Two of professional cycling's top teams confirmed significant transfers for 2026, with Visma-Lease a Bike announcing they have signed French time trial champion Bruno Armirail from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe hailing the acquisition of Mattia Cattaneo, who will join Remco Evenepoel in moving across from Soudal-QuickStep.
Armirail is still seeking his first WorldTour victory after eight seasons at the sport's top level. The 31-year-old signed his first pro contract with Groupama-FDJ in 2018 and spent six seasons with the team before joining Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale in 2024.
An attacking rider, Armirail won the mountains classification in the Itzulia Basque Country and Critérium du Dauphiné this year in addition to the French time trial title.
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Although he hasn't won a Grand Tour stage yet, Armirail led the Giro d'Italia for two stages in 2023 after making the winning breakaway on stage 14. He ended the race 16th overall behind winner Primož Roglič.
"This is a unique opportunity in my career to race for one of the best teams in the world," Armirail said in a Visma-Lease a Bike press release. "I want to challenge myself by changing environment and race for a foreign team for the first time.
"I'm also looking forward to being part of a team that can compete for victory in nearly every race. I expect to play an important support role in the major races, but I also hope to keep improving in time trials, on climbs, and in controlling breakaways."
Grischa Niermann, the team's head of racing, hailed Armirail's experience - having raced nine Grand Tours including three Tours de France. "He's suitable for all terrains," Niermann said. "He brings a lot of experience and clearly has a big engine. But we believe that within our professional environment, he can still take further steps in his development."
Another strong domestique is making a move for 2026: Mattia Cattaneo will leave Soudal-QuickStep and follow Remco Evenepoel to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.
The 34-year-old raced with Evenepoel since 2020, joining QuickStep after three seasons with the Androni Giocattoli ProTeam. Cattaneo began his career by signing with Lampre-Merida in 2013 straight out of the amateur ranks and has competed in 14 Grand Tours.
His only WorldTour victory is the time trial in the 2023 Tour de Pologne, but he came close with second on stages in the Giro and Tour de France.
As with Armirail, experience was a key factor in Cattaneo's signing.
"With Mattia, we continue our strategy of pairing our young talents with experienced professionals," Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe CEO Ralph Denk said. "Mattia brings race awareness and experience, along with the big engine that provides crucial power for the team – from one-day races to the Grand Tours."
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.
