thomas – whilst some influential directors from the women's peloton are on the move, too.

We also have some hints at what riders are seeking a director job next year, thanks to seeing who undertook the UCI sports director training course in Aigle in October.

Here's a breakdown of some of the key moves we know about so far – we'll add more as we get them – and our analysis of what it all means.

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe

The most substantial changes seem to have happened at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, as they prepare for the arrival of Remco Evenepoel. They ousted almost their entire directing staff after the Tour de France, including Chief of Sports Rolf Aldag, Bernie Eisel, Heinrich Haussler and Enrico Gasparotto.

This was to make room for a sweeping round of changes that mark the start of a new era for the team with Evenepoel. So far, they've named Zak Dempster as Chief of Sports, alongside Oli Cookson as Head of Racing, both from Ineos Grenadiers, whilst Evenepoel is bringing former Belgian national coach Sven Vanthourenhout with him, as well as Soudal-QuickStep DS Klaas Lodewyck.

The arrival of not one but two DSs already part of 'Team Remco' is telling, and reveals how much Red Bull are buying into the project. If it wasn't clear already, he is going to be the figurehead of the team, as much as riders like Primož Roglič and Florian Lipowitz might be hoping otherwise.

The team has also moved John Wakefield, who headed up the highly successful development branch of the team, into the position of Director of Coaching, Sports Science and Technical Development. Whatever he was doing with the Rookies and juniors was working, so they'll be hoping he can work his magic with the WorldTour team as well.

Recruiting Dempster as their new Chief of Sport is a canny move, too, with the Aussie director quietly establishing himself as a really smart and hardworking tactician over at Ineos. Red Bull clearly want to start a new chapter in 2026, and though it seems dramatic to gut your staff and replace almost all the key players, that is the best way to truly start afresh with a new ethos and ambitions.

Ineos Grenadiers

As above, Ineos Grenadiers are set to lose Zak Dempster, who has been their most senior DS since the departure of Steve Cummings, and a big driving force behind the more impassioned, opportunistic way of racing at Ineos this year. His success there has certainly earned him a step up to work with a 'Big Three' rider, but it's definitely a loss for Ineos that they might struggle to fill. They can recruit some ex-riders, but they'll miss Dempster's experience as a DS, and whatever his ethos and method were, they were beginning to really work.

As stated, it's not just Dempster who is swapping Ineos for Red Bull, with Cookson following his colleague in moving to the German team. Another key part of the Ineos approach in 2025, it's no surprise that Red Bull were interested in bringing both DSs across, but it deepens the loss for the British team.

It's not fully clear yet how Ineos might fill these gaps. Geraint Thomas has long been linked to a new senior role at the team, but that's widely expected to be in a role liaising between riders and management, rather than a traditional DS role, and we can confirm he hasn't been to the UCI to get his DS license, so we won't be behind the wheel in that sense.

They may look to Salvatore Puccio as a recently retired pro to move into a staff role, and they had at least three team members getting their licenses at the UCI last month, including Ben Swift. It's not yet been confirmed whether Swift will retire this year or race for one more year, but in any case, he seems to be getting primed for a DS role.

Bahrain Victorious

Bahrain Victorious are another team who are benefiting from the exodus at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, and they've picked up Enrico Gasparotto. This should be a good addition to the team, who somewhat struggled for results in 2025, and haven't always had the most well-known DSs in their roster. Gasparotto also spent two years riding for Bahrain when he was still racing, so he should know the atmosphere and culture well, which is always a good place to start as a new staff member; it makes the transition smoother.

Movistar

Like Red Bull – though not to the same extent – Movistar have had something of a team overhaul this off-season, announcing a restructuring of their management team. They're establishing four key departments, each with their own dedicated manager, in the areas of performance, racing, health and riders. Existing manager Sebastián Unzué is heading up the management as Head of Sports, but the most exciting move is that they've brought in Matt White to co-lead the racing department.

White is an extremely experienced and respected director who left Jayco AlUla earlier this year, where he was performance director. The exact reasons for his departure have never been made public, but were likely to do with the team's lack of results in recent years – however, that doesn't change the level of expertise he can bring to Movistar. He also used to ride for the team, which, as we've already said, can be a big plus in many ways. After a long time at Jayco, this could be a fresh start for White and a fresh new perspective for Movistar, as they welcome Cian Uijtdebroeks as a new GC contender.

UAE Team ADQ

There haven't been a huge number of staff reshuffles on the women's side yet – though moves will definitely come – but one we picked up on was Michel Cornelisse moving from Fenix-Deceuninck to UAE Team ADQ. Now, Cornelisse might not be a name most people are familiar with, but he was a really influential figure at Fenix-Deceuninck as they moved up to the WorldTour, particularly working with Puck Pieterse and Pauliena Rooijakkers in their Classics and Grand Tour exploits. The team can put a lot of their success and cohesion down to him, his planning, and his approach to supporting riders, so it will be a loss for them and a gain for UAE Team ADQ.

UAE have been gradually building and expanding their project – which reportedly has a very big budget – and continue to step up after the arrival of Elisa Longo Borghini last year. Of course, they've also signed Rooijakkers for next year, who has raced under Cornelisse for some time now, and it sounds like they have a positive relationship if UAE have recruited them both at the same time. Alongside Cherie Pridham, the arrival of Cornelisse means there will be lots of directing experience at UAE next year, to match their strengthening squad.

Human Powered Health

Human Powered Health recruited a new head sports director over the summer in the form of Magnus Bäckstedt. He's a name that needs little introduction, given the fame of his Paris-Roubaix victory, and he's become a respected director in the women's peloton, although he has bounced around a little, from Canyon-SRAM and to Cofidis most recently. Hopefully, Human Powered Health can be a longer-term project where his approach and ideas can come to life.

Jayco AlUla & Liv AlUla Jayco

After letting Matt White go in May, Jayco AlUla and Liv AlUla Jayco haven't rushed to replace him immediately, clearly looking for a longer-term solution and strategy for their management, but they seem to have come to a decision now.

They recently announced that Gene Bates will step up as sporting manager of the men's team, after six seasons with the team, having led the women's arm until 2019. He's also done a lot of work for AusCycling, including being in the car as Grace Brown sped to Olympic time trial victory last summer.

In the women's team, Wim Stroetinga has been appointed sporting manager, after joining the team as a DS in 2024.

Interestingly, having these two roles separate is different to what Matt White did, who headed up performance across the two teams. There's no great consensus in the WorldTour about whether a united performance department works better than separate operations, and teams do it all in different kinds of ways, but there are definitely benefits to sharing expertise across the two teams. That said, separating them can also allow for more bespoke strategies.

It's also interesting that GreenEdge have decided to promote existing directors to these more senior roles, rather than bring in a new person at a senior level (at this point, at least). Deep understanding of how a team and their riders work is, of course, a big advantage, but at the same time, sometimes when a team is not achieving what they want to, it's a breath of fresh air that is needed rather than the same people in different roles. It will certainly be interesting to see how this plays out for the Australian squads.

Possible future directors

As riders retire, stepping into the team car is a very popular option post-racing career, and there are a number of riders who look to be prepping to step into a sport director role by completing the UCI DS exams this off-season. This licence is required to be a DS for a professional team.

Whilst the UCI are yet to publish the list of people newly accredited as sports directors, the World Cycling Centre Instagram account did post a whole load of photos from the course and exam, which revealed a number of faces that might be looking at a post-racing career in directing. A total of 81 would-be directors took the course this year.

As we've already mentioned, Ben Swift did the course, and we spotted a few other names too. Tim Declercq, Niki Terpstra, Adrien Petit and Nico Roche all took the exam, as did the new Modern Adventure Pro Cycling DSs, Alex Howes, Ty Magner and Joey Rosskopf. We know where those three are going, but the other retired pros haven't publicly announced their plans for 2026, so we'll keep an eye on where they might end up.

On the women's side, Amanda Spratt is still signed as a rider for Lidl-Trek in 2026, but took the course to get her licence this year. Could she be eyeing a hybrid role next year, where she does some trial days in the car, like Anna van der Breggen did before her break from racing? Sanne Cant also did the course, after joining SD Worx-Protime as a cyclocross coach, so we could see her in their car on the road, too.