Five-year title sponsor extension solidifies Team Novo Nordisk through 2031

Team Novo Nordisk have extended their partnership with title sponsor Novo Nordisk for another five years, taking the UCI ProTeam through 2031. The current three-year deal was set to end next year.

Headed into a 19th year as the world’s first and only all-diabetes professional cycling programme and 15th year with Novo Nordisk, a roster of 20 riders was confirmed for 2026. Team captain Andrea Peron of Italy and experienced Spanish climber David Lozano return as the longest-tenured teammates, both riding full-time with the team since 2013.

The squad will feature three new signings among seven under-23 riders, including French duo Louis-Marie Posnic and Lucas Terrier, who step up from the Development team, and 19-year-old Spanish talent Juan José López, who joined the development program this year after two seasons on the Valverde Team-Richardo Fuentes club team.

"For me, being able to see the team's evolution from day one, when this idea of a team made up entirely of athletes living with diabetes became a reality, is truly amazing. The journey we have been on is something I couldn’t have perceived at the time," Lozano, who joined the team as a 23-year-old stagiaire, told Cyclingnews.

"Seeing more and more young people who, thanks to us, have started training and are now our teammates, seeing the growing awareness that diabetes and sport must always go hand in hand, that having T1D is not a taboo subject—all of this is possible thanks to stability and the long-term commitment like the one Novo Nordisk has provided the team. This is increasingly rare in professional cycling and something to be celebrated."

Vassili Davidenko continues as the team's general manager and said that maintaining a core foundation with 17 returning riders was a "key factor in providing stability". Among that group, he noted that Italians Filippo Ridolfo, Antonio Polga and Alessandro Perracchione were among the cast of talented young riders looking to improve and help support the "development pipeline".

"It is important for us to ensure that our experienced riders remain motivated, and our young talent is on the right path to keep developing. Retaining Andrea, Filippo, David, et al give us stability and with their combined experience, they have the tools to help our new riders immediately. We welcome Louis-Marie, Lucas and Juan Jose."

One of the biggest young talents from last year was 22-year-old Matyáš Kopecký, who won three youth classifications at UCI races, including Region Pays de la Loire Tour, took silver at the Czechia road race nationals and finished 10th at the Maryland Cycling Classic. He moves to Unibet Rose Rockets on a two-year contract.

This renewal with Novo Nordisk, announced on World Diabetes Day, marks the longest partnership extension in the team’s history and reaffirms the global healthcare leader's long-term commitment to driving change for people living with diabetes.

"Team Novo Nordisk embodies the belief that people with diabetes can accomplish anything," said Phil Southerland, CEO and team co-founder. "Over the past 13 years, our partnership has grown beyond cycling into a global movement that is changing perceptions about diabetes.

"Novo Nordisk’s unwavering support has been instrumental in our mission to inspire, educate, and empower people with diabetes. Together, we will continue to break barriers and drive change for long-term health."

To mark World Diabetes Day 2025 and celebrate the partnership renewal, Team Novo Nordisk will support the World Diabetes Foundation’s project "improving diabetes control and quality of life for children in Uzbekistan", an initiative focused on improving health outcomes and quality of life for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes, particularly in rural regions. The team will donate 10% of profits from its international webshop to the fundraiser through the end of 2025.

"The community that we have created as Team Novo Nordisk is getting bigger and bigger, and year on year the athletes are becoming stronger and more successful," Lozano added.

"Ultimately, all of this leads to more people getting to know us, more people believing that diabetes is not an obstacle to achieving your dreams, and it makes all of this worthwhile—helping families who, for one reason or another, are living with diabetes just like we are."