Human Powered Health made its first move for next season and signed Polish all-rounder Marta Lach for the next two years, beginning in January.
The Women’s WorldTour team refers to her as a 'Classics powerhouse', as evidenced by her finishing speed on a variety of terrain and conditions. She has won Festival Elsy Jacobs à Garnich each of the last three years and has a total of 16 victories across eight pro seasons.
The now 29-year-old has been among the top five most productive riders for SD Worx-Protime the last two seasons, earning 10 podiums.
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“I’m really good in the Classic races, especially the crazy ones, like Antwerp or Roubaix, but I also really like sprints after a hard race. I’m very ambitious, always fighting until the end,” she said in a Human Powered Health press release.
"I would really love to use this potential, and I hope in Human Powered Health we can really use it as an advantage. It’s an international team, and the happiness that I see between the girls, and the mentality to push forward, and to be happy on the bike drew me to the project. This environment seems to be a good one for me.
"I believe that with the team, we can achieve a lot. Also to grow as a person and as a rider.”
That allure of the US-based WorldTour squad led to a call between her agent and Human Powered Health General Manager Ro de Jonckere. The reaction was immediate, as De Jonckere said, "we did not hesitate for a second".
"The deal was done within 24 hours, which says a lot about how strongly we believe in Marta and what she can bring to this team. She is an incredibly strong and versatile rider, with all the qualities we love to see in an athlete," De Jonckere said.
"As we continue our commitment to building Human Powered Health into a top WorldTour team, Marta is one of our key signings for the next two seasons. We feel she fits our philosophy perfectly, and we are very excited to have her join us.”
She was a fan of the Olympic Games as a child and has gone on to represent Poland twice, in 2024 finishing 10th in the road race in Paris and adding a top 20 in the time trial.
Lach gained experience with her versatile style at SD Worx-Protime, from cobbled one-day races, such as Nokere Koerse where she won last year, to stage races, taking second on a stage and the overall mountains classification at the Tour de Suisse Women.
"I’m grateful for the past, for these people that I’ve had the chance to meet along the way, and I look back on this time with gratitude. Now, I’m excited to take the new step of my career,” she added.
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.
