UAE Team Emirates-XRG have bolstered their Classics line-up with the signing of young Frenchman Pierre Gautherat from Decathlon CMA CGM.

Gautherat turned professional with the French team as a 19-year-old in 2023 and, after winning a stage of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque last year, claimed his first one-day win this year at Paris-Camembert.

More recently, he sprinted to two podiums at the Tour of Luxembourg, the first running Mathieu van der Poel close on a draggy finish.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG are convinced of his potential for the future and have signed him on a three-year contract running through 2029.

"I’m very proud to be joining UAE Team Emirates-XRG. It’s a huge opportunity for me and an exciting new chapter in my career," Gautherat said in a team press release.

"I feel that this is the right environment for me to take another step forward, continue developing as a rider and challenge myself at the highest level. I’m especially motivated by the Classics and I want to keep progressing towards the biggest races and integrate into the squad.

"I’m really looking forward to joining the team, learning from the riders and staff around me and giving everything I can to contribute to the team’s success."

UAE Team Emirates-XRG describe Gautherat as "a powerful rider well suited to the demands of the northern Classics and tough one-day racing."

He got his first taste of the major Classics in his very first season at the age of 20 and the following year he was 11th in both Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Dwars door Vlaanderen. He has also finished runner-up at the Tro Bro Léon and Classique Dunkerque.

He "will add further depth to UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s Classics group while continuing to develop his own ambitions in the biggest one-day races," say the team.

UAE's Classics quad and transfer activity

UAE Team Emirates-XRG already have a strong squad for the Spring Classics and Gautherat will largely be deployed as a domestique.

Florian Vermeersch and Nils Politt have led the line in the cobbled Classics in the past couple of years, with the likes of Tim Wellens, Antonio Morgado, and Benoît Cosnefroy hopping in and out. Tadej Pogačar usually drops in for the Tour of Flanders – which he has now won three times – and Paris-Roubaix, which remains a gap and an itch in his other-worldly palmarès.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG have not made any major signings so far ahead of 2027. On the incomings list, Gautherat joins Marco Frigo from NSN Cycling, Abel Balderstone from Caja Rural, and Davide Stella from the team's development arm.

Perhaps their more significant pieces of business have been to tie Pogačar and Isaac del Toro to new long-term contract extensions.

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Visma-Lease a Bike have confirmed their first new signing for the 2027 season as Mark Donovan, with the British rider signing a two-year deal with the Dutch team.

Donovan, 27, will join after four seasons with Pinarello Q36.5, marking his first return to a WorldTour team since leaving DSM in 2022. A versatile climber and former GC winner of the Sibiu Tour in 2023, the Briton will bolster the team's climbing support.

"Visma-Lease a Bike is one of the best teams in the world, so when they come and ask you to join the team, there is no need to think twice," said Donovan on the team website.

"I’ve been in the professional peloton for quite some time now, and the past few years I’ve been able to develop and find out the type of rider I am, so making the step into this team really feels like the right moment for me, and I am really excited to see how much I can develop in this structure and which steps I will be able to take. While being part of a Grand Tour-winning team, I hope to be able to continue to show my consistency and hope to add my part in helping the team to win races."

Visma's most recent new arrival has been Fabio Jakobsen, but that was a mid-season transfer, with the Dutch rider and Picnic PostNL agreeing to terminate his contract early. The only other new rider confirmed as part of the 2027 roster is Matisse Van Kerckhove, who was announced to be stepping up from Visma's development team next season back in January.

Aside from being a consistent performer who should get through a mountain of work riding on the front in support of the super team's big leaders, Visma are also hoping to eke out some of his "untapped potential."

"I think Mark will fit very well into the way we approach racing. He has shown in recent seasons that he is a very reliable and versatile rider who can be relied upon in different situations, and he has the ability to perform when the level of the race is high," said Visma's head of racing Marc Reef.

"We see that being particularly valuable for us in stage races, where he can play an important role around our leaders. We also believe there is still some untapped potential that we are excited to develop together, as he is still only 27."

With Donovan's arrival and the majority of Visma's riders still being under contract into next year, their 2027 roster is already up to 28 riders. It comes after the shock retirement of Simon Yates in January and the imminent retirement of Steven Kruijswijk. The only 2026 rider on the team without a confirmed contract for next year at the Dutch team is Loe van Belle.

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Just weeks after his imminent retirement on Sunday at the European Road Championships, Slovenian veteran racer Luka Mezgec is set to join Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe as a sports director.

Appropriately enough for a rider best-known for his sprinting and leadout work during a 17- year career, Mezgec will waste no time at all heading to the German WorldTour squad, where he'll begin work.

After breaking the news on the Slovenian radio station, Radio 1, Mezgec told specialist sports website Sportal that one of the main missions in his new job will be working with young Italian sprinter Alessio Magagnotti.

Part of the Red Bull Rookie squad, the 19-year-old already won a stage of the Deutschland Tour this summer, when he raced as a stagiere with the senior team.

"For some time now, I have had the desire to remain in cycling as a sports director after my career ends. In the end, I had three options, and of these, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe seemed the most interesting," Mezgec, who signed his contract with Red Bull during the 2026 Tour, told Sportal.

"Alessio is a very young sprinter who will move from the development team to the pros next year, and I can offer him all the experience I have gained over the years as a sprinter and later as a lead-out man."

During his 17 seasons as a pro, the last 11 with Jayco-AlUla, Mezgec's biggest win was the last stage of the 2014 Giro d'Italia in Trieste. Amongst his 19 victories, he also took two stage victories in the Tour de Pologne and the Volta a Catalunya, whilst also spending a memorable day in a 140km break with Tadej Pogačar at the Slovenian National Championships back in 2023.

Set to meet with his new team just a few weeks away, Mezgec explained it would be difficult for him to have a role working with the GC challengers in the squad, because it was so far outside his own knowledge.

As he wryly put it, "I don't know what it's like if there are three of us left at the end of the race; I only know what it's like if there's a bunch. It would be difficult for me to explain things that I've never experienced myself.

"But I know what it's like in the bunch, how the preparation for a sprint works and what a sprinter needs. I can pass on these experiences to him."

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Visma-Lease a Bike announced the signing of Italian sports director Giorgia Bronzini for the women's WorldTour team for the 2027 season on Thursday.

Bronzini, 43, is a two-time world champion. She retired in 2018 and spent three years as a director with Trek-Segafredo before joining Liv Racing for two seasons. For the past three years, she's worked with the Human Powered Health team. Her move to Visma-Lease a Bike brings her on the same team as her former sprint rival, Marianne Vos.

"Marianne and I raced against each other for many years, and there was always a lot of respect between us," Bronzini said in the team press release. "It is very special to now be on the same side and to have the opportunity to support Marianne achieve her goals. I'm really looking forward to that, as well as to working with the whole team and seeing what we can achieve together.

"I am happy and satisfied when the riders and staff are motivated and can say that we gave everything to reach our goal, and when everyone feels they contributed to what we achieved. You never do it alone. It is the team effort that allows you to win.""

Rutger Tijssen, the Visma-Lease a Bike women's team manager, said, "Giorgia knows women's cycling from the inside and had a strong understanding of the dynamics within the peloton. "That experience is very valuable to us.

"Giorgia's experience in the sport is obviously very valuable, but what also stood out to me was her enthusiasm and drive, and her willingness to work hard for her riders. We also found that we share a similar approach to guiding and supporting a team. That really appealed to me and was one of the reasons I wanted her to join our team."

Bronzini will be important for the young riders, including new under-23 world champion Viktória Chladoñová, 19.

"Giorgia will be dedicated to working with our younger riders, particularly on their tactical development and understanding of how to read a race," Tijssen said. "She also wants to help us to take the combination of performance and racing a step further. That way of thinking is something we value highly within our team, and especially with younger riders, there is still a lot to gain by bringing the two even more together."

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Canyon-SRAM announced the signing of Swiss rider Steffi Häberlin, who joins the German team after spending two years at SD Worx-Protime.

Häberlin is a fairly recent convert to road cycling, having started racing mountain bikes in 2020. She quickly found success, winning the Swiss MTB marathon title the same year and taking European silver in the same event a year later.

She turned pro on the road just last year, joining SD Worx and winning the Swiss road title as well as finishing fifth at the Tour de Romandie Fémninin. This season, she's progressed further, defending her national title, winning the recent Tour de Gatineau, and scoring top-10 finishes at the UAE Tour and Tour de Suisse.

28-year-old Häberlin is hoping to continue her rapid progression with her new team.

"Canyon-SRAM is an ambitious team, but at the same time I don’t think that the human side of the sport gets lost," she said.

"I've had the feeling that Canyon-SRAM really tries to support each rider individually, and get the most out of everyone. I also find it commendable that Canyon-SRAM takes responsibility for the next generation through the Generation team."

Häberlin joins fellow Swiss racer Jasmin Liechti on the incoming list for Canyon, while Dutch multi-disciplinarian Shirin van Anrooij also joins next month ahead of the cyclocross season.

A trio of riders are on the outgoing list, with Kasia-Niewiadoma-Phinney heading to Lidl-Trek, Maike van der Duin moving to Visma-Lease a Bike, and Tiffany Cromwell retiring.

Häberlin will embark on her third season in the Women's WorldTour next season, and she said any doubts about her place at the top level of road cycling are "long gone."

"My first contract was a big change for me because I had only been cycling for four years, and that was mainly as a cross-country mountain biker. I had been thinking about making the switch to the road for quite some time, but I didn't really know what to expect or whether it was the right decision for me at that time," she said.

"Those doubts are long gone now, and I'm really happy to be a road cyclist. I see this next step as a great opportunity to keep learning and developing as a rider, and to gather more race days."

For SD Worx-Protime, Häberlin's departure is the sixth for 2027, joining Marta Lach (Human Powered Health), Julia Kopecký, Blanka Vas (both Lidl-Trek), Femke Markus (Visma-Lease a Bike), and Elena Cecchini (retiring).

To date, the Dutch team have brought in four riders in the shape of Cédrine Kerbaol, Axelle Dubau-Prévot (EF Education-Oatly), Rachele Barbieri (Picnic-PostNL), and Eline Jansen (VolkerWessels).

Analysis

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Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney is officially headed to Lidl-Trek for 2027, ending a nine-year tenure with Canyon-SRAM, her new team confirmed on Tuesday.

Niewiadoma-Phinney is coming to the end of one of her best seasons yet, most recently finishing second in the women's road race at the World Championships, after a summer that saw her win atop Mont Ventoux, wear the yellow jersey and finish second overall at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

Despite a highly successful stint with Canyon-SRAM that has seen her spend most of her career with the German team and win one Tour de France and take four more podiums, the Polish rider has long been understood to be moving for a new team for 2027, and that was confirmed on Tuesday.

She has initially signed a two-year contract with Lidl-Trek, where she will be their main GC leader as she continues her mission to win the Tour de France once again.

"I am super excited about the next two years," she said, with her contract taking her to the end of 2028, at which point she will be 34.

"I have spent many years on the same team and the decision to move forward and change the environment wasn't easy until I talked to Lidl-Trek. Instantly, I felt the team had a plan, trust and belief in me. I knew that when we joined forces we could aim for the highest dreams.

"I’m looking forward to working with people and professionals who have a fresh look at my abilities and at what we can achieve together, being guided from a different perspective and just new fresh air. I’m looking forward to learning from the team, what we can improve, how we can get faster and how we can raise our hands more often when crossing the finish line."

Lidl-Trek have already been busy on the transfer market this season, with Ally Wollaston, Arlenis Sierra and Julia Kopecký all on their way to the team in 2027, but Niewiadoma-Phinney is undoubtedly their headline signing of the season and a real coup in terms of securing a GC rider.

She will join the likes of Niamh Fisher-Black, Isabella Holmgren and Ricarda Bauernfeind as climbers who are already at the team, and it will be interesting to see how Lidl-Trek share out GC responsibilities in 2027.

"I’ve got so many goals I want to work hard to achieve in the next few years and I’m sure I will be able to make it happen with the team," she said. "While I don’t really know them yet, I feel full trust in Lidl-Trek. That’s what makes me so excited! I feel I made a really good decision to sign with Lidl-Trek.”

My view

Lidl-Trek will only be the third team of Niewiadoma's career, having turned pro at 18 with Rabobank-Liv Giant, then moving to Canyon-SRAM in 2018.

For Lidl-Trek, who have been building their men's and women's programmes steadily since Lidl came on board as sponsors and owners, securing one of the very top GC riders on the market is a huge get.

"Bringing Kasia into Lidl-Trek is a significant moment for our women’s program,” women’s team manager Frank Schleck said.

"She is one of the most accomplished and respected riders of her generation, but what excites us most is the way she races. Kasia is courageous. She is aggressive. She is willing to take responsibility and make a race rather than simply wait for it to happen. That mentality fits perfectly with the identity we want for this team.

"Her arrival gives us another major leader for the biggest races on the calendar, but her impact will go far beyond results. Her experience, professionalism and competitive mentality can help raise the level of the entire group."

As for Canyon-SRAM, Niewiadoma-Phinney's departure will naturally leave a huge gap which the team will not be able to fill like-for-like, but they have high hopes for Antonia Niedermaier, who already announced herself as a possible successor with her fourth overall at the Tour this year.

The team have made two signings for 2027 so far, Shirin van Anrooij from Lidl-Trek – who will officially change allegiances in October, in time for cyclo-cross season – plus talented youngster Jasmin Liechti.

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Jordi Meeus, the winner of the Champs-Élysées stage in the Tour de France back in 2023 has signed a two-year deal with Lidl-Trek.

The Belgian fastman, currently with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, is set to race alongside Italian sprint star Jonathan Milan from next January.

Meeus, 28, is best-known for capturing the most prestigious sprint stage of the Tour de France three years ago ahead of no less a rival than Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Dylan Groenewegen (Unibet Rose Rockets). Amongst his 19 wins to date are the inaugural edition of the Copenhagen Sprint in 2025, and stages in the Tour de Suisse and Tour de Wallonie. His latest victory of four this season to date was in the Brussels Cycling Classic.

Meeus signing for Lidl-Trek comes hard on the heels of the announcement by the squad's German sprinter Max Walscheid that he will be retiring at the end of the year.

"I have always looked up to this team, especially as a child," Meeus said in a press release issued by Lidl-Trek, a team he's joining after six years at WorldTour level with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

"They always had big names in their ranks. Like the Schleck brothers, [Fabian] Cancellara, and [double Tour of Flanders winner] Stijn Devolder. I am therefore really looking forward to joining the team and changing surroundings."

Meeus said he would not have the same role as in Red Bull, given he'll also be working as a leadout man for Lidl's current top sprinter, Jonathan Milan.

"It is my ambition to win many races with this team. I will try to support Johnny as best I can in sprints, but I also have my own ambitions in the Classics and other races," Meeus said.

"I look forward to fulfilling a slightly different role than I am used to, but I can't wait to become part of a sprint train and grow as a rider."

Meeus final races with Red Bull are set to be the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro in Germany this weekend, Binche-Chiimay-Binche on October 6 and finally the Tour de Guangxi (October 13-18).

After four riders announced their departure in recent weeks, SD Worx-Protime are ramping up their recruitment with Axelle Dubau-Prévôt heading to the Dutch team in 2027.

Dubau-Prévôt will join the squad for two years and is the second French woman the team have recruited from EF Education-Oatly in recent weeks, with Cédrine Kerbaol announced earlier in September.

Though the 30-year-old Dubau-Prévôt only has one season riding at WorldTour level, and only returned to the road in 2025, she has competed in cyclocross, mountain bike and gravel, bagging top results in the latter discipline.

She rode with some success on the road as a junior, then spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons riding at Continental level for Spanish and Belgian teams. Despite this, her 2026 season was hugely successful, with 10th place at Liège-Bastogne-Liège as her outstanding result on the road. In gravel races this year, she has plenty of top-10 placings, with third at the European Championships her most notable result.

"We are convinced that Axelle still has plenty of room for improvement," the team’s sporting director Danny Stam said, admitting they have been following her since the UAE Tour in February.

“Precisely because we want to strengthen our squad for the Ardennes classics, she’s an excellent fit for us. As she had to ride many races in support of the team last season, we haven’t yet seen the best of her. There’s certainly still room for improvement when it comes to climbing.”

Dubau-Prévôt admitted she is still new to the sport, saying, "It wasn’t until 2026 that I turned fully professional for the first time. Before that, I combined cycling with my job as a nutritionist. I knew I had talent, but I thought, ‘What if I went all out for it?’

"After Liège-Bastogne-Liège, I got calls from several teams. I took a chance with Team SD Worx-Protime. I’ve been following this team for years. It’s a dream to now be part of it. It feels a bit bizarre: ten years ago, my career was more or less over, and now, in my thirties, I’m suddenly a member of one of the best cycling teams in the world."

Dubau-Prévôt, the sister of 2025 Tour de France Femmes champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, is the fourth rider to sign with SD Worx this year, balancing their losses, and joins Kerbaol, Eline Jansen and Rachele Barbieri.

Leaving the team are Marta Lach, Blanka Vas, Femke Markus and Julia Kopecký, while Elena Cecchini will retire after 15 years as a professional.

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Newly-crowned under-23 time trial world champion Felicity Wilson-Haffenden will swap Lidl-Trek for Fenix-Premier Tech in 2027, her new team announced the morning after she took gold in Montreal.

Wilson-Haffenden stormed to her third rainbow jersey on Monday afternoon, adding the U23 TT title to the junior TT title she took in 2023, and the mixed relay victory she was a part of in 2025.

That original world title back in 2023 earned her a contract with Lidl-Trek straight out of the junior ranks, but after three years with the German team, she is headed for pastures new in 2027 and 2028.

"I’m beyond excited to be joining Fenix-Premier Tech for the next two seasons," the 21-year-old said in a press release.

"I have a lot of respect for the team’s racing style, and I believe that, with their support, this is the perfect environment for me to take the next step in my career. I can’t wait to get started and see what we can achieve together in 2027."

The Australian's World Championships win on Monday was only her second of 2026, coming after she took the national title in Perth back in January.

Wilson-Haffenden has come into her own in this last year, clearly catching the attention of Fenix-Premier Tech, but the start of her professional career with Lidl-Trek was something of a rollercoaster, experiencing a baptism of fire in 2024 and several difficult races before beginning to find her rhythm.

She's been a more consistent feature in big races this year, making her Grand Tour debut in the Vuelta Femenina, and then scoring third overall at the Baloise Ladies Tour, in large part thanks to her efforts against the clock.

After her victory on Monday, she confirmed she has big goals for the next chapter of her career: "I definitely have my eyes on more in the future. I'm a hungry person, and I will say the elite title is something that I do dream of."

Wilson-Haffenden marks Fenix-Premier Tech's first major signing for 2027, only the second addition to the squad after moving Puck Langenbarg up from their development team, though more moves are expected to be coming.

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Lidl-Trek have announced the signing of Spanish climber Igor Arrieta on a three-year deal from UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

The 23-year-old has spent the past three seasons at UAE after coming up through the Lizarte youth setup and turning pro with Kern Pharma. He's enjoyed a breakthrough season this year with a Giro d'Italia stage victory and a third place at the AlUla Tour among his standout results.

Arrieta has also taken second place at the Ordiziako Klasikoa and scored top-10 results at the Clásica Jaén, Faun-Ardèche Classic, Itzulia Basque Country, and the Tour de Luxembourg.

"I have a super nice feeling about signing with Lidl-Trek; it’s a really big team that is continuing to grow with the Lidl ownership," Arrieta said upon the announcement of his signing.

"I'm really looking forward to continuing to grow as a rider over the next season. In the last few years I have improved every year, and I think I can continue to grow at Lidl-Trek. I’m really excited to ride with big talents like Skjelmose, Pedersen, Ciccone and all the guys on the team.

"I really hope to grow as a rider, in all aspects of my racing – on the climbs, the flat and in time trials, and I’m looking forward to establishing my place in the team. From the outside it looks like a real family team and it looks like a great one to be a part of."

Arrieta is best known for his exploits at the Giro back in May, where he raced to 19th place overall in Rome. His race to victory on stage 5 of the Grand Tour in Potenza saw him tussle with Afonso Eulálio in a drama-filled breakaway finale.

Both men went down in the final kilometres of the rain-sodden stage, while Arrieta also took a wrong turn. He made a comeback, however, later shooting past Eulálio in the final few hundred metres of the stage to claim a memorable victory.

Arrieta joins fellow Spaniards Juan Ayuso, Héctor Alvarez, and Carlos Verona at Lidl-Trek, who are now at 29 riders for 2027, with a maximum of 30 possible.

While he signs from UAE, Alvarez steps up from the Lidl-Trek Future Racing team, and Austrian pairing Felix Gall and Gregor Mühlberger join from Decathlon CMA CGM. Georg Zimmermann (Lotto-Intermarché) and Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies) complete the team's incoming signings to date.

"Stage 5 of this year's Giro d'Italia was one of the most dramatic finales to the race and Igor’s victory in Potenza impressed us and highlighted not only his ability and racing prowess but also his future star power," Lidl-Trek CEO Andy Schleck said.

"We believe Igor has a bright career ahead of him and we are looking forward to working with him and seeing him develop."

Arrieta is UAE's second departure of the off-season, joining Juan Sebastián Molano (Lotto-Intermarché) in heading for the exit. The team has already signed Abel Balderstone (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Marco Frigo (NSN), and neo-pro Davide Stella.

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The Paula Blasi transfer saga has come to an end, with the rising Spanish star confirming that she has completed her exit from UAE Team l'IMAD and signed for a new team from 2027.

The 23-year-old did not specify which team she has signed for, but it is widely understood to be Movistar, with multiple reports in the mainstream Spanish press detailing her move to the Spanish team.

Blasi herself hardly played down those reports during an appearance on Spanish national radio station RNE on Saturday morning.

When asked if she'd be racing in Movistar colours in 2027, she started chuckling, then said: "For the moment, I cannot say anything. I hope that, whatever it is, it's announced soon. What I can say is that I'm very excited about the future."

Blasi went on to confirm that she has put pen to paper and that a complicated and drawn-out process is "definitively" in the past.

Blasi was contracted through 2027 with UAE Team l'IMAD, the team with which she turned professional mid-way through 2025, having previously competed in running and triathlon. Her rise has been extraordinary, with an eye-catching 2025 season giving way to a 2026 campaign in which she has won the Vuelta Femenina, Amstel Gold Race, Tour des Pyrenées, and Volta a Catalunya, among other top results.

Blasi had a contract through 2027 but, crucially, a buy-out clause, reported to be €100,000, which team president Melissa Moncada described as "a stupid mistake" to Daniel Benson's Cycling Substack as the rider looked to engineer a move in the summer.

Movistar therefore appear to have triggered this relatively low figure, with multiple Spanish newspapers El País, reporting that the Spanish team will pay her in the region of €500,000 annually on a three-year contract.

It is also being reported that Blasi had signed a pre-contract, or letter of intent, with Lidl-Trek – the other team in the fight for her signature – but that has also now been ripped up to pave the way for the Movistar move.

"A few days ago, everything was definitively closed," Blasi stated. "It's quite something, the paperwork and the things that go into it.

"But at least now I can concentrate squarely on cycling and leave behind the, let's say, nonsense away from the bike."

Without outright naming her future team, she added: "I believe it was the change I needed. I had a season with its good moments and its bad moments but now it's time for a next step and to race with a team that can accompany me in my ambitions, let's say."

UAE Team l'IMAD believed they could provide that environment and fought hard to keep Blasi, but she ultimately believed her future was best served elsewhere.

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Uno-X Mobility have added Usoa Ostolaza on a three-year deal, the Basque racer joining from Laboral Kutxa-Fundácion Euskadi.

28-year-old Ostolaza has developed into one of the peloton's strongest climbers in recent years, excelling in a host of mountainous races. The 2024 Spanish champion has won the Tour Féminin des Pyrénées in 2024 and 2025 and raced to 12th overall at La Vuelta Femenina last year.

She's stepped up another level this season, collecting top-10 finishes at Itzulia Women, the Pyrénées, and the Faun Tour Femmes, a podium at the Vuelta a Burgos, plus a win at the GP de Eibar.

The highlight of her season, though, was her best Grand Tour result to date, fourth overall at La Vuelta Femenina.

Ostolaza has spent her entire career to date with Laboral Kutxa, having turned pro with them in 2021, but she's now ready for a new challenge.

"I feel Uno-X Mobility is the perfect place for me to keep dreaming and growing as an athlete. It is a team with heart, professionalism and ambition," Ostolaza said.

"What attracts me most is the team's values and the feeling of unity. I believe it fits both my personality and the way I look at life. I am very happy to become part of the team for the next three years and to continue growing together, both as athletes and as people."

With Ostolaza still improving as a stage racer and recording her best Grand Tour results to date, she said she's looking forward to continuing her progress at Uno-X, including working on her time trial ability.

"I am excited to learn from a different approach to racing, new equipment and new routines. One area I especially want to work on is the time trial, improving my position and learning more about aerodynamics. I believe Uno-X Mobility is the perfect team for that,” said Ostolaza.

“The Grand Tours will be a major focus, and I want to fight for the best possible result in the general classification. I also believe I can perform well in certain classics that finish with a small group. There are still many things I can improve, and I am very motivated to keep working.

Analysis

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Lotto-Intermarché have continued their transfer shopping spree by adding Frenchman Guillaume Martin to their 2027 roster.

Martin turned pro with Wanty-Groupe Gobert, which merged with Lotto at the end of last season, spending four seasons with them between 2016 and 2019, so his move away from Groupama-FDJ United on a one-year contract is something of a homecoming for the 33-year-old.

With only 11 victories to his name - and none at WorldTour level - Martin has never been a serial winner, and both he and his new team realise that, with his role being partially to guide what is a young squad. However, he will also have chances to chase his own victories at the Belgian squad.

"Since our first period together, he has gained a huge amount of experience at the very highest level; that experience is extremely valuable in our young squad," said team CEO Jean-François Bourlart.

"Guillaume showed again at the recent Vuelta that he can still perform at a very high level. We want to give him the freedom to pursue strong results of his own. That combination makes him a very valuable addition to our team."

A talented climber, Martin was briefly the answer to the eternal question of where France’s next Grand Tour would come from, but he was unable to kick on. However, his Grand Tour palmarès is one many would envy. He has two GC top-10s at the Tour de France in 2021 and 2023, also finishing 11th, 12th and 13th overall at his home Grand Tour. In 2020 he won the mountains classification at the Vuelta a España, and was ninth overall the following year, and only last week bagged 11th place overall.

"I may have flown a little under the radar over the past two years. I still believe I have what it takes to fight for a top-ten finish in a Grand Tour," Martin said in a team statement. "Finishing eleventh in the recent Vuelta reinforces that belief.

"The WorldTour remains my terrain, and I feel I still have something to achieve there. The Giro d’Italia is the only Grand Tour in which I haven’t finished in the top ten yet, so that remains a dream of mine. But of course, the Tour de France is also on my mind. For every French rider – and really for every rider – it remains a very special race.”

Martin is well known as one of the peloton’s intellectuals, holding a Master’s degree in philosophy and authoring books discussing the philosophy and society within the sport.

Martin is the seventh addition to Lotto-Intermarché’s 2027 roster announced so far, with three joining from their Lotto-Groupe Wanty development team and Clément Venturini, Juan Sebastián Molano and Stan Dewulf also joining next year.

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Soudal-QuickStep have announced the signing of British racer Ben Turner on a three-year deal from Netcompany Ineos.

27-year-old Turner, who has raced with Ineos since turning pro in 2022, will boost Soudal-QuickStep's Classics and sprint lineups.

Turner has three professional victories to his name, including sprint wins at the 2025 Vuelta a España and 2025 Tour de Pologne.

He's also been a strong Classics performer, having burst onto the scene in 2022 with top 10 finishes at Dwars door Vlaanderen and Brabantse Pijl plus 11th place at Paris-Roubaix.

"Obviously, for me it's a big privilege to join Soudal-QuickStep, a team which I've always dreamed of being part of since being small and watching the Classics together with my dad," Turner said upon signing with the Belgian team.

"Even after I turned professional, it was a team I was always looking at to see what they were doing in the races and always keeping an eye on them.

"After discussing with Jurgen [Foré, team CEO] and the team, I realised quickly that we are on the same page, that's why I'm super excited to be part of this organisation from 2027. I want to develop myself into a better rider here, try to win races, and help the squad get victories.

"I'm looking forward to being part of this environment and racing for Soudal-QuickStep, it's something that gives me a massive motivation for next season."

Turner is Soudal-QuickStep's third signing for 2027, joining German fastman Tim Torn Teutenberg and Italian all-rounder Lorenzo Milesi on the incoming list. Mikel Landa (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Casper Pedersen (Uno-X Mobility) are the two riders confirmed to be leaving the team for 2027.

"We have been following Ben for quite some time now and realised that he is the type of rider that would immediately find his place in our team. Ben has the right mindset and character to join the Wolfpack," said Foré.

"He is someone who can perform in the Classics and in stage races, but also help the squad in a wide range of races, and that's why we are excited he will race with us through 2029. We still think he has the capacity to improve even more, and we hope he'll hit new heights in the coming years as part of our squad."

Analysis

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Lidl-Trek have announced the signing of hugely talented climber and GC racer Felix Gall for 2027 in what is a major boost to their Grand Tour aspirations for next season and beyond.

The 28-year-old has just completed the Vuelta a España, where he finished third and took his second Grand Tour podium of 2026 after finishing second in the Giro d'Italia in May behind Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike). He also won a top Spanish stage race, the Vuelta a Burgos, this summer.

Lidl-Trek also announced that Gall will be joined next year by fellow Austrian and friend Gregor Mühlberger, 32. Both riders are currently with French WorldTour squad Decathlon CMA CGM.

One of the key transfer stories of 2026, Gall has signed a three-year contract through to the end of 2029, whilst Mühlberger has signed for two years, to the end of 2028.

Fifth in the Tour de France in 2025 and the winner of the toughest high mountain stage in the same race on the Col de la Loze back in 2023, Gall's double Grand Tour podium this season has seen him take a major step forward in terms of GC consistency.

His arrival at Lidl-Trek will see the team add to a strong stable of GC riders including Juan Ayuso, a former Vuelta podium finisher himself, and Mattias Skjelmose. However, it has been reported on Daniel Benson's substack that Tao Geoghegan Hart, the Giro d'Italia winner back in 2020, will likely be leaving Lidl-Trek at the end of the year.

Mühlberger himself has some notable GC finishes, taking 15th in the Giro d'Italia and then winning his home race, the Tour of Austria, in July. He was part of Gall's support team on the Vuelta, providing notable support on the crunch stage to Aitana, but then crashed out on stage 13, whilst running ninth overall.

"Felix has truly grown into his role as a GC leader, and it has been exciting to watch him take another step forward each season," Lidl-Trek CEO Andy Schleck said in a press release announcing the double signing.

"Since his breakthrough Tour de France in 2023, he has continued to develop his consistency, confidence and ability to perform at the highest level across three demanding weeks. In 2026, Felix has shown that he belongs among the very best, establishing himself as a genuine Grand Tour podium contender. But we believe there is still so much more to come."

“Gregor will bring a wealth of experience to the Team over the next two years, but just as importantly, he brings the qualities every team values: loyalty, commitment and a willingness to give everything for those around him.

Gall himself said after the Vuelta podium finish that he believes the next logical move for him would be to try to win a Grand Tour, but warned that it was by no means a given and considered it a massive step. He pointed out it had taken Enric Mas (Movistar), the Vuelta winner, four podium finishes before winning it outright.

A pro since 2020, with first Sunweb (now Picnic PostNL) and then Decathlon since 2022, the former Junior World Road Race champion said in the same press release announcing his signing that, "With Lidl-Trek a new chapter in my career as professional cyclist begins.

"After wonderful years and the success that came with them, it is now time for me to take the next logical step. Lidl-Trek's high standards across all aspects of modern cycling align perfectly with my own goal of continuing to develop in the best possible way."

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There has been another shock move in the women’s transfer market, with the Hungarian champion Blanka Vas to make a mid-season switch from SD Worx-Protime to Lidl-Trek.

With a background in cyclocross and mountain bike, Vas had been marked out for greatness ever since joining the Women’s WorldTour with SD Worx mid-way through 2021.

However, after seeing her career take off with wins in the Tour de France Femmes and Giro d’Italia Women, among other major races, her 2026 season has been one to forget, featuring just 12 race days, and no racing since May.

On Monday morning, it was revealed in a coordinated announcement between SD Worx-Protime and Lidl-Trek that the 25-year-old would be making the switch between the teams, effective not from next January but from October 1, 2026.

Mid-contract switches are not unheard of for riders who race cyclocross in the winter, but while Shirin van Anrooij is leaving Lidl-Trek to join Canyon-SRAM from November 1, Blanka Vas’ transfer comes with the possibility of the Hungarian champion representing her new team on the road this calendar year, as well as in cyclocross.

"Following open and constructive discussions, both parties have concluded that the sporting ambitions they had hoped for have not been realised over the past year. The decision has therefore been taken to give Vas the opportunity to start a new chapter in her career,” read a statement from SD Worx-Protime.

The team indicated that the driving force for the parting of ways was Vas herself, with sporting director Danny Stam adding: “She has expressed a desire to explore what she can achieve with another team. We understand her position and wish her every success and happiness for the future."

Soon after, Lidl-Trek announced the arrival of Vas from October 1, on a contract that will run through 2028.

"I’ve followed her closely over the last few years and have always believed in the level she can reach,” said team boss Frank Schleck. "At Lidl–Trek, our ambition is not only to bring together the best talent, but to create an environment where riders can develop, challenge themselves and reach their full potential. We believe we can give Blanka exactly that.

"Her versatility, racing instinct and team mentality will make us stronger across the entire calendar. She has already proven her quality on the road and in cyclocross, and we’re especially excited that she’ll pull on the Lidl–Trek jersey very soon for the upcoming CX season. Blanka represents exactly the kind of ambitious, multi-discipline rider we want to build our future around.”

As for Vas herself, she was quoted in the announcements from both teams.

“This was not an easy decision, but after a number of discussions, we all felt that this was the right time to take a different path,” she said in the SD Worx press release. “I would like to thank everyone at Team SD Worx-Protime for their support, professionalism, dedication and friendship over the past 5.5 years. It is now time for a new chapter in my career.”

Soon after, in Lidl-Trek’s press release, she added: “I have very good feelings about it and can’t wait to get to know everyone in the team. I am super excited. I’m mostly looking forward to the new environment, the new challenges and everything I can learn. I’m excited to start this new chapter, get to know everyone and see what we can achieve together as a team.

“I hope I can keep improving and become a stronger rider. I’d also like to get some experience in a leadership role at some races and see how I can handle that. I think it would be a good opportunity for me to learn and grow.”

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After two full seasons with Netcompany Ineos, three-time USPro time trial national champion Artem Shmidt makes a move to NSN Cycling in 2027. The 22-year-old rising talent will feature in the Classics and stage racing for his new outfit on a three-year commitment.

The New York native displayed versatility this year with his first professional win at Classique Dunkerque, ninth overall in the 4 Jours de Dunkerque and a top-10 finish on a hilly final stage at the Tour of Britain Men.

His victory at the 1.Pro race in France on a rainy May edition saw him make an aggressive solo move to disrupt an expected battle of sprinters. His power, combined with tactical acumen, cast a sharp light on his growing versatility.

“Artem Shmidt is one of the most exciting talents to come out of the US in recent years, and we believe he represents a rider profile we don’t currently have in the team,” said Kjell Carlstrom, NSN's general manager, in a press release Friday.

“Artem already has some very clear qualities, particularly in the time trial, but what excites us is how much more he can develop over the next three seasons. He only has two seasons in the WorldTour to his name, and already he has shown great potential, so a big objective for us is to continue facilitating that development and see just how far he can go in one-day and stage races."

Shmidt has developed from his junior years with LUX Cycling and Hot Tubes Development for two years on the Continental level with Hagens Berman Jayco. He was always comfortable and strong on a time trial bike, winning his first USPro title in the men's U23 ITT in 2024, then sweeping the elite title the next two years.

A move to NSN is now an opportunity for Shmidt to develop for stage racing, his goal to earn a spot for a Grand Tour appearance, which would be his first.

“In terms of my development in road racing, I believe NSN is the perfect team for me to develop an aggressive and opportunistic racing style and really sharpen those characteristics I have shown as a rider. My big objectives will naturally be the time trials and Spring Classics, but I would love to do my first Grand Tour," Shmidt said in the NSN announcement about his new contract.

"There were many things that stood out to me about NSN Cycling Team. The professionalism and the way the team came across in our meetings were important, but what really made an impact was the culture. The English-speaking environment and the atmosphere in the team were big factors for me, and the racing style is more my type of beat.

"Being up the road, attacking, and on that front foot is the mentality that we share.”

Shmidt will compete at Grands Prix Cyclistes Québec et Montréal for Netcompany Ineos and follow the Canadian doubleheader by representing Team USA at UCI Road World Championships in Montréal, riding in the elite men's time trial and road race.

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One of the peloton’s real engines, Victor Campenaerts, has extended his contract with Visma-Lease a Bike, signing to stay with the Dutch squad until the end of 2028.

A pro since joining Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise in 2014, Campenaerts returned to Visma-Lease a Bike in 2025 after spending two seasons with them in 2016 and 2017. He also had two spells with his former team Lotto-Dstny, most recently with the Belgian squad between 2022 and 2024 and before that for two years starting in 2018.

Campenaerts has made himself a crucial part of Visma’s Grand Tour line ups, working as a vital domestique in support of Jonas Vingegaard’s efforts to overcome Tadej Pogačar’s Tour de France dominance. He was part of Vingegaard’s Giro d’Italia winning squad this year and rode with the Dane until the latter was forced out of second place at this year’ Tour de France.

"I joined the team with the ambition of becoming a valuable domestique in the Grand Tours, and that journey has gone extremely well," Campenaerts said in a team press release. "In the meantime, I have already been able to contribute to victories in both the Vuelta and the Giro, which is something I am incredibly proud of.

"I am very happy that the team continues to put its trust in me, and that they are underlining that confidence with this contract extension."

With plenty of wins of his own over the years, Campenaerts is a strong time trialist. A former Belgian and European TT champion, he has used those skills to not only win against the clock but also take road victories, perhaps most memorably at the Giro d’Italia in 2021 and the Tour de France two years later.

Analysis

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The management shake-up at UAE Team L'IMAD is set to continue with Head of Sports Cherie Pridham leaving the squad for pastures new, alongside sports director Dave Povall, following the departure of their team principal and other staff.

Pridham and Povall will work for Human Powered Health in 2027, the American team announced on Thursday evening. The squad is going through their own building process with several high-profile rider signings for next year.

In experienced sports director Pridham, who has worked across top-tier men's and women's teams for decades, the team is gaining serious expertise in the team car, joining head DS Magnus Bäckstedt.

But whilst it's a seemingly positive move for Human Powered Health, it's a more concerning departure for UAE Team L'Imad, who have already seen significant changes to their senior leadership structure this season.

Team principal Yana Seel left the team earlier in the summer, ending her contract early and citing "a divergence in our strategic visions for the team’s future development" as her reasoning in a statement given to Daniel Benson's Cycling Substack at the time.

The team have been without a replacement principal since then, with an interim staff member stepping up to take on day-to-day running of the team whilst they looked for a full-time replacement.

DS Michel Cornelisse is also confirmed to be leaving the team to join SD Worx-Protime, and there are uncertainties over the futures of DSs Lionel Marie and Paolo Slongo, who is Longo Borghini's personal coach. With Pridham, Povall and Cornelisse leaving, the squad is already losing a large portion of its performance team.

According to Daniel Benson, Pridham was in the running to step up into the role of principal, with team president Melissa Moncada saying: "I hope that she’s with the team. That’s not something that I have confirmation on. Cherie has been a valuable piece in our team. We’ve had many conversations with Cherie. [...] I hope that she continues."

However, since the Tour de France Femmes – where Pridham led the team to finish on the podium, as well as fifth and seventh overall – the British director has clearly made her decision to depart for pastures new.

"For me, good leadership is about listening and understanding, while still being calm enough to make clear decisions and maintain high standards when the pressure is on," she said in a Human Powered Health press release.

The reasons for the multiple departures at UAE Team L'Imad are not clear, and there have been more behind-the-scenes management shuffles over the past few years, but one possible source of tension is the future of Vuelta Femenina Paula Blasi, who is expected to break her contract to leave the squad early despite being one of their biggest talents.

Moncada called the failure to secure Blasi's contract "a stupid mistake" in her interview with Daniel Benson, and narratives around Blasi's future and leadership – or lack thereof – at the Tour de France caused friction between the media and the team, who felt unfairly questioned over the situation.

Answers to all of these questions are not yet clear, with no official word on Blasi's future, nor a new team principal in place at UAE just yet, but the continued departures do suggest that all is not yet settled at the team.

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Ben Swift (Netcompany Ineos) announced his plan to retire at the end of the 2026 season in a post on Instagram on Tuesday.

"Yeah, so this is it. I've decided to retire," Swift said. "It's been 18 great years, and never really in my wildest dreams thought I'd have such a long career and a successful career along the way. Having grown up as a kid, it was just a dream - it was always something that I never really thought would happen, but I never saw myself doing anything else, you know?"

The 38-year-old began his professional cycling career in 2009 with Team Katusha, but the next year signed with Sky Procycling and remained with the organisation for all but two years, riding for UAE Team Emirates from 2017-2018.

Swift came up through British Cycling's programmes, racing to his only world title on the track in the Scratch Race in 2012. Last month, he and Isle of Man teammate Matthew Bostock won the points race in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

A sprinter with the capacity to survive smaller climbs, Swift was runner-up in Milan-San Remo in 2016 and third in 2014. While Swift scored early career wins in the Tour of California, Tour de Romandie, Tour Down Under and Tour de Pologne, and was British road race champion in 2019 and 2021, he spent most of his years as a loyal teammate, road captain and mentor for younger riders.

Swift said he decided to retire on a high note. "I still love riding my bike. I love the training, I love the racing, and I think I decided to finish this year because I still feel like I'm at a high enough level to enjoy the racing," he said.

"There's still plenty of racing left this year. I've got Tour of Britain, which is obviously my home race. It was my first, technically, professional race. I think it was only right to go back there and do Tour of Britain. I think it'll be my 11th or 12th time riding this race, but it's just so nice to be racing in front of your home crowds on your home soil.

"So after Tour of Britain, I've got a few more in Italy, which is quite nice to be racing back in Italy. It feels like full circle - that's where the whole journey started. We lived in Quarrata in Tuscany in my first six years - my first three years Under-23 and then my first years pro. So I've got a real strong connection to Italy, so I think that really goes quite nicely finishing there and going full circle.

"And then on to Paris-Tours, so a big one to finish with. So I want to finish kind of on my own terms, on a high, enjoy my racing, and just make the most of it, you know?"

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Mavi García has pushed back her plans for retirement, signing a new one-year contract extension with UAE Team L'IMAD that will take her through to the end of 2027, by which point she’ll be 43 years old.

The Spaniard returned to the UAE team, where she spent a successful 2022 campaign, this year and after a strong season that has taken in all three Grand Tours, she has decided she’s not done yet with professional cycling.

García pointed out that while she is now 42, he cycling career is not all that old, having only switched to the sport full-time in 2016 following many years competing in athletics and duathlon.

"Maybe there are people who don’t understand it at my age, but this year I have really enjoyed racing with the team. I’m at a point where I can finally say that I have learned everything there is to learn in this sport. Because I started so late, everything happened differently," García said.

"Anyone would pay to have a job that used to be their hobby, and I consider myself very fortunate to be able to continue doing a little more of what I love most, especially considering that my level is still very high. It can also be a motivation for other riders because, after all, this is a job where you always have to keep breaking barriers whenever possible."

García started out with the Bizkaia-Durango team before taking a breakthrough Spanish road race title in 2016 that propelled her cycling career and took her to the Movistar women’s team when it was set up in 2018.

In 2020 she signed for the Alé-BTC Ljubljana team that was taken over by the UAE project in 2022, and it was during these years that she enjoyed her most consistent phase of top-level success, with three road race-time trial doubles at the Spanish nationals, along with a podium at the Giro d’Italia Women, a top-10 at the first Tour de France Femmes, and a Giro dell’Emilia win among some strong Classics results.

She then transferred to spend three years at the Liv-AlUla-Jayco team, during which she claimed the biggest win of her career with a stage at the 2025 Tour de France Femmes, but she returned to UAE in 2026, where she finished runner-up at the Tour Down Under before supporting the team’s ever-growing GC ambitions in all three Grand Tours, with Paula Blasi winning the Vuelta before Elisa Longo Borghini placed 4th at the Giro and 3rd at the Tour.

When she returned to UAE last winter, she stated at the time that the 2026 season would be her last, but has changed her mind.

"I left the team when it had only been created one year earlier, and when I came back the change was quite big. It has grown in every sense, both in terms of structure and the level of the riders and organization," García said.

"2022 here was the best year of my sporting career and I learned so much from the team. Now the team has given me the opportunity to finish my sporting career here, helping the young riders and the team improve with everything I can contribute. That gives me satisfaction and makes me want to be part of the team’s continuous improvement."

It has not been explicitly confirmed that the 2027 season will be García’s last, with the UAE Team L’IMAD management, which has undergone significant change in recent months, convinced she still has plenty to offer.

"Her value to this team goes far beyond the results she can achieve in races. Mavi brings experience, leadership, knowledge and an extraordinary work ethic, and she has become an important figure for our young riders," said team president Melissa Moncada.

"Her return in 2026 allowed us to rediscover someone we already knew, but also to see how much our team has grown since 2022. We are proud that she has decided to continue with us and we are convinced that she still has a great deal to give to this project."

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Junior star Anja Grossmann will step into the WorldTour ranks with FDJ United-Suez in 2027, with the French team securing the signature of one of the most exciting talents coming out of the youth ranks.

Grossmann, who is still only 17, became junior mountain bike world champion just a few days ago, after bursting onto many radars last autumn when she finished on the podium at the World and European Championships as a first-year junior. She dedicated these results to her compatriot Muriel Furrer, who died at the World Championships in 2024.

Eyes will have been on Grossmann since her Worlds and Europeans rides, and her stock has only grown in her second year of juniors, doing the double at the Swiss national championships, and finishing second atop the Grand Colombier in the Valromey Tour Féminin.

On the mountain bike, her rainbow jersey comes after winning the European Championships in both 2025 and 2026, and winning every single MTB race she started this season.

She rides for Trinity Racing, who are sponsored by Specalized, which also sponsors FDJ United-Suez.

She is widely touted as one of the very best talents coming out of the junior ranks and a future star of the pro peloton, so it is promising – though perhaps not surprising – that the best-ranked team were the ones to secure her future.

"Joining FDJ UNITED-SUEZ is a dream come true," she said in a team statement. "I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue pursuing my dreams alongside such an incredible team, both on the road and in cyclo-cross. I can’t wait to discover everything that lies ahead."

Her mention of cyclo-cross was interesting, and may add further fuel to the rumours that FDJ United-Suez are planning to launch a cyclo-cross set-up in the near future, led primarily by Célia Gery.

Grossmann didn't race the CX season last year, but was European champion at fourth at the World Championships in 2024/25.

My view

FDJ have been gradually bolstering their line-up since the arrival of Demi Vollering nearly two years ago, most recently welcoming Kate Courtney to the team along with new sponsor Red Bull, and the acquisition of Grossmann seems to not only confirm their commitment to finding new talent, but a further step into the world of multidiscipline stars.

"We are very proud to welcome Anja for the next two seasons and to support her in the first steps of her professional career. Anja perfectly embodies what we want to build: a young, multidisciplinary, talented, ambitious athlete with so much still to discover," said team manager Stephen Delcourt.

"Our role is to believe in these talents, to give them the time, the environment, and the resources to grow and pursue their dreams. The future isn't something you wait for; it's something you build today. And we are very happy to begin this adventure with Anja."

Grossmann has one more chance to end her already highly successful junior career on a high at the Road World Championships in Montréal, where she will be a big favourite to add another rainbow jersey to her collection before joining the pro ranks.

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Breakout Belgian rider Liam Slock has signed with Bahrain Victorious for two years, the team announced Monday. The 25-year-old has had an eye-catching season with Lotto-Intermarché, securing his first professional win at GP Gippingen in June, in a dramatic finish that saw him hit the deck on the approach to the finish line.

Slock's arrival to Bahrain will bolster the team's strength in one-day racing and Grand Tours, with his power and versatility providing a great asset both in terms of team support, and his own potential chances, as he continues his development.

“This is a new step in my career, and I am immensely looking forward to developing further in this new environment at Bahrain Victorious. I am motivated to bring my experience and qualities and to strengthen the Classics group of the team," Slock said of his move.

“At the same time, I want to thank Lotto for the past six years. I learned a huge amount there, was given great opportunities, and grew both as a rider and as a person. I am grateful for the people and experiences I take with me from this period, and I look forward with confidence to what the future brings.”

The move to Bahrain Victorious should see the Belgian continuing to make impressions at the WorldTour level. He made an impactful debut at the Tour de France, notching a number of breakaway efforts including a 40km solo attempt on stage 8 that saw him caught by the charging peloton just 1.3 kilometres from the finish line. He wasn't empty-handed, coming away with the most combative rider prize for the effort.

Slock is the second rider confirmed to be departing from the Belgian side following the announcement that Arnaud de Lie would be moving to Tudor Pro Cycling from 2027, and other key names from the squad may also be heading elsewhere, with Lennert van Eetvelt reportedly on the way to NSN.

Slock links with former Lotto teammate Alec Segaert at Bahrain, his younger compatriot who has had an excellent season since joining the team, including recording his first Grand Tour stage win at the Giro d'Italia in May.

The team's performance manager Rod Ellingworth had this to say, on his new recruit: “We are very happy to add a powerful rider like Liam to our roster. He is a valuable addition who brings strength to all areas of our race programme, from one day races to stage races.

“His arrival is part of Bahrain Victorious’ continued effort to strengthen our core engine for stage races and the Spring Classics. We believe Liam has the qualities and mentality to play an important role in our team and we are looking forward to seeing him develop further with us.”

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Andrea Bagioli transfers to XDS-Astana in 2027 on a two-year deal, marking another move by Alexandr Vinokurov's outfit as part of a productive rebuild for next season. The versatile 27-year-old spent three years at Lidl-Trek.

XDS-Astana's transfer activity began with the mid-season signing of Victor Langelotti from Netcompany Ineos. The Monegasque rider jumped into action for the Kazakh team at the Tour of Poland and the Vuelta a España, though he was forced to withdraw from that race on stage 9 due to injuries sustained in a crash.

Bagioli's signing follows hot on the heels of Anthony Turgis moving from TotalEnergies, demonstrating Vinokurov's intention to add experience and depth to his squad in the Classics department in particular.

“As soon as I learned about XDS Astana Team’s interest and received the offer, I immediately felt that this would be the right choice for me. This is a project I have always followed with interest, and now the opportunity to become part of it really inspires me," Bagioli said.

"I know many of my future teammates well, and I have always heard very positive things from them. I think I will be able to quickly integrate into the team and show what I can do over these two seasons. My main goal is to fight for victory whenever the opportunity arises, while also helping the team achieve its important objectives.”

The Italian's time at Lidl-Trek has been somewhat disappointing, by contrast with his exploits at the QuickStep organisation prior to his transfer. Bagioli struggled to make an impact at Lidl-Trek, recording just one victory - a stage at this year's Tour of Austria in July. It was the first win for the Italian at the team, ending a period of almost three years without victory.

His four years at QuickStep yielded seven wins including one at WorldTour level - a stage of the Volta Catalunya in 2022 - and he will hope to return to his best level in the colours of Astana.

General Manager Vinokurov said he has followed the Italian's career for a long time. Now, the 27-year-old Italian is under contract with XDS-Astana through the end of 2028.

"Andrea started his professional career at a young age, quickly making his mark and achieving a number of impressive results. I believe that at XDS Astana Team, Bagioli will have the opportunity to fulfill his full potential.

"Our team performs well in one-day races, which is one of our priority areas, and adding Andrea Bagioli should help us improve our results even further. In addition, he has extensive experience racing Grand Tours, which is always an important factor for us."

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Human Powered Health have continued their 2027 makeover with another major transfer, announcing the signing of Dutch racer Yara Kastelijn.

29-year-old Kastelijn has spent her top-level career to date at Fenix-Premier Tech, whom she joined when they were known as Ciclismo Mundial in 2020.

Along the way, she's developed into a top rider, excelling in the hills and mountains on the road and winning a European title in cyclo-cross. Alongside top 10s at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Vuelta Femenina, she also won a stage of the 2023 Tour de France Femmes with a 19km solo into Rodez.

This season, Kastelijn scored the first stage race win of her career, beating Evita Muzic and Uso Ostolaza on the final-day Lagunas de Neila summit finish to win the Vuelta a Burgos. Second place at Itzulia Women is another 2026 highlight.

"I really liked the confidence they have in me. I spoke once with them, and it really felt like home. It's the trust they have in me to be a good GC contender, and I really think that I can do it in this environment," Kastelijn said as Human Powered Health announced her signing.

"I'm very grateful for everything Fenix-Premier Tech did for me. I'm very thankful for the brothers Roodhooft and my trainer, but I'm now ready for this next step, and I am really looking forward to it."

Human Powered Health have been the most active team in the Women's WorldTour this transfer season, with Kastelijn's signature their seventh for 2027.

The US squad has greatly upgraded their sprint lineup with the triple addition of Letizia Paternoster, Amalie Dideriksen, and Sofia van Rooijen.

They're joined on the incoming list by punchy pairing Quinty Ton and Marta Lach, while the fourth Dutch rider on the incoming list is neo-pro Fee Knaven.

Kastelijn is expected to slot in as a premier GC rider on the team, said general manager Ro De Jonckere, with the Tour de France Femmes her big goal of next season. Her best result to date is 17th place at the 2025 edition.

"Yara has already shown that she can do that. She has the strength to be a factor in the hardest one-day races, but she also has the consistency and resilience required to fight for a GC over several days," she said.

"That ability to be competitive across a whole stage race is particularly valuable because it gives us another rider who can take responsibility when the biggest opportunities arise."

Analysis

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After leaving the professional peloton in 2025 to have her first child, Sandra Alonso will return in 2027 having signed a single-season deal with the Spanish ProTeam, Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi.

Alonso rode for a variety of teams between 2018 and the spring of 2025, spending the final four of those years with the WorldTour Ceratizit team and riding her last race with the German squad last April. Now, after a successful return with the Eneicat-Be Call club team, she has been snapped up by her home squad.

A strong all-rounder with a good time trial, Alonso has four wins to her name, including the victory at the WorldTour level Tour of Guangxi in 2024, and a stage at the Thüringen Rundfahrt that same year.

Her last race before pregnancy was in April 2025, at the Grand Prix Surf City in El Salvador, and she gave birth last December, just as the Ceratizit team went out of business after 10 seasons in the peloton.

While other riders have successfully returned to competition after giving birth, remarkably Alonso was back in January, riding a national level race in the UAE, before racing the 2.1 level Vuelta a Extremadura with the Spanish national squad in March. Having been snapped up by Eneicat, she then took third place in her first outing, the GP Ciudad de Eibar.

Though her only victories this year have come at the National level, she’s bagged a string of top 10s at .1 and .Pro races, took third in the Spanish time trial championships and fifth in the road race, and last week took second place at the Mediterranean Games time trial.

With her future now secure, she is currently competing in the 2.2 Giro Della Toscana, where she finished sixth in Thursday’s prologue.

"Signing with Laboral Kutxa-Euskadi is a source of pride and the best reward for all the effort I’ve put in this year," Alonso said in a team press release. "I feel I still have a lot to offer in cycling, and I’m approaching this opportunity with the excitement of someone starting their first year as a professional. I’ve come back stronger, with renewed enthusiasm, and having demonstrated a high level of competitiveness.

"After several years in the WorldTour, I hope to bring that experience to a squad full of young talent - especially Basque rider - to guide them, grow together, and achieve great results.

"Among my major goals is racing Paris-Roubaix again - a unique, historic event I’ve held dear since finishing tenth in 2022 - as well as returning to the Tour de France, an impressive race I completed in its first three editions.

"I want to express my deep gratitude to my family for their support throughout this challenging process; to my coach for believing in me and guiding me; and, of course, to Laboral Kutxa-Euskadi for putting their faith in me for this project.

"I’m also grateful for the constant support from the fans - messages calling me a fighter, a role model, a warrior - which truly motivate me. I hope my experience helps show that motherhood and elite-level sports are entirely compatible."

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Former triple British champion Pfeiffer Georgi will leave Picnic-PostNL at the end of the year, moving to UAE Team L’IMAD on a three-year deal.

Only 25 years old, Georgi has been with Picnic since turning professional in 2019 and will provide UAE with leadership skills and a tactical nous beyond her years.

Not only is she an accomplished lead-out rider; she also excels as a road captain and rides well in the Spring Classics, a part of the season where UAE are yet to reach the heights.

"I have been in the same team for my eight years as a professional and am excited to enter a new environment at this point in my career," Georgi said in a statement on the team’s website. "I have gained a lot of experience and I am now looking to develop further as a rider.

"I love the Classics and think the nature of them, with short, punchy climbs, cobbles and bad weather, suits me well. I definitely have a passion for one-day races and my favourite race is Paris-Roubaix."

Team President, Melissa Moncada added her thoughts. "Pfeiffer is a rider we have followed with great interest and who has already demonstrated her quality at the highest level, particularly in the Classics. She is still young, but she has accumulated important experience and has shown that she has the strength, character and talent to compete for the biggest victories."

Since morphing from Alé-BTC Ljubljana in 2022, the UAE team have been building steadily. The arrival of Elisa Longo Borghini in 2025 was a pivotal moment, their win rate more than doubling.

Georgi is the second signing to be announced so far, with American Lily Williams revealed recently.

Analysis

An asset to any team

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In one of the big moves of this season's transfer market, Shirin van Anrooij will move from Lidl-Trek to Canyon-SRAM, and will pull on her new colours before the year is done.

The 24-year-old Dutchwoman has spent the first six seasons of her career with Lidl-Trek, establishing herself as one of the world's top Classics riders with victory in the 2023 Trofeo Alfredo Binda and podiums in the likes of the Tour of Flanders and Amstel Gold Race.

Her signing is billed as a 'bold switch' by her new team, Canyon-SRAM, who gain a quality leadership figure amid strong reports that Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney will leave the team.

Van Anrooij, rather unusually, will officially become a Canyon-SRAM rider on November 1 of this year, and not on January 1, 2027.

That's because she's a regular on the cyclo-cross circuit, which straddles the new year, running from November through to February. A special agreement will have had to be made for this to happen, with Lidl-Trek releasing Van Anrooij from the final two months of her contract, but with the road season over by that point, the situation would seem to suit both parties.

"Immediately from my first chats with the team, I had a good, welcoming feeling, and personally, it means a lot to feel the confidence that they have in me as a rider," said Van Anrooij.

"It will be a big change after being on my current team for almost 7 years, but I’m looking forward to developing further in a new environment and seeing what we can achieve together."

Room for improvement

Van Anrooij turned professional on the road as a 20-year-old in 2021 following a stagiaire stint with the team then known as Trek-Segafredo. She was a Dutch and European champion in the time trial discipline at junior and U23 level.

After an encouraging first couple of seasons, Van Anrooij's breakthrough season as a professional came in 2023 when she won Trofeo Binda, podiumed Amstel, and collected a string of Classics top-10s before winning the inaugural Tour de l'Avenir youth race. She has solidified her status as a top Spring rider while also developing her climbing ability to the extent that she has knocked on the door of the top 10 of the Giro d'Italia Women and Tour de France Femmes while supporting others.

Binda, however, remains her only pro road victory, which she'll surely be out to rectify in 2027 and beyond.

"Shirin is exceptionally versatile, with a strong aerobic engine and the ability to perform across a wide range of terrain and race scenarios," said Canyon-SRAM's Director of Performance Dan Fleeman.

"She can climb, handle demanding one-day races and stay competitive when races become long and physically demanding. Her resilience and race intelligence make her a particularly complete rider."

Despite heading into her seventh full season as a pro, Van Anrooij is only 24 years old and Canyon-SRAM repeatedly underlined her margin for room for improvement.

"She brings immediate quality, but also considerable long-term potential, especially given her strong competitive mentality and desire to keep improving," said Fleeman.

"With more experience, Shirin can continue to refine her positioning, decision-making and tactical confidence, while bringing all of her strengths together to more consistently convert the opportunities she creates into results."

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Pinarello-Q36.5 have signed Tour de l'Avenir runner-up and versatile Belgian prospect Niels Driesen on a three-year contract for 2027, as they continue to make big moves in the transfer market.

Already one of the top prospects coming up through the U23 ranks, Driesen had raced the past two seasons on Lotto-Intermarché's development team, but they failed to keep him and his step-up to the elite level has been secured by the Swiss ProTeam.

Driesen had already impressed in 2026, winning the Ronde de l'Isard overall and a stage at the Giro Ciclistico della Valle d'Aosta-Mont Blanc as he made big improvements to his all-round abilities. But he really showed his rapidly growing talent by taking victory in the opening stage of l'Avenir ahead of Kasper Haugland and U23 world champion and eventual GC winner Lorenzo Finn from a three-up sprint.

Having then defended his overall podium spot all the way through to the Lago Serrù finale on Wednesday, Driesen confirmed his status as one of the top prospects in the world with the best GC ride of his career so far, capping off a breakthrough season.

"I feel like there are still a lot of things I can improve. Last winter I started training much more than in previous years and I could immediately feel that my level was better," Driesen said in a press release.

"I still think there is a lot of progress to be made. At my age, I think that is a positive thing. I just want to develop as much as possible and see where that can take me."

He's not just a climber either, as is the case with most of the top young riders coming through in modern cycling – they are good at everything – with top five finishes at both the junior Paris Roubaix and Tour of Flanders to boot.

"I really like one-day races because you can completely throw yourself into them" he explained. "But I hope to keep developing in both. Even this year I have surprised myself with what I have been able to do in stage races.

"I want to race with experienced riders, learn from them, get stronger and help the Team as much as I can. And when opportunities come for myself, I want to take them."

The team aren't looking to put him in a box as a specific type of rider either, allowing him to develop into whichever path fits best.

"What excites us about Niels is not only what he has already achieved, but how much development we believe is still ahead of him," said team boss Doug Ryder.

"Finishing second at the Tour de l’Avenir and winning the Ronde de l’Isard show his ability, but we don't want to put a label on him too early. Our job is to give him the environment, expertise and equipment to discover how far that ability can take him."

The 21-year-old Belgian is the seventh new rider announced for next season by Pinarello Q36.5, who are building a team for the present and future with Driesen following the announcement of new signings Liam O'Brien (21), Tom Crabbe (21), AJ August (20), Pavel Bittner (23), Sebastian Berwick (26), and Mauro Schmid (26).

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Swedish racer Caroline Andersson is switching Liv-AlUla-Jayco for AG Insurance-Soudal on a three-year deal, the Belgian team has announced.

The 25-year-old will join a growing, ambitious team in their fourth season of Women's WorldTour racing, racing alongside riders such as former Liège-Bastogne-Liège champion Kim Le Court-Pienaar and climbing stars Sarah Gigante and Urška Zigart.

Andersson stepped up to the professional ranks in 2023, moving up from Norwegian squad Coop-Hitec to Liv-TeqFind, which then merged with Jayco-AlUla.

She's spent four seasons in that setup and has grown into a versatile rider with a penchant for hilly races.

"I'm super excited to join AG Insurance-Soudal. From the very first meeting with the team, it already felt like the right place for me. I immediately felt that it was a team where I could see myself fitting in and developing further," Andersson said upon penning her new deal.

"I've looked up to The Wolfpack since I was a child. I've always been a big fan of the Classics and have followed both the men's and women's teams, racing as a pack. Being part of that is something I've looked up to for a long time, so it's really cool to now have the opportunity to join the team."

Andersson has developed year on year since joining Liv and has returned a series of good results this season and last.

A highlight of 2025 was fourth place at the hilly spring race, the Navarra Women's Elite Classic, while she flourished later in the year. Fifth at the Kreiz Breizh Elites was followed by top 10s at the Classic Lorient Agglomération and GP Stuttgart, as well as second at the Tour of Guangxi one-day race, narrowly missing out in a two-up sprint.

At the Rwanda Worlds, she impressed to finish 11th alongside Demi Vollering, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney, Marlen Reusser, and future teammate Le Court-Pienaar, despite racing in a team of one.

This season, she showed herself in the cobbled Classics, converting a day in the break at Le Samyn into a fourth-place finish and also grabbing a top 10 at Nokere Koerse.

More recently, Andersson achieved a career-best Women's WorldTour result at the Tour of Britain Women, where five days of consistent racing through the hills saw her finish fourth overall. A standout performance, and a real show of her hillclimbing ability, came with third place on the stage 3 hilltop finish at The Great Orme in Llandudno.

"Right now, I have mixed emotions. In one way, I’m a bit disappointed because I tactically made a mistake at the bottom of the climb, but in another way it’s relief to know that my legs are really there," Andersson said after the stage, where she finished 20 seconds behind eventual race winner Le Court-Pienaar.

"I owe everything to Quinty Ton today. We were both caught behind in a crash, and without her I would never have made it back. She did the most fantastic job. I’m super happy she’s my teammate, and I think this is a good day for the team."

She'll be aiming for similar races, including hilly Classics, with her new team, AG Insurance-Soudal.

"I hope I can make a difference, especially by supporting the team in the stage races and Classics, while also taking my own opportunities when they come. I'm really looking forward to this new experience and to seeing what we can achieve together."

Analysis

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NSN Cycling have announced their third new signing for 2027 as Danish Classics specialist Kasper Asgreen joins on a two-year deal from EF Education-EasyPost.

31-year-old Asgreen has spent two seasons at EF after six seasons spent at Soudal-QuickStep, where he grew into one of the top cobbled Classics racers in the peloton. Highlights of his palmarès include the 2021 Tour of Flanders and breakaway wins at the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia, plus the E3 Saxo Classic and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne.

He joins Colombian climber Santiago Buitrago and neo-pros Moritz Kretschy and Jens Verbrugghe on the incoming list for NSN, and team general manager Kjell Carlström said he is "exactly the versatile rider we wanted to add to our roster", adding that Asgreen should "make a strong impact as both a leader and a teammate".

The Finn noted that Asgreen will help guide the young riders on the NSN roster as well as assume a leadership role.

"He is a fighter – whether on the cobbles, in a breakaway, putting the hammer down on the front of the peloton, or racing against the clock. His aggressive, opportunistic approach has earned him victories across a wide range of races, and we are excited to see what he can achieve in the years ahead," Carlström said.

"Not only will Kasper's experience and versatility see him assume a leadership position in the team, naturally as one of our key riders for the classics, but I also see him playing an important role in guiding our young riders. They can learn a lot from a rider of Kasper's calibre and really tap into his racing know-how."

Asgreen said he'll continue to target the spring Classics, and we can also expect him to take on the Vuelta a España as he aims to complete the 'Grand Tour trilogy' by winning a stage at each race.

"I definitely still have multiple goals that I would like to achieve. The Classics are obviously very special to me. They are where I had my big breakthrough and are the races that I enjoy so much," Asgreen said.

"I think the team already has a good classics squad and there’s so much potential there to be successful. So I hope I can come in and help guide the boys and use the experience I have from winning some of the biggest ones.

"I already have a stage win in the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia, so the next step would be to try and complete the trilogy, and I would love to do that with NSN. Beyond the classics and Grand Tours, one of the other big goals I have is the World Championships time trial.

"In 2021, I was two seconds off the podium at the World Championships, so I still have a score to settle there, and I would really like to get that medal at some point."

Analysis

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UAE Team Emirates-XRG have extended their spate of transfer announcements, revealing the promotion of Davide Stella from their development team to the WorldTour squad.

Aged just 20, Stella will join Tadej Pogačar in the top-tier team on a three-year contract after two seasons with UAE Emirates Gen Z team.

A pure sprinter, the Italian has gained plenty of experience racing with the WorldTour team, riding nine days last season and beginning this year at the AlUla Tour, though he failed to finish after suffering injuries in a nasty crash.

He returned to competition in April, winning a stage of the Volta a Portugal do Futuro, the Under 23 race. Stella is also an accomplished track racer, winning multiple World and European titles at Junior and Under-23 levels.

"This step up means so much to me. It’s a dream I’ve had since I was a kid, and making it a reality now gives me the chance to set new goals and chase even bigger dreams with the team," Stella said.

"It’s been a tough season but I’ve worked hard to turn things around and I’m very thankful to all the great people around me and to the team for making this possible."

UAE have been busy in the transfer market in recent weeks, Stella joining Marco Frigo and Abel Balderstone as new arrivals at the Emirati squad next. Earlier this month they revealed that Isaac Del Toro had extended his contract through to the end of the 2031 season.

Stella looks set to fill a sprinting hole soon to be vacated by Juan Sebastian Molano, who has been heavily linked with a move away from UAE in 2027.

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UAE Team Emirates-XRG have announced another new signing for next season, with the Spanish rider Abel Balderstone joining on a three-year contract.

Balderstone has ridden for the Caja Rural team since turning professional four years ago, and he had a contract in place with the Spanish second-division team through 2027.

However, an opportunity to join the world's top-ranked team was too good to pass up, and he has negotiated an early exit in order to line up by the side of Tadej Pogačar from next year.

"For me, joining UAE Team Emirates-XRG is a dream that I’ve had since I was a kid. I’m really excited and highly motivated to begin this new project, where I’m looking forward to growing as a rider alongside the team.

"I’m excited to enjoy the experience and to learn from all the riders in the team. I believe this will be a very important step in my career and an environment where I can show the best version of myself, continue improving as a rider and make a big step forward."

Balderstone, who hails from Catalonia whose surname is explained by his English father, came through Caja Rural's development set-up before turning professional in 2023.

He claimed the Spanish time trial title – his only career victory to date – in 2025, and has continued his progression in 2026 with a Tour de France debut and fourth place overall at O Gran Camiño, won by his future teammate Adam Yates.

He is seen as a versastile asset who could develop into a valuable domestique at WorldTour level.

"We are very pleased to welcome Abel into our team. He is a rider who has shown good progression over the past few seasons," said UAE Team Emirates-XRG principal, Mauro Gianetti.

"We believe he has the qualities to fit very well into our structure and also the potential to continue developing. He is entering an important period of his career and we are happy to welcome him to the team for the next three years."

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UAE Team Emirates-XRG have announced the signing of Marco Frigo on a two-year deal from NSN.

26-year-old Frigo is the team's first confirmed new signing for 2027 as he joins the Italian contingent at the squad, which grew out of the former Italian team Lampre.

Frigo joins former under-23 world champion Filippo Baroncini and 21-year-old Luca Giaimi on the racing side, while a host of Italians – including directeurs sportifs Manuele Mori, Marco Marcato, Fabrizio Guidi, Fabio Baldato, and Marco Marzano – are on the team's staff.

Frigo – no relation to former Saeco and Fassa Bortolo rider Dario – has been at NSN since turning pro with the team, then known as Israel-Premier Tech, back in 2023. He previously came up through the ranks with Italian amateur squad Zalf, SEG Racing Academy, and Israel Cycling Academy.

Frigo, along with former teammates Derek Gee-West and Matthew Riccitello, first burst onto the scene with a strong ride at the 2023 Giro d'Italia, where he made the break three times, taking third, fifth, and sixth places.

He was among the most aggressive riders at the 2024 Vuelta a España, making the break six times but still missing out on his first pro win with a second place in Yunquera. That breakthrough win came last spring at the Tour of the Alps, where he converted a mammoth 78km solo breakaway ride into glory in Innichen.

He has since racked up two more stage podium places at the Vuelta, and this summer made his Tour de France debut, with a highlight being fourth place on stage 4 in Foix.

"I think the first four years as a pro have been a process where I shaped and found my identity as a rider. I feel UAE understood that, believed in it, and that our ideas about the future are very much aligned," Frigo said upon signing for the team, where he'll stay to the end of the 2028 season.

"With that said, I can’t wait to transform the big motivation I feel into the next years and contribute to the team achieving its big goals."

Analysis

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One of the worst-kept secrets in transfer news this year was finally confirmed on Monday when it was announced that one of the sport's leading young sprinters and one-day specialists, Arnaud De Lie, will moving on from Lotto-Intermarché to Tudor in 2027.

Lotto-Intermarché already confirmed this morning that De Lie would be leaving after six seasons with the squad, and what little lingering speculation there might have been about his destination only lasted a few hours before Tudor announced the 24-year-old was heading to the Swiss ProTeam for 2027.

Seemingly as at home on the cobbles as he is in 'pure' sprints, De Lie's versatility as a racer has seen him take 35 victories to date in events as diverse as the overall of the Renewi Tour and the Tour of Denmark, the GP de Québec, the Belgian National Championships, the Tro Bro Léon and the GP de Plouay.

However, his four Grand Tours to date have not seen him capture a single victory. This year, the second rollercoaster season he has had due to injury and illness, he fell sick in both the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia and had to abandon both races before the first week was complete.

So far De Lie has had just two wins this season, both on home terrain in southern Belgium: the Famenne Classic, which he has won three times in the last four years and a stage of the Tour de Wallonie.

Lotto-Intermarché published an emotive farewell message to De Lie, who has been one of their best-known riders both in their amateur squad and then as a pro, where he racked up nine victories in his first year, 2022 and 10 in his second.

"You joined us as a young rider with big dreams. You will leave having become one of the biggest names in the peloton," the post read.

"Belgian Champion, WorldTour winner, already 35 pro wins. We are proud to have witnessed your growth, and even prouder to have played a part in it."

In the Tudor press release announcing his signing for a notably long four-year deal, De Lie said he "I can’t wait to get started! My priority is to settle in, get to know the team, and keep improving as a rider.

"Instead of talking about big goals right away, I want to work hard and see how far we can progress together. That’s the key to long-term success."

Tudor have recently announced three contract extensions with some of their best-known riders through to 2028: Classics specialist and former Tour de France stage winner Matteo Trentin and 35-year-old Marco Haller, winner of the Cyclassis Hamburg and also a gifted one-day racer who confirmed this would be the final contract of his career. In addition, earlier this week, recent Tour de Pologne winner Marco Brenner also was confirmed as having extended his contract with Tudor.

Making the most of what remains of his time with Lotto-Intermarché, De Lie has already been confirmed as a starter at the Renewi Tour, which he won last year, and the two rounds of the World Tour in Canada in Québec and Montréal.

Pinarello-Q36.5 have announced that one of North America's most promising young racers, Andrew 'AJ' August, will be moving to their team in 2027.

The news comes hot on the heels of the 20-year-old from Rochester in the USA taking his first overall stage race win, the Czech Tour this weekend. In a breakthrough season, August has already won a rain-soaked, ultra-tough, stage of the Itzulia Basque Country this April and the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in February, racking up a total of five victories to date.

After spending his first three years at Netcompany Ineos, August will now be heading to Pinarello-Q36.5 as the Swiss-registered ProTeam continue to make some major additions to boost their 2027 lineup.

Riders of the calibre of Tour de France stage winner and Swiss National Champion Mauro Schmid (Jayco-AlUla), Australian allrounder Sebastian Berwick (Caja Rural-SegurosRGA) and promising young Czech sprinter Pavel Bittner (Picnic PostNL) had already been announced as signings prior to the confirmation that August will also be joining Pinarello-Q36.5 on a three-year deal.

"Racing in the US is completely different to racing in Europe, so it was a big transition, both as a junior and then as a professional," August said in a Pinarello-Q36.5 press release.

"Joining Ineos at 18 meant jumping straight into the deep end, but it allowed me to learn how cycling works at the highest level.

"From my first conversations with Pinarello-Q36.5, the professionalism of the team really impressed me. It gave me the strongest feeling that this is the best place to continue my development and become the best rider I can be."

“Andrew is a rider who has impressed us for some time", Pinarello-Q36.5 team principal Doug Ryder added.

"At only 20 years old, he already has valuable WorldTour experience, and what stands out is how quickly he continues to develop.

"His performances this season, including two stage wins and the overall victory at the Czech Tour, show both his talent and his ability to turn potential into results."

Paul Seixas has put an end to months of speculation that he could be ending his current contract early and switching teams in 2027, with the new French superstar saying he will be remaining with his current squad, Decathlon CMA CGM next season.

The 19-year-old's spectacular season, including a fourth place in his debut Tour de France where he was the youngest rider to take part since 1937, had reportedly sparked interest from multiple teams. UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Visma-Lease a Bike, Netcompany-Ineos and Pinarello-Q36.5 - this latter according to Daniel Benson's Substack - were all named in reports as potential suitors for Seixas, under contract until the end of 2027 and who had never expressed any interest in leaving.

That didn't stop the speculation, but Seixas' comments to Wielerflits over the weekend are likely categorical enough to end it for now.

“Next year I will 'simply' ride for Decathlon CMA CGM,” Seixas told the Dutch cycling website. “For me, that is a certainty, because I still have a contract until the end of 2027.”

Decathlon CMA CGM are set to see some major changes in their GC support lineup in 2027, with Felix Gall, second in the Giro d'Italia, due to leave, whilst Pavel Sivakov and Ben O'Connor have both been linked to the squad. However, given the rapidity of his rise through the ranks and his young age, their top French name, Seixas, is widely seen as the fundamental component in their stage racing line-up.

Seixas himself told Wielerflits that he had needed to spend some time recovering from the Tour, but will now be looking towards his upcoming participation in the World Championships, where he finished 13th in the elite men's road race last year.

“After the Tour, I was completely 'dead'. But I already feel good again," he said.

"I took some time to focus on family and friends, which is very important to me. Now I am gradually thinking about the World Championships, where I secretly hope to see some progress compared to the Tour de France."

Seixas will once again likely be facing off against double defending champion Tadej Pogačar in the World Championships, having already crossed swords with the Slovenian at the Tour de France, Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège this season. Whilst Pogačar is now going to race the Vuelta a España prior to the World Championships, Seixas is due to take part in the Canadian WorldTour races

"He was from another planet,” Seixas recognised about his latest battle against Pogačar in the Tour.

"On the other hand: a few years ago I was still watching him on television, the fact that I could now be one of his opponents is something that gives me a lot of motivation.

"I am working hard to keep getting better and to one day really compete against him.”

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After the signing of Marta Lach announced earlier this week, the Human Powered Health team have further strengthened their roster for 2027 with the signing of former world champion Amalie Dideriksen.

Dideriksen won the elite road race rainbow jersey in Qatar in 2016, having won back-to-back world titles at junior level before that.

The 30-year-old hasn't enjoyed the greatest success in recent times, but has declared her 'racing instinct' to be back, and has voiced her desire to 'become the best version of myself'.

Dideriksen has spent the past two seasons at Cofidis, prior to which she had two seasons apiece at Uno-X and Trek-Segafredo, following the six years at Boels-Dolmans (now SD Worx-Protime) that started her career.

"She is a rider with an incredible amount of experience, a proven winner at the highest level, and someone who has shown throughout her career that she can perform in many different types of races,” said Ro De Jonckere, General Manager of the Human Powered Health team.

"Amalie brings strength, versatility and race intelligence, but also the kind of experience that can make a real difference within a growing team."

The move to the US-registered Human Powered Health team marks a return to the Women's WorldTour, Cofidis belonging to the second-tier of women's cycling teams.

"It just looks like a really good team to work with," Dideriksen said. "They feel like they do a lot for the athletes and race in a great way. I really liked how I worked with Magnus Bäckstedt on Cofidis, then he moved on to Human Powered Health, so that makes it even more interesting for me. I’m looking forward to joining."

Dideriksen's has never quite scaled the heights indicated by the flurry of rainbow jerseys so early in her career, and the top-level success has dried up in recent seasons, with six wins in the past eight years, four of those coming at her Danish national championships.

However, after an eye-catch season in which she won the Région Pays de la Loire and collected her sixth Danish road race title, Dideriksen feels like she's on the up.

"I think I’ve found a bit back the last few years, like this racing instinct," she said. “When you as a team can really play in the finals for a good result. You can plan a lot before, but in the end you need this winning instinct or this motivation to really fight.

"I like when you enter the final part of the race where time goes slow and really fast at the same time, to make those decisions on the road."

Much has changed in the decade since Dideriksen won Worlds, with the women's side of cycling developing rapidly and becoming a far more professional environment.

"It gets more and more important now in the cycling world, with all these helping tools, which I find quite interesting," Dideriksen said in relation to Human Powered Health’s Performance Labs sports science facilities.

"I feel like now it’s also a part of me of still being in cycling is trying to become the best version of myself. Accessing basically more data and more knowledge about what I can do, I find really interesting."

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Former QuickStep boss Patrick Lefevere has weighed in on Primož Roglič's potential transfer to Lotto-Intermarché, citing Mark Cavendish, Philippe Gilbert, and Richard Virenque from his experience of negotiating contracts with aging stars.

Roglič, the 36-year-old five-time Grand Tour champion, is out of contract at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe at the end of 2026 and has been linked with a surprise move to Belgian squad Lotto, where Lefevere was a director in the 1980s.

Lefevere went on to become the boss of the rival Belgian team currently known as Soudal-QuickStep, where he gained a reputation for signing riders when their value was relatively low and unsentimentally dispensing with them at their peak.

"There are plenty of examples of riders who want to sign a good contract at the end of their careers and then let it slide. I think I can say that I had a good gut feeling in that regard," Lefevere stated in his weekly Saturday column for Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.

"When I brought Richard Virenque to the team in 2001, they wanted to hang me from the highest tree. Yet, it turned out to be a huge success," he argued.

"I offered Mark Cavendish a contract in 2021 when he wasn't worth five francs anymore, resulting in four stage wins in the Tour de France and the green jersey."

Virenque was almost 32 when he signed for the team then known as Domo Farm Frites, and went on to win three stages at the Tour de France.

Cavendish was struggling for results and on the verge of retirement towards the end of 2020, before a return to QuickStep – where he'd raced from 2013 to 2015 – kick-started an extraordinary comeback that saw the Manxman win four stages at the 2021 Tour de France. Cavendish, however, was bumped back down the pecking order in 2022 in favour of Fabio Jakobsen and would be on his way out of the team at the end of that season, eventually moving to Astana to complete his ambition to become the all-time record holder for Tour de France stage wins.

"Where my gut feeling also came in handy: knowing when not to offer someone a contract extension, despite their successes," Lefevere wrote on Saturday, citing another former rider, Philippe Gilbert.

Similarly to Cavendish, Lefevere oversaw a remarkable turnaround in Gilbert's career, with the Belgian, after years of tension with Greg Van Avermaet at BMC, finally unlocking his cobbled Classics potential and winning both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix for QuickStep. Gilbert left for Lotto in 2020 but didn't produce any major results.

"Gilbert was very well-liked with us because he was so professional, but I didn't want to pay what Lotto was offering at the time. We parted ways on the very best terms, something that wasn't the case with Cavendish," Lefevere said.

"Certainly not, because he lashed out at me in his book afterwards. I found that ungrateful. After all, I had pulled him out of the shit."

Cavendish's latest autobiography, published last year, accuses Lefevere of reneging on verbal agreements and under-paying him during what he described as a 'frankly insulting saga' when it came to negotiating a contract renewal for 2022. Cavendish had essentially covered his own salary by bringing a personal sponsor with him to QuickStep in 2021, and having returned to his former status as the Tour's top sprinter, felt he warranted a better deal than Lefevere was offering for 2022.

As for Roglič, Lefevere acknowledged that he wasn't aware of the Slovenian's current levels of motivation, which would, he indicated, be the most important factor for him as a prospective boss. However, he questioned the wisdom of a move to Lotto, highlighting the team's recent track record in signing aging stars.

"We have to be honest, that means teams aren't exactly lining up to sign him," he said of Lotto's reported interest in Roglič.

"Although Lotto has already made a few big-name signings in recent years that undoubtedly didn't come for peanuts, but where the transfer turned out not to be a success afterwards. John Degenkolb, Elia Viviani, and Philippe Gilbert rode for the national lottery for a combined six years and recorded a grand total of four victories, none of which were in the WorldTour.

"Suffice it to say: attracting and letting go of people at the right moment is a quality not to be underestimated in our world," Lefevere concluded.

Less than two weeks after Picnic-PostNL announced that Fabio Jakobsen would be leaving the team with immediate effect, Visma-Lease a Bike have confirmed the Dutch sprinter's signing on a deal through 2027.

Jakobsen, 29, has 46 pro wins to his name, including a Tour de France stage, five stages of the Vuelta a España, two editions of Scheldeprijs, and the 2022 European road title. However, he's struggled with health issues in recent seasons, including double iliac artery surgery in early 2025.

Jakobsen's most recent victory came in the opening stage of the Tour of Turkey two years ago, and both he and Visma will hope he'll get back to winning ways in his new surroundings.

"I've raced against the team for several years now, and seeing everything they've achieved throughout the years and how consistently they perform at the highest level, It's a dream come true to wear these colours," Jakobsen said.

"My goal is to get back to the level where I can compete at the highest level again and sprint for victories. As a sprinter, you never win on your own, so being part of a strong team is essential. I believe this is one of the best performance environments in the world", he says.

"I believe we can learn from each other and continue to improve together. There's a lot of work ahead, but I'm confident this is the right environment to make progress."

This season, Jakobsen has toiled away on the lacklustre Picnic-PostNL team. The Dutch team have just a single win to their name at the Tour of Turkey, where Casper van Uden – switching to Alpecin-Premier Tech next year – sprinted to victory.

Picnic currently lie 29th in the UCI world rankings, last of all WorldTour teams and below 11 second division ProTeams, and look set to face a relegation battle over the coming seasons.

Jakobsen's Turkey stage win is his sole triumph during two-and-a-half years at the squad, while his top result in 2026 is 16th on a stage of the UAE Tour.

Visma-Lease a Bike head of performance explained that the team were "looking for a specialist for the flat sprints" and believe they've found one in Jakobsen. He hasn't raced since the Dutch National Championships in June, and Visma noted that the upcoming months will be focused on 'a gradual return to competition… centred on rebuilding his condition.'

"We had been looking for a specialist for the pure flat sprints. The more we looked into Fabio's situation, the more convinced we became that there is still a great deal of untapped potential," Heijboer said.

"We believe we can create the right environment to help him unlock it. At the same time, having Fabio join us now allows us to start working with Fabio straight away instead of waiting until next season."

Analysis

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Visma-Lease a Bike have announced the signing of Dutch racer Femke Markus, who makes the switch after a four-year stint with SD Worx-Protime.

The 29-year-old is Visma's first confirmed incoming transfer for 2027, and she joins Marta Lach on SD Worx's outgoing list. She has joined Visma-Lease a Bike on a two-year deal.

This year, Markus – sister of Lidl-Trek racer Riejanne – has enjoyed her strongest season since joining SD Worx from Parkhotel Valkenburg back in 2023.

Her spring Classics highlight was a top-10 finish at In Flanders Fields, while the following month she scored her first win in four years, leading an SD Worx 1-2-3 at the Antwerp Port Epic Ladies with a 26km solo move.

She narrowly missed out on becoming Dutch road champion in June, taking second in a two-up sprint with future teammate Lieke Nooijen, and she finished eighth at last month's Baloise Ladies Tour.

"What appeals to me about Team Visma-Lease a Bike is the knowledge and expertise that are present within the team," Markus said.

"I am looking forward to learning from that and continuing to develop myself. With support from The Athlete’s FoodCoach and an approach that is strongly based on science, I believe I can still take steps forward here."

Markus comes from a speedskating family. She was a junior world champion before following Riejanne in switching over to cycling. Younger sister Roos, meanwhile, has stuck to skating. She only turned pro in 2022, so her rise to the top of the Women's WorldTour has been rapid.

If her palmarès didn't already show it, Markus said that the Classics are her forte. Her favourite race is Paris-Roubaix, where she has twice finished in the top 20 and took 21st this year.

Three years ago, she was in the winning breakaway at the Hell of the North, but slipped and fell on the Roubaix velodrome, eventually finishing 19th as Alison Jackson went on to score a famous victory.

"I really love Classics, echelons and tough races. I am a bit of a powerhouse rider. I really enjoy it when a race becomes difficult and the strongest rider wins. As a rider, I am above all a team player. I want to win together with the team and always get the best out of myself," Markus said.

"I would like to continue developing in the classics, but I also really enjoy being a reliable foundation within the team, someone the team can always count on."

Markus's biggest dream is to win Roubaix, she said, while Visma-Lease a Bike manager noted that she can be a key rider for the team during the spring Classics.

"Femke is a rider who has proven herself over several years in Classics and races where the difference is made through strength and race intelligence," he said.

"We have seen that she performs well when the race is made hard and the conditions are challenging. That is something we can use well in the spring."

Analysis

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Days after winning the general classification at the Tour de Pologne, Marco Brenner has signed a long-term deal to remain with Tudor Pro Cycling.

After joining in 2024, the team announced the former German champion will remain at the Swiss-registered squad until the end of the 2030 season, when he will be 28 years old.

"This isn’t just a deal. It’s a declaration of a shared future, ambition and trust," read the team’s statement.

Brenner's contract is among the longest in cycling, with only Isaac del Toro's deal to 2031 with UAE Team Emirates-XRG and the 'lifetime' Visma-Lease a Bike contracts for Marianne Vos and Wout van Aert running longer. Mathys Rondel, Brenner's teammate, is among nine other WorldTour riders with a contract running to 2030.

Brenner joined Tudor in 2024 after beginning his career at what is now Picnic-PostNL at the age of just 19. He soon picked up his first professional victory, taking the opening stage of that year’s Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali.

A punchy climber, the 23-year-old has several other decent results to his name, though his second victory didn’t materialise until last weekend when, after a consistent ride in the Tour de Pologne’s hilly stages, seventh place in the final day time trial was enough to secure him overall victory.

That was an excellent return for Brenner, who suffered serious shoulder and knee injuries following a crash in stage 19 of the 2025 Giro d’Italia which kept him out of competition for almost four months. His return in September barely got off the ground with a series of DNFs, but he began the 2026 season with fourth place overall at the Santos Tour Down Under, steadily improving throughout the year.

"I am really happy to extend my contract and continue my journey with Tudor Pro Cycling," said Brenner, who is set to start his third Grand Tour at the Vuelta a España next week.

"When I joined the Team in 2024, I found a nice environment that allowed me to perform and find joy. And when I was injured and working on my way back last year, I was given the time and support I needed. I now look forward to adding a few more years to this journey.”

Tudor’s CEO, Raphael Meyer, was delighted to have tied down his GC talent. "Marco is a young rider we truly believe in," he said. "His rehabilitation and return to racing after his severe crash at the 2025 Giro d’Italia are a testament to his fighting spirit, a quality that also defines him as a racer.

"Last week’s Tour de Pologne was a perfect example of Marco’s determination and resilience, and a great result of both tremendous teamwork and our born-to-dare racing spirit.”

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Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have snapped up Georg Steinhauser from EF Education-EasyPost, with the German rider joining the German team from 2027.

Steinhauser turned professional with EF in 2022 and made a name for himself when he won a mountain stage at the 2024 Giro d'Italia.

Steinhauser's 2025 season was derailed by Lyme Disease, but he has bounced back in 2026, finishing on the podium of Paris-Nice in the white jersey of best young rider, and going on to race and finish his first Tour de France.

“Georg combines climbing ability, race intelligence and an attacking mindset. He has earned his success through hard work over the past few years, and we believe he is still far from reaching his full potential," said Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe's chief of sport, Zak Dempster.

"Together, we want to continue supporting his development and provide the best possible environment for him to take the next step in his career."

Steinhauser can be excited about joining a German team, where he will link back up with one of the team's leading stage racers, Florian Lipowitz, the pair having raced together at the Tirol-KTM team before they hit the WorldTour.

"When I was young, I was always a fan of this team and have been impressed by how they kept reaching one goal after another. Joining a German team with a very professional and international approach will certainly be a good platform for me to progress," Steinhauser said.

"I hope to be able to add to the team’s success with my aggressive style, but also in a strong support role. I’m ready to create lasting memories in the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe kit!"

The length of Steinhauser's contract has not been disclosed, but it is described as a 'multi-year' deal.

Analysis

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe's transfer window so far

EF Education-EasyPost's transfer window so far

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Reigning junior time trial world champion Megan Arens made a surprise mid-season switch this week from Picnic-PostNL to AG Insurance-Soudal. The move was announced by the Belgian team, which said it was a mutual agreement between the two Women's WorldTour programmes.

"The 19-year-old Dutch rider joins the squad with immediate effect from Team Picnic PostNL and will continue her career in the colours of AG Insurance-Soudal Team," the statement read.

"The move has been completed by mutual agreement with Team Picnic PostNL, allowing Megan to embrace a new chapter in her career."

Arens, who turned 19 in March, rode with two different Dutch club teams as a 17-18 junior, earning spots on the national team for Road World Championships both years. In her Worlds debut in 2024, Arens had top 10s in both the time trial and road race. Then last year rode a dominant time trial to win the rainbow jersey by 35 seconds, and followed with a UCI junior victory at Chrono des Nations.

She jumped into elite races this year with Picnic-PostNL, earning a most aggressive award on the opening stage at Itzulia Women and riding to seventh on the final stage at Tour de Suisse Women, and in both races was third in the youth classification.

"I’m really excited about joining AG Insurance-Soudal, and I’m very grateful to the team’s management for giving me this opportunity," Arens said.

"Watching the team perform at the Tour de France Femmes has once again shown me what a strong and ambitious team it is. I’m looking forward to being part of this group, continuing to develop and hopefully contributing to many great results together in the biggest races and Grand Tours in the years ahead."

Two months ago, AG Insurance-Soudal added 25-year-old cyclo-cross rider Amandine Fouquenet to the roster. She had previously raced on the road for Arkéa-B&B Hotels for six seasons, scoring a number of top 10s in one-day races at her home Bretagne Ladies Tour stage race.

Fouquenet will be on the Tour of Britain Women start list, while it was not yet known where Arens would make her first appearance for her new team. Both riders show potential as the French squad looks to develop young talent.

"We're very pleased to welcome Megan to our team. She has already shown that she is a rider with a lot of talent and potential, and we believe she fits perfectly within our philosophy of developing young riders," said Jurgen Foré, general manager of AG Insurance-Soudal.

"Over the past few years, we've built an environment where riders can grow step by step, and we're convinced Megan has everything she needs to continue that progression with us."

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.

Well-placed Belgian media have suggested that Grand Tour veteran champion Primoz Roglič may be quitting Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe to head to Lotto-Intermarché for 2027.

The 36-year-old has endured a torrid second half of the season so far, with a training crash impeding his build-up for the Vuelta a España, his big target for 2027, and his exit from the German team, which he joined in 2024 in a shock move from Visma-Lease a Bike, is already viewed as a virtual certainty.

Het Laatste Nieuws now report that Roglič is likely to be joining Lotto-Intermarché for 2027, and that discussions have already begun over his transfer to the Belgian WorldTour squad.

After unnamed sources close to Roglič and Lotto confirmed the ongoing negotiations, HLN suggest that rather than retiring, as was also possible, the four-times Vuelta a España winner could delay hanging up his wheels by at least a season and head to Belgium.

Other teams who reportedly were interested in Roglič's services for 2027 included Q36.5, Movistar and UAE Team Emirates-XRG, but all of these offers have apparently fallen by the wayside. Bahrain Victorious were also reported to be part of the picture, but Cyclingnews understands it was never a realistic option.

'Bombshell news' though this would be, as HLN say, there are good arguments for a transfer to Lotto-Intermarché to happen. Roglič is apparently looking at targeting the Tour de Suisse, the one major week-long stage race missing from his palmares, and is also keen to return to the Tour de France, and rather than the crammed out lineups he has to compete with at his current team and elsewhere to do so, the dearth of top GC names in Lotto-Intermarché mean that Roglič would be knocking on an open door when it comes to taking part in both races.

Given Lotto-Intermarché's imminent lack of a major senior GC star in their ranks, too, the Belgian squad could maintain Roglič as their main focus, whilst giving up-and-coming local talent Jarno Widar, viewed as a possible overall contender in the future, room to grow without suffering excessive pressure. At the same time, as both Lennert van Eetvelt and sprinter Arnaud De Lie are leaving, even if he failed to win in some major stage races, Roglič's consistent ability to rack up top five and top ten places would provide a much-needed source of UCI points.

The Vuelta a España - a decision next week?

Meanwhile there is apparently a continuing questionmark whether Roglič will be taking part in the Vuelta a España. This follows a Tweet last week by well-informed Italian journalist Ciro Scognamiglio of Gazzetta dello Sport that, following his training crash - which has already seen Roglič skip two build-up races, the Clásica San Sebastián and Vuelta a Burgos, the probability currently stood at around 50-50.

Should Roglič take part, he would likely be the biggest obstacle between Tadej Pogačar and overall victory in the Vuelta a España. However, given the UAE Team Emirates-XRG racer's track record over the last seven years, the odds remain massively in favour of Pogačar capturing the final Grand Tour on offer in 2026, whether Roglič is there or not.

Spanish newspaper 'AS' suggested on Wednesday that a decision about Roglič's participation could be taken as late as early next week. That would be just days before the race begins on Saturday, August 22 in Monaco - both Pogačar's and Roglič's adopted residence during the season.

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Human Powered Health made its first move for next season and signed Polish all-rounder Marta Lach for the next two years, beginning in January.

The Women’s WorldTour team refers to her as a 'Classics powerhouse', as evidenced by her finishing speed on a variety of terrain and conditions. She has won Festival Elsy Jacobs à Garnich each of the last three years and has a total of 16 victories across eight pro seasons.

The now 29-year-old has been among the top five most productive riders for SD Worx-Protime the last two seasons, earning 10 podiums.

“I’m really good in the Classic races, especially the crazy ones, like Antwerp or Roubaix, but I also really like sprints after a hard race. I’m very ambitious, always fighting until the end,” she said in a Human Powered Health press release.

"I would really love to use this potential, and I hope in Human Powered Health we can really use it as an advantage. It’s an international team, and the happiness that I see between the girls, and the mentality to push forward, and to be happy on the bike drew me to the project. This environment seems to be a good one for me.

"I believe that with the team, we can achieve a lot. Also to grow as a person and as a rider.”

That allure of the US-based WorldTour squad led to a call between her agent and Human Powered Health General Manager Ro de Jonckere. The reaction was immediate, as De Jonckere said, "we did not hesitate for a second".

"The deal was done within 24 hours, which says a lot about how strongly we believe in Marta and what she can bring to this team. She is an incredibly strong and versatile rider, with all the qualities we love to see in an athlete," De Jonckere said.

"As we continue our commitment to building Human Powered Health into a top WorldTour team, Marta is one of our key signings for the next two seasons. We feel she fits our philosophy perfectly, and we are very excited to have her join us.”

She was a fan of the Olympic Games as a child and has gone on to represent Poland twice, in 2024 finishing 10th in the road race in Paris and adding a top 20 in the time trial.

Lach gained experience with her versatile style at SD Worx-Protime, from cobbled one-day races, such as Nokere Koerse where she won last year, to stage races, taking second on a stage and the overall mountains classification at the Tour de Suisse Women.

"I’m grateful for the past, for these people that I’ve had the chance to meet along the way, and I look back on this time with gratitude. Now, I’m excited to take the new step of my career,” she added.

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 spending the first seven years of his career with Bahrain Victorious, Santiago Buitrago is moving on to pastures new in 2027, joining NSN Cycling Team to broaden the team's horizons.

The NSN team, which was rebranded and restructured from the Israel-Premier Tech team, has little quality or depth in the climbing department, but the signing of Buitrago is designed to address that.

The 26-year-old Colombian is a top 10 finisher at the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, along with numerous week-long stage races, where his palmarès includes a win at the 2025 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.

As well as a solid general classification presence, Buitrago has also marked himself out as a strong stage hunter and Classics rider, winning stages at the Giro d'Italia in 2022 and 2023, placing third at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2023, and winning his first one-day race at Trofeo Laigueglia earlier this year.

Buitrago joins on a three-year contract running through 2029, by which point he will have just turned 30.

"The arrival of Santiago Buitrago represents an important addition to NSN Cycling Team’s long-term sporting project," said NSN's General Manager Kjell Carlström.

“Despite a career already spanning seven years, at just 26 years old, Santiago has a long career ahead of him and room for continued growth as a rider. In addition to Santiago’s stage and General Classification victories, he has finished inside the top ten at the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, and we believe the best is yet to come.

“Beyond his own leadership opportunities, Buitrago’s climbing ability and experience will give NSN Cycling Team greater tactical flexibility across the WorldTour calendar. His signing forms part of the team’s continued investment in a roster capable of challenging across multiple race formats, building on the team’s focus of sprinting and opportunistic racing in 2026.”

Buitrago added: "After seven years in Bahrain-Victorious, I felt it was the right time for a new challenge. I experienced some very important moments there, growing as a cyclist and as a person, but I also wanted to step outside my comfort zone and find a different environment that would help me continue to evolve.

“I was really impressed by the NSN sporting project and the confidence the team showed in me from the beginning. I feel we share the same ambition and that this is a place where I can continue to develop and fight for important goals.

“I still feel I have a lot of room to grow, so in the next three years, I want to keep taking steps forward and become an increasingly complete and consistent rider. My main goal will be to remain competitive in stage races and continue to develop in the Grand Tours."

Analysis

Pinarello-Q36.5 confirmed Czech sprinter Pavel Bittner will join the roster to start the 2027 season, the 23-year-old signing for two years.

It's another substantial rung in the ladder for the Swiss WorldTour team, which signed AlUla-Jayco's Mauro Schmid earlier this month on a three-year deal. The win for the top-ranked ProTeam is a major loss for WorldTour squad Picnic-PostNL, where Bittner developed into a top talent and is their top UCI points scorer this season.

Bittner is one of the top performers for the Dutch squad this year, with six top 10s - including second at Scheldeprijs, third at Bredene Koksijde Classic and fifth on a Tour de France stage among his individual race results. He has been the most productive UCI producer for the team so far this season with 580.

"Over the last couple of seasons I've become a more complete rider. I've learned to stay calmer in the decisive moments and I know there's still another step to take. My ambition is to become a consistent winner, fight for victories in the biggest races and keep improving every year," Bittner said in a Pinarello-Q36.5 statement on Monday.

"From the outside I could already see how much this team has grown over the last couple of seasons. Every conversation confirmed the same feeling: it's an ambitious project, but also one where people genuinely enjoy racing together. That family atmosphere really mattered to me because I believe you perform at your best when you truly enjoy the environment you're part of."

At the pro level, Bittner has ridden exclusively in the Picnic-PostNL organisation, beginning on the development squad in 2021 as a teenager. He moved to the WorldTour level when the squad was Team DSM, and began to flash his speed with significant impact in 2024, winning stage 5 at the Vuelta a España in a sprint in Sevilla and then going second on stage 17, a hilly stage that showcased his growing consistency on varied terrain.

"At just 23 years of age he has already experienced two Tour de France campaigns, won a Grand Tour stage and continued to show remarkable progression this season. We believe his best years are still ahead of him," said Doug Ryder, team principal at Pinarello-Q36.5.

"And we're excited to support his development as he continues his journey towards becoming one of the leading sprinters in professional cycling."

Bittner and Schmid officially become teammates with Tom Pidcock at Pinarello Q36.5 on January 1, 2027.

"Pavel represents exactly the type of rider we want to build our future around. His talent has never been in question, but what impressed us most is his mindset. He's ambitious, analytical and constantly looking for ways to improve, qualities that fit perfectly with the culture we are building as a team."

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.

Soudal-QuickStep have announced their first new transfer for the 2027 season, with versatile German rider Tim Torn Teutenberg joining from Lidl-Trek on a two-year deal.

Teutenberg had raced for Lidl-Trek's WorldTour team since 2025, having impressed as an U23 rider on their development squad, winning Paris-Roubaix Espoirs and the Olympia's Tour in 2024.

Since turning professional, the 24-year-old has yet to land a victory, but has shown great promise in sprints – both going for his own ambitions and as a lead-out, time trials, and as a potential Classics star.

"I'm delighted to join this team. I’ve admired Soudal Quick-Step since I was young and was a big fan of Mark Cavendish when he raced for The Wolfpack," said Teutenberg on the team's website.

"It’s a squad with an extraordinary legacy in the Classics, which are the races where I hope to keep improving. At the same time, I also want to develop as a sprinter, so next season will be about finding the right balance between the two."

The team will be known as Soudal Safety Jogger when the German first pins on a race number for them in 2027, with development team rider Ceriel Desal the only other confirmed new arrival for next season.

With GC rider Mikel Landa on his way back to Euskaltel-Euskadi, the Belgian team will be led by Tim Merlier and Paul Magnier in 2027, both in sprints and at the Classics, where Teutenberg could slot in as a valuable support rider.

But he should also get his chance to develop as a sprinter at the races they aren't at, with hopes of matching some of his best results as an U23 rider in the Classics: "I’ve never raced Paris-Roubaix since turning professional, but I hope that by joining this team I’ll get the opportunity to do so and support the squad as best I can in the fight for a great result on the French cobbles."

"Tim has already shown that he is a very versatile rider. He has the speed to compete in bunch sprints, he can perform well in the Classics, and he has also demonstrated his qualities in time trials and on the track," said team CEO Jurgen Fore.

"That versatility, combined with his ambition to improve and his strong work ethic, makes him an exciting rider for the future.

"We believe he is a great fit for our team and our philosophy. He is still young, eager to learn and ready to take the next step in his career. We are looking forward to working with him over the coming seasons and helping him continue his development. We are confident that, together, we can achieve some great things."

After his podium finish at the Tour de France, Mexican champion Isaac del Toro has extended his contract with UAE Team Emirates-XRG, committing his long-term future until 2031.

He had already been confirmed to stay until 2029, but this updated deal makes him the rider with the longest commitment to cycling's top team, with even Tadej Pogačar and rising talents Pablo Torres and Jan Christen's contracts set to expire in 2030.

Del Toro has become the secondary leader at UAE this season, backing up his runner-up finish from last year's Giro with third at his first Tour, all while supporting Pogačar to a fifth yellow jersey and winning a stage himself in Barcelona.

"I’m very happy to continue this journey with UAE Team Emirates-XRG. From the moment I joined the team, everybody has believed in me and given me the best environment to develop as both a rider and a person," said Del Toro on the team's website.

"Every season I’ve learned something new from my teammates and the people working around me, and I feel that I’m improving all the time.

"This team feels like home. We share the same ambition, the same passion for racing and the same desire to keep getting better. Signing long-term gives me a lot of confidence because I know I’m in the right place for my future.

"We’ve already achieved some amazing victories together, but I honestly believe the best is still to come. I’m excited to keep growing with this team and fighting for the biggest races in the world."

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