The USA's Megan Jastrab will ride for UAE Team ADQ in 2026 and 2027, moving from Picnic PostNL after five seasons with the Dutch squad.
The Emirati team announced the signing of Jastrab on Friday, in a move that will see her link up with the likes of Elisa Longo Borghini, Brodie Chapman and new recruit Pauliena Rooijakkers as the team continue to build their roster.
Jastrab, who is still only 23, shot to prominence when she won the junior road race title at the World Championships in 2019, and joined the professional ranks fresh out of the juniors.
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The early years of her professional career were stalled by some crashes and injuries, but she's been consistently fit throughout 2025, picking up a number of top-five finishes in the WorldTour, and will now move to the UAE as a "new arrow in the team's quiver" and to continue her development.
"This is a very exciting step for me. I’ve been with the same team since turning pro from the junior ranks, and over the years, I’ve grown and learned a lot. Now I’m looking forward to continuing that growth in a new environment," Jastrab said in a press release issued by her new team.
"After spending five years with my current team, my first priority will be to learn how everything works within the new team to ensure a smooth transition," she said of the move.
"Personally, I want to keep building on the progress I’ve made this season – both in fitness and results. The past few years have brought some setbacks, so my goal is to have a more consistent season and see how far I can go in the future."
A fast finisher with Classics-worthy hardiness, Jastrab says she is still working out exactly what kind of rider she wants to be, and what races will be her goals.
"I like tactical races that demand full focus. I’m naturally drawn to the Classics – they’re my favorite type of races. I also enjoy short stage races like the Tour of Britain and the Tour of Scandinavia, where the courses are similar to the classics but spread across five days," she said.
"I want to see what kind of rider I can become in the coming years. I’m not a pure sprinter or a climber, but I can handle a wide range of terrains. I want to understand how to use my strengths to win races – whether that means specialising further in certain areas or improving my weaknesses to become more well-rounded. My main goal is to keep growing."
As well as her own goals, Jastrab's role at UAE will likely involve supporting riders like Elisa Longo Borghini and Pauliena Rooijakkers in the bigger, hillier races, and linking up with Lara Gillespie in the sprint contingent.
After being taken into UAE ownership in 2022, the team has been slowly growing their roster and using their reportedly large budget to sign big-name riders, most notably Longo Borghini for 2025, and building a line-up to cement their place as one of the top WorldTour teams.
Young but experienced, Jastrab will add to the team's strength for the next two years.
"We’re thrilled to welcome Megan Jastrab to our team," team president Melissa Moncada said. "She’s still very young but already has extensive experience at the highest level of cycling. She’s a complete rider, and I believe she’ll be an important addition to our team, enhancing our competitiveness in certain types of races. I’m looking forward to seeing her race in our colors."
As well as being a strong rider, Jastrab is very active off the bike, sitting on The Cyclists’ Alliance's rider council this year, running for the UCI Athletes' Commission, and most recently raised funds to help send US junior riders to the World Championships in Rwanda.
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.
