Australian Hamish McKenzie will make a year-delayed move into the WorldTour in 2026, stepping up from Hagens Berman Jayco to Jayco-AlUla.
McKenzie, 21, signed for Hagens Berman Jayco at the start of 2024 and was due to step up to the WorldTour squad in 2025, but spent an additional year at development level owing to an injury.
In 2026, however, the Australian will finally make the move, joining the WorldTour team from January.
"Hamish is one of our long-term projects, he’s a big talent and we’re delighted to see him making the step up into the WorldTour next season," Jayco sporting manager Gene Bates said.
"The plan was always for him to spend some time with Axel Merckx and our development setup before graduating to the pro ranks with us.
"Unfortunately, he had an injury that meant the move was delayed by a year, but we believe he’s proved that he is ready after his performances this season and we’re looking forward to helping him develop further."
McKenzie's 2025 season centred around a steady programme of European stage races, racking up a solid 40 race days and plenty of racing experience, if not many stand-out results.
A high point of his season came in September when he finished 10th in the under-23 time trial at the Road World Championships in Rwanda, confirming his readiness for the next step.
He has already had two tastes of riding for the WorldTour team, having raced alongside his future teammates at the CRO Race and Tour of Hellas, and expressed his joy at making the permanent move after an extra year of racing.
"I’m really proud and excited to be stepping up to the WorldTour with Team Jayco-AlUla. It’s a team that truly values development, teamwork, and creating opportunities for younger riders like myself," he said.
"I’ve watched and admired this team for years, and I’m incredibly grateful for the trust they’ve shown in me leading up to this point. I’m looking forward to learning from riders I’ve always looked up to, as well as working with the amazing support staff. I can’t wait to get stuck in and kick off my season in Australia in January!"
McKenzie's compatriot Wil Holmes signed for Hagens Berman Jayco at the same time in 2024 and was slated to move up to the WorldTour in 2026. However, the 19-year-old has also delayed his move and will spend an additional year at under-23 level. He's slated for a two-year contract with Jayco AlUla starting in 2027.
Jayco-AlUla's roster for 2026 now stands at 27 riders out of the maximum of 30.
