Gianni Vermeersch trades Alpecin-Deceuninck for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe

Former gravel world champion Gianni Vermeersch will leave Alpecin-Deceuninck after nine seasons to join Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, the latter team announced on Wednesday.

Vermeersch is being brought in to bolster the German team's Classics squad after supporting Mathieu van der Poel in his victories in Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders.

"I'm really looking forward to this new chapter in my career," Vermeersch said. "After many years in the same environment, a whole new world is opening up for me. It's an honor to join Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, and I'm excited to share my Classics experience with the younger riders."

Before focussing on the road, Vermeersch was a top cyclocross rider, joining Van der Poel's team in 2016. He has been an under-rated rider on the road, spending his entire career in the service of his team leaders. He has a handful of victories, most recently the 2024 Dwars door het Hageland and a stage of the 4 Jours de Dunkerque in 2022, but his biggest accomplishment was winning the UCI Gravel World Championships in 2022.

Having finished top 10 in both Paris-Roubaix (2024) and the Tour of Flanders (2021), his new team will employ his experience in the Spring Classics to improve their standings in those races.

"With Gianni, we want to close the gaps that became apparent last spring," team CEO Ralph Denk said. "Our roster certainly has a lot of Classics quality. But we often lacked routine, depth, and punch to shape the finale with our talents. We are convinced that Gianni can make exactly this difference."

Filippo Fiorelli trades up to Visma-Lease a Bike

Visma-Lease a Bike announced the signing of Filippo Fiorelli, 30, from the VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizané team.

The Dutch outfit were interested in Fiorelli's ability to lead out sprinters in tough finishes.

"Filippo is a very interesting rider, and we're curious to see what he can bring to our team," the team's Head of Racing Grischa Niermann said.

"We believe he'll be able to support Matthew Brennan well in sprint preparations. He's also expressed interest in exploring the Spring Classics. In both the sprint train and the Classics, his role will be different and more supportive than what he's been used to. We are convinced that he is still able to progress in that role and that he will be a good fit for our team."

With just one professional victory to his name, signing with one of the top teams in the world was perhaps Fiorelli's biggest career accomplishment.

"I've seen how this team operates, with all the training facilities and in-house expertise," Fiorelli said. "I can't wait to start working that way myself and to see how much room for growth I still have. My role will be different than before, but I'm really looking forward to joining one of the top teams in the world in a supporting capacity."

EF Education-EasyPost bring Noah Hobbs up to the WorldTour

Tour de l'Avenir stage winner Noah Hobbs will join EF Education-EasyPost in 2026 from the team's development squad EF Education-Aevolo.

Hobbs sprinted to the stage win in Saint-Galmier on Sunday - his seventh win of the season after he claimed two stages and the overall win in the Volta ao Alentejo in March. He won three stages in the Tour de Bretagne and the points classification, and a stage of the Course de la Paix Grand Prix Jeseníky Nations Cup race.

EF Pro Cycling CEO Jonathan Vaughters believes Hobbs is ready for the WorldTour.

"Noah has already enjoyed an incredible season, so he's proving to be a rider of immense quality," Vaughters said. "His speed and ability to sustain power come from his track background, but this is the first period in which he's been able to maintain such a high level on the road. That focus, along with joining the development team, has shown that he's the best U23 sprinter in the world right now."

With the Brit's success, Hobbs could easily have gone to his choice of WorldTour teams but opted to remain in the EF family because he enjoys the culture of the squad.

"EF Education-EasyPost is a team that fits with all the reasons I love cycling," Hobbs said. "They're a bit different, a bit out there, and all the riders and staff are amazing.

"I've only been on the U23 squad for a few months, but what's clear is that everyone is happy to be part of the organization, and for me, that was a really important factor when deciding to pledge my future to the team. EF Education-EasyPost is a fun team, not too strict, and has a great culture.

"Of course, there is a serious side to the sport, and the team set out a really clear and exciting plan for my development. Being part of the devo team was part of that process, so stepping into the WorldTour with EF Pro Cycling feels like the natural progression for me as a rider."

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.