News

Despite having announced the extension of his contract with Lotto-Dstny at the beginning of the season, Maxim Van Gils will leave the Belgian team to ride with Red Bull Bora-hansgrohe until 2027.

He was one of the revelations of the season. After a good year in 2023 where he showed himself by finishing second at the Grand Colombier on the Tour de France, Maxim Van Gils definitely exploded to the eyes of the cycling world in 2024. Indeed, the Belgian revealed himself as one of the best puncheurs in the world, having a phenomenal Classics campaign. After finishing third at the Strade Bianche and seventh at Milano-Sanremo, the native of Brasschaat in Northern Belgium confirmed on the Ardennes Classics with a podium at the top of the Mur de Huy and a fourth place in Liège on the “Old Lady”. The Belgian continued his great period by raising his arms for the first time at the World Tour level at Eschborn-Frankfurt before taking another win one month later at the Grosser Preis des Kantons Aargau in Switzerland.

The extension of his contract with Lotto-Dstny at the beginning of the season was a great news for the Belgian team that should return to the World Tour in 2026. Indeed, Van Gils formed, along with riders like Arnaud De Lie and Lennert Van Eetvelt, a promising young generation for Stéphane Heulot’s team. However, Red Bull Bora-hansgrohe, a team with much more budget, has redeemed the contract of the Belgian puncheur at the end of the interseason, making it impossible for his former team to replace him. These contract surrenders are beginning to be more common in cycling, which benefit the wealthier teams and make it harder to exist for the poorest ones.

With Red Bull Bora-hansgrohe, Maxim Van Gils will be a major asset on the Classics and should be one of the leaders of the German team, adding even more talent in a very good collective. At only 25 years old, the Belgian has signed for the next three seasons and will be an important piece of Red Bull Bora-hansgrohe in the future, as said by his new manager Ralph Denk: “It [Van Gils’s season] shows strength, but also potential. We will continue to develop this with our performance structure.”

Source: Red Bull Bora-hansgrohe press release

10/12/2024

After announcing the termination of his contract with INEOS Grenadiers a few days ago, Thomas Pidcock has officialised that he will be riding for the Swiss team Q36.5 for the next three years.

It was one of the sagas of the cycling world during this interseason. After an end of the season where tensions between the Thomas Pidcock and his team INEOS Grenadiers were visible, especially when the double Olympic champion was dropped from the selection of the British team for Il Lombardia and showed his incomprehension on an Instagram post. These tensions concluded in the termination of the contract of the British rider, who was supposed to stay with his now former team until 2027.

At 25 years old, Pidcock is one of the best puncheurs in the world. Indeed, the former Cyclo-cross World champion has already raised his arms on some very prestigious races such as the Strade Bianche in 2023 or the Amstel Gold Race this season. The rider from Leeds is also a great climber, as proven by his victory at the Alpe d’Huez on the Tour de France 2022 and has already announced his ambition to play for general classifications in the future.

Joining Q36.5 is a bet for Thomas Pidcock. Indeed, the Swiss team is not part of the first division of cycling and will not take part on every World Tour race next season. The addition of a rider like Pidcock can assure them some invitations but they are not the favourites to accede to a Grand Tour, especially the Tour de France. As said by the team manager Doug Ryder: “His extraordinary talent, both on and off the bike, and his proven ability to win at the WorldTour level make him a game-changing addition to our roster.” It should be really nice to see Thomas Pidcock at the front of some of the best races in the World in the Q36.5 jersey, adding more diversity to a peloton that really needs it.

Source: Q36.5 press release

10/12/2024

Following the announcement of his departure from team CANYON-SRAM in September, it has now been revealed that the former pro-turned-Sports Director will join the Cofidis women’s team for the 2025 season.

Earlier today, the team announced a number of changes to their staff – one of which being the arrival of Bäckstedt as Sports Director. In their press release, Mélanie Briot, one of the existing Sports Directors, stated that the Paris-Roubaix winner’s “experience on the bike…sense of racing and…know-how will be invaluable to [their] athletes," and noted his ability to bring the team more visibility on the “international scene”.

Bäckstedt himself stated that he found this new challenge “exciting”, and that he liked Briot and Cédric Vasseur’s approach with the team. He hopes to bring in his experience, and help to foster an environment that is conducive to the riders’ development.

It is expected that from 2025, he will largely be present roadside at the Classics races, but will also play a role at the other key races that the team targets, as they aim to reach UCI WorldTour status.

Source: Équipe Cofidis Press Release

06/12/2024

Whilst out training in Belgium on Tuesday, Remco Evenepoel was involved in a crash with a bpost vehicle that resulted in him sustaining several injuries.

The double Olympic champion was on a training ride when a delivery driver in a bpost vehicle in front of him unexpectedly opened the door. Evenepoel had no choice but to collide with the door, which, in his words, “catapulted” him to the other side of the road.

Not only did the incident cause the top tube of his golden bicycle to snap in half, but it also resulted in fractures to his rib, shoulder blade and hand, as well as the dislocation of his right clavicle, lung contusions and torn ligaments. Luckily the young Belgian rider was able to receive medical attention relatively quickly, and has already undergone surgery to begin the recovery process.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Evenepoel confirmed that his surgery went well, and that he is on the road to recovery, “determined to come back stronger, step by step.” He also thanked the emergency services and members of the public that helped him, as well as the medical teams in Anderlecht and Herentals and the Soudal Quick-Step doctor, Phil Jansen.

It remains to be seen what this could mean for Evenepoel’s 2025 season. He acknowledged that his recovery journey is likely to be long, but there still remains time for him to make some positive steps before the season begins.

Source: Remco Evenepoel Instagram Post

06/12/2024

Following the announcement confirming his departure from team INEOS Grenadiers after months of speculation around his position in the team, it has just been announced that Steve Cummings will be joining team Jayco AlUla in 2025.

In his LinkedIn post announcing the end of his tenure at INEOS, Cummings wrote that he would be remaining in the cycling world but didn’t divulge how or with which team. It has now been revealed, however, that he will remain in the role of sports director, but for the Saudi-owned Australian team instead.

In the team’s press release, he stated that Jayco AlUla’s “reputation for its professionalism and commitment to success” drew him to the team, and that he can’t wait to be part of a culture that “celebrates growth, resilience, and meaningful results.” He also noted that he already knows a lot of the team’s members, and so is looking forward to working with them.

Source: Team Jayco AlUla Press Release

02/12/2024

The final remaining British men's UCI Continental cycling team, Saint Piran, confirmed yesterday that as of 2025 they will no longer be operational.

Founded in 2018, the team moved from Elite National level up to UCI Continental level in 2021. However, after a number of victories in 2023, the team suffered a difficult season in 2024, with injury and illness hitting many of the senior riders, and financial constraints preventing them from racing a full programme.

Their financial problems have only worsened since, as highlighted in their official statement, and the recent negative media coverage surrounding their past use of unapproved bikes has made finding sponsors even harder. The team's management have therefore decided to close the Saint Piran Pro Cycling UCI Continental Team and Saint Piran WRT Elite Development Team effective immediately, so neither team will take to the startline in 2025. 

This announcement comes just two weeks after Trinity Racing announced it would not be operating its road racing arm in 2025, and therefore means that the men's side of the sport is no longer represented at ProTeam or Continental level in the UK. The INEOS Grenadiers are now the sole remaining functional men's team in Britain.

Source: WriteBikeRepeat

27/11/2024

After an incredible career as a pro-cyclist who championed women’s cycling – not only by being one of its most successful figureheads, but also by supporting those that came after her, and using her experience and voice to make things better – Lizzie Deignan has announced that she will be retiring at the end of the 2025 season.

Throughout her long professional career, the now 35-year-old has been hailed as one of Britain’s most successful road cyclists, having been the Road Race World Champion in 2015, and having won many prestigious races such as the Ronde Van Vlaanderen, Strade Bianche, Liège-Bastogne- Liège and Paris-Roubaix, amongst others. She also took home a silver medal in the 2012 Olympic Games Road Race – an achievement which she has now named the highlight of her career. However, as stated by Deignan herself, “all good things must come to an end.”

She cited a simple lack of desire to continue as the reason for her retirement – after 18 seasons she feels as though it would be too much to dedicate herself to the sport for longer. As a mother of two who has just moved back to her home in Yorkshire after a long time living in in Monaco, she believes that continuing a career in professional cycling would be unsustainable – something which she says became clear to her after a particularly bad travel day at the start of the 2024 season.

She still has love for the sport, however, as she maintained that she “love[s] cycling and all the things it has given [her]”, and will remain involved in the cycling world post-retirement. Deignan praised the advancements that have been made in women’s cycling, stating that it is on an “upward trajectory” that she really wants to be a part of, and so it will likely only be a matter of time before we hear more about her next steps.

Source: Rouleur

15/11/2024

In the past week, EF Education-Easypost has announced two more signings for the 2025 season: Vincenzo Albanese and Madis Mihkels.

Albanese will be moving to the pink team from his current team, Arkéa B&B Hotels, after they had to let him go. The future of the French team appears to be in trouble due to an inability to find sponsorship beyond 2025 – after their contracts with title sponsors Arkéa and B&B Hotels expire – and they are already experiencing financial difficulties. This has meant that the team has had to let Albanese (as a “high earner” in the team) go early, so that his contract can be bought out by another team, and space can be freed on their roster for a less expensive rider.

For Albanese, EF Education-Easypost has come to the rescue, and he seems excited about the move, having stated that this will be “the first time [he] will have the chance to race for a very big team” and that he is “very motivated for next year”. As a puncheur that rides well over the cobbles, he will form part of the American team’s spring Classics squad, and he has stated that his ultimate goal will be to win. He has also expressed a desire to race the Tour de France in 2025, to help his teammates and also try to go for a stage win himself, if the opportunity presents itself.

EF Education-Easypost has also poached Mihkels from his team, Intermarché-Wanty. The 21-year-old will form part of the spring Classics squad too, but also aims to race in a wide range of one-day races and stage races all year round. He has stated that he has no real specific target, he just wants to win. Mihkels still lives in Estonia, and so will begin his preparation for the 2025 season there as usual, before joining the team at their winter camp in Spain.

Source: EF Pro Cycling Press Releases on Albanese and Mihkels

10/11/2024

After Steve Cummings was left at home for the Tour de France, and remained absent for the rest of the year, rumours had begun to circulate regarding his position in the team. Despite having only just been promoted to Director of Racing towards the end of last year, he was suspiciously absent for most of this year – not only was he left out of the management teams of all three Grand Tours, but his last race in person for the team was the Critérium du Dauphiné in June.

At the time, INEOS insisted that nothing was amiss, stating instead that he was supporting the team remotely and preparing for the new season – however recently, the team omitted to mention him in their recent announcements regarding their management changes/staffing updates, sparking rumours of his departure once again.

This week, the ex-pro finally confirmed in a LinkedIn post that he has in fact left his role as Director of Racing at INEOS Grenadiers. He wrote that his departure was his decision, spurred on by a desire to “begin a new phase of [his] career”, and thanked the team for their support in the last four years. He wasn’t clear about his next steps, however – he stated that his focus is now on a “new challenge within professional cycling” that will allow him to “continue to have significant involvement in the sport”, but omitted to reveal what exactly that will be.

Following the departures of other key members of the team, such as Luke Rowe and Dan Bigham amongst others, this marks yet another big name leaving the declining British team under suspicious or less-than-positive circumstances. It now remains to be seen whether their recent management/organisational changes will be able to save them from their downward trajectory.

Source: Steve Cummings LinkedIn Post

08/11/2024

In an unexpected turn of events, it has been announced that Cédrine Kerbaol has left CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling to join EF-Oatly Cannondale for the 2025 season and beyond.

Her former team announced on Tuesday that they “mutually agreed to part ways” – supposedly due to an administrative error. The team failed to submit their application for a UCI Women’s WorldTour licence before the deadline, and this activated a clause in Kerbaol’s contract allowing her to terminate effective immediately. Despite the issue being resolved, and the team retaining their WWT licence, Kerbaol seemingly used the opportunity to jump to a different team.

This is a big loss for the German team, as the 23-year-old is one of road cycling’s up-and-coming big talents. So far, she has built up an impressive palmarès, including a stage at the Tour de France Femmes (being the first Frenchwoman in history to achieve this), Best Young Rider at the Tour de France Femmes, the Tour de Normandie Féminin, Tre Valli Varesine, both the U23 and Elite French Individual Time Trial National Championships, and a silver medal at the U23 Individual Time Trial World Championships, to name a few.

In her new team’s press release, she stated that she has always been interested in the pink team, and that its “combination of growth and fun” was especially appealing to her. Kerbaol thus far has shown that she can be an all-rounder, but time trials and long efforts in the breakaway appear to be particular areas of strength. Next season, she aims to continue her upwards trajectory with her new team, with her biggest target being the Tour de France Femmes once again – especially as the route is set to pass through her hometown, Brest.

Source: EF-Oatly-Cannondale Press Release

07/11/2024

The reigning Mountain Bike Cross Country World Champion, Alan Hatherly, has now decided to turn his attention to the road with team Jayco-AlUla, having signed a two-year contract with the team through to 2026.

After a breakout year in which he won the overall 2024 Cross Country World Cup, the XCO World Championship, bronze medals at the Olympic Games and the XCC World Championships, and much more, the Saudi-funded team have snapped Hatherly up to see if he can replicate his success on the road.

The South African has thus far focused predominantly on MTB, but now aims to combine both MTB and road racing in his 2025 season. In the team’s press release, he stated that he believes that “now is the perfect moment for [him] to get out of the comfort zone and develop even further”, and that he thinks that Jayco-AlUla is the best place for him to be for this “new chapter”.

His main focus on the road will simply just be developing and improving as a cyclist on the WorldTour, but it is expected that his big “engine” will lend itself to strong performances in time trials, and/or as a rouleur for the team.

Sources: GreenEDGE cycling Press Release

07/11/2024

The final few transfers are now being announced, as many teams’ 2025 rosters are almost full. This week saw the announcements of Lucas Hamilton, David Dekker and Alex Baudin all switching teams for next year.

Assuming that Tom Pidcock remains with the team, INEOS Grenadiers have now completed their 2025 roster with the addition of Lucas Hamilton. Hamilton – a relatively experienced regular on the WorldTour, having won races such as Coppi e Bartali, the Czech Cycling Tour, and stages at Tirreno-Adriatico – will therefore leave his current team, Jayco-AlUla, to join the British team for the 2025 season.

During this time, it is expected that he will use his climbing skills to support the team’s GC leaders, Carlos Rodríguez and Egan Bernal. Scott Drawer, Performance Director, corroborated this, stating that INEOS is “entrenching a new approach within the team”, and that Hamilton will be able to slot into “an important area” for the team, by supporting their young talent. When asked for comments, the Australian rider stated that he is “incredibly excited” to join the Grenadiers as he has always had a “deep respect for their achievements”.

Euskaltel-Euskadi have also filled up their 21-rider 2025 roster, with the signing of David Dekker. The Dutch sprinter will move over from his current team, Arkéa-B&B Hotels, to the orange ProTeam for the 2025 season.

After two difficult years at Arkéa-B&B Hotels – where he really struggled to perform – Dekker has stated that he was drawn to the Basque team because of the confidence that they had in him, and that he believes that joining the team will allow him to regain his confidence and shine more in the races that suit him. He aims to be at his best level next year, and his main goal is to win. It is expected that his main focus will be the spring Classics, as well as the windier/more cobble-y one-day sprint races.

EF Education-Easypost have also announced a new signing: Alex Baudin. The young Frenchman who had a good year this year – winning the the Tour de Limousin, and securing second at the Coppa Bernocchi and third at the Tour of Guangxi – will be joining the American team for at least the next two years, through to 2026.

In the team’s press release, Baudin expressed his desire to join an international team and get to know new people and different cultures. He also shared his dream to win a stage in the Tour de France. The team appears prepared to help him in his mission, but he will also be focused on races like the Ardennes Classics and the Clásica de San Sebastián, that suit his punchy climbing skills well.

Sources: INEOS Grenadiers Press Release, Euskaltel-Euskadi Press Release, EF Pro Cycling Press Release

02/11/2024

Alpecin-Deceuninck was one of the only team who still hadn’t started their transfer window. Indeed, they announced their first new riders for the next season on the 30^th of October, which is very late considering that the teams can start officialising riders from the 1^st of August.

The first of these riders is the only one coming from the professional peloton. At 25 years old, Johan Price-Pejtersen will arrive in the Belgian team for the next two seasons, from Bahrain-Victorious. The Danish rider began his professional career with Uno-X at the end of the 2020 season, joining from ColoQuick. However, during the one year and a half that he spent with the Norwegian team, he mainly raced at the U23 level, including in the Worlds championships in Belgium, during which he won the ITT. His performances on the individual effort convinced Bahrain-Victorious to sign him in 2022 but this was not a great success. Indeed, Price-Pejtersen’s best performance during his three years with the Middle-Eastern team was a third place on the recent Chrono des Nations. Outside of the ITTs where he scored some top 10s, the Norwegian was mainly a domestique for his leaders and couldn’t really take his chance. With his new team, he will try to give a new boost to his career, and hopefully be able to win for the first time at the professional level.

The other recruits of Alpecin-Deceuninck for the next seasons will all live their first experience in the World Tour peloton, as they all raced in the U23 category before. The first of them is the Slovenian Gal Glivar who arrives from UAE Team Emirates Gen Z. He showed great capacities of puncheur on Il Lombardia U23 where he finished third but also on the Tour de l’Avenir with a second place on the first stage. The other four riders joining the Belgian team are coming from Alpecin-Deceuninck Devo. Two of them only race on the road with the Belgians Ramses Debruyne and Simone Dehairs. The latter already raced with success under the jersey of the World Tour team on the ZLM Tour, during a few races throughout the season, including some where he finished on the podium such as Veenendaal-Veenendaal. The other two are also known for taking part in some cyclo-cross during the winter, and are even some of the best youngsters in this discipline. Indeed, in the last U23 World Championships in Czech Republic, the Dutchman Tibor Del Grosso won the rainbow jersey ahead of the Belgian Emiel Verstrynge. Both of these young riders will discover the World Tour level on the road, all oh this while competing in the forests during the winter.

In addition of these riders, Alpecin-Deceuninck also announced the arrival of three young riders for the development team with the Belgians Aless De Bock and Nio Vandevorst and the Italian Stefano Viezzi.

Source: Alpecin-Deceuninck's press release

31/10/2024

The route for next year’s Tour de France was finally revealed at the annual Tour de France presentation at the Palais des Congrès in Paris this Tuesday. The race will start in Lille on Saturday 5th July, and will end on Sunday 27th July on the Champs-Élysées – resuming the usual tradition after last year’s deviation due to the Olympic Games. The race is therefore set to take place entirely in France for the first time in five years.

The first stage is flat, and so will give the sprinters a chance to wear the yellow jersey for the first time since 2020. Then, the rest of the first week will give the puncheurs such as Wout van Aert and Thibau Nys their time to shine – with the latter being expected to make his Tour debut next year. There will also be a 33km individual time trial included around Caen, which will likely perfectly suit the current World Champion, Remco Evenepoel. The first week will then end with the first summit finish of the race on Bastille Day.

In the next week, GC action between the main contenders (most likely Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar – although Primož Roglič might throw his hat in the ring again too) seems likely, as the riders will take on summit finishes at Hautacam, Superbagnères and Peyregudes – with the latter being an 11km uphill time trial on Stage 13. A few sprint finishes will be sprinkled in between too – although none completely flat.

Then, in the final week, the race will head into the Alps via Mont Ventoux on Stage 16, and will include summit finishes at the Col de la Loze and La Plagne, followed by one last ‘punchy’ stage on Stage 20, and the traditional Champs-Élysées sprint to finish.

Overall, there are:

· Seven flat stages,

· Six hilly stages,

· Six mountaintop finishes, and

· Two time-trials (44km in total).

The total elevation will be 51,550m in total – 1,000m less than last year – and the total length of the course will be around 3,320km.

Source: Eurosport

30/10/2024

That is without a doubt the biggest transfer of this winter. The Dutch Demi Vollering will join FDJ-Suez from SD Worx for the next two seasons.

The former Dutch champion started her professional career in 2019 with Parkhotel Valkenburg, with who she spent two years, revealing herself as a big talent. In 2021, she changed of dimension when she joined SD Worx and won Liege-Bastogne-Liege along with La Course by Le Tour. She also revealed herself as one of the best climbers in the world by finishing third of the Giro Donne, a thing that she confirmed one year later when she won all three stages of the Itzulia Women and finished second of the first edition of the new Tour de France Femmes. In 2023, she took her revenge on the summer French roads by winning her first ever Grand Tour but she also realized the amazing Ardennes treble, writing her name into history books. This season, Demi Vollering added La Vuelta Femenina and the Tour de Suisse Women to her trophy cabinet but lost the Tour de France Femmes for a few seconds to Katarzyna Niewadoma.

The departure of Vollering from SD Worx is a little earthquake in the cycling world. Indeed, the Dutch women is considered as one of the best riders in the world and her signing with FDJ-Suez is a “great day and a new step” for the French team, as said the general manager Stéphane Delcourt. Indeed, the Dutch star will have an amazing team around her throughout the season with riders such as Juliette Labous or Elise Chabbey who join FDJ-Suez along her. In addition, the French team managed to keep Evita Muzic, who could also be a first-class teammate. With her new team, Demi Vollering will have big objectives all season long, from the Classics to the Grand Tours. As she said in the press release of FDJ-Suez: “We’re going to have a great team and I’m convinced that great things await us.”

Source: FDJ-Suez's press release

29/10/2024

The latest transfer news involves Rémi Cavagna and Larry Warbasse, as both are set to switch teams for 2025.

Rémi Cavagna, after spending the last year struggling at Movistar, has managed to sign with another team where he will likely feel more at home. For the next two years, he will be riding for Groupama-FDJ, where he will focus on improving his time trialling skills even further, and regaining his spirit and passion for cycling.

The French rider – who struggled to adapt to the Spanish-speaking team, and was upset at his non-selection for any of the Grand Tours this year – believes that the French team will be more suited to him and his riding style, and stated that the close collaboration between the manufacturers, the research and development team, and the riders in particular, is what motivated him to join.

However, whilst one French team gains a rider, another is set to lose one, as Larry Warbasse moves from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale to Tudor Pro Cycling, on a one-year contract.

The American rider will enter his 13th season as a professional cyclist next year, and has chosen to do so with the up-and-coming Swiss team. He cited the fact that the team is progressing quickly and has a clear project for success as his main reason for joining, stating that he “couldn’t think of anywhere [he] would rather be moving forward in [his] career.”

Warbasse is the final rider completing Tudor Pro Cycling’s 2025 roster and plans to join the team as a domestique, primarily for stage races, where he hopes to be able to use his experience having ridden 11 Grand Tours to guide the younger riders in the team.

Sources: Groupama-FDJ X (formerly Twitter) post, Tudor Pro Cycling Press Release

26/10/2024

After a complicated year for the team, INEOS Grenadiers have announced on their website that their structure and staff will be subject to modifications from next season.

These decisions follow the arrival of Dr Scott Drawer into the team a few months ago as a Performance Director. During the second part of last season, the Brit “spent six months listening, observing and working with the team to determine what’s needed to set ourselves up for excellence for 2025 and beyond.” In their press release, INEOS Grenadiers announced that their new structure “will focus on three distinct performance streams”. These streams are quite simple. Indeed, one is for the stage races, including the Grand Tours, the second one will be focused on the Classics while the third one should be focusing on developing the youth generation.

Along with this restructure, the British team also officialised the signing of a few staff members. First of all, two former riders of the team are appointed as Sport Directors, with the Italian Leonardo Basso and the Norwegian Kurt Asle Arvesen. INEOS Grenadiers also inaugurated two new roles with the Head of Performance Support and Innovation and the Director of Research and Development. The former will be in the charge of the track specialist Dr Mehdi Kordi, who “led the Dutch national team to multiple Gold medal success in the Paris Olympics”, while the latter will be taken by Dr Luca Oggiano, who was already working with the team in the past, helping Filippo Ganna to beat the hour record.

In what seems to be a transition year for INEOS Grenadiers, the CEO of the team John Allert said “Our new performance structure and approach are key to building the next chapter for the team.”

Source: INEOS Grenadiers press release

23/10/2024

It has just been announced that Urška Žigart has signed a two-year contract with AG Insurance-Soudal, through to 2026.

The Slovenian climber currently rides for Liv AlUla Jayco, and has done so for the past four seasons since joining in 2021. During this time, she has proven to be a skilled climber, achieving good results in races such as the Giro dell’Emilia and Tour de Suisse. She is also the current Slovenian national champion in the road race and the individual time trial (having been the latter three times already previously).

In her interview for the team’s press release - in between discussing her favourite foods (pasta, Slovenian pancakes and gelato), passion for music, favourite holiday destinations (Bali and the Dolomites) and love for Adele - she was asked why she decided to join AG Insurance-Soudal. Her reply was that she had “only ever heard good things about the team” and so was immediately interested when they reached out. She believes that the team has “a strong idea of how [she] would fit in, both as a rider and as a person”.

Next year she plans to continue improving and developing - particularly in hilly races and time trials. She also hopes to be able to offer her teammates support in the mountains, as well as go for her own wins if presented with the opportunity.

Source: AG Insurance-Soudal Press Release

22/10/2024

Lilian Calmejane has announced he will conclude his professional career at 31 years old.

The native of Albi in southern France began his professional career in 2016 with Direct Energie. During his first year in the peloton, he managed to win a stage of la Vuelta in San Andres de Teixido, ahead of some confirmed climbers such as Darwin Atapuma and Ben King. The following season marked Calmejane’s explosion onto the scene, as he won three general classifications (Etoile de Besseges, Circuit de la Sarthe and Settimana Inter Coppi a Bartali) but more importantly a stage win for his debut at the Tour de France, after an amazing finale in the Rousses. At 25 years old, Calmejane seemed to have the potential to become an incredible stage hunter but unfortunately his Tour win win would be his last at World Tour level. In 2021, after five years spent with Direct Energie, who since became TotalEnergies, Calmejane decided to change team, signing with AG2R Citroen. He spent two years with the team from Savoie, mainly as a domestique, despite some top tens on the roads of la Vuelta. The past two seasons with Intermarché-Wanty were also complicated for Calmejane, who raised his arms for the last time in August 2019. On his social media, the French rider announced that he “does not find [his] place in the World Tour peloton anymore” and that he will soon “turn to new challenges”.

Source: Lilian Calmejane's X post

20/10/2024

Next year we’re set to see two more Brits joining the pro peloton, as Max Walker and Louis Sutton announce their new contracts.

Walker will move up to make his WorldTour debut with EF Education-Easypost, after spending the last nine months with the Astana Qazakstan development team. In his short time with his current team, he was already able to win two stages at the Tour of Japan and a stage of the Sibiu Cycling Tour, and place second in the general classification of the ZLM Tour.

However the team’s founder and CEO, Jonathan Vaughters, revealed that the team had been eyeing up Walker long before this success. The team even invited him to spend time with them on a training camp in Mallorca at the start of the year, where he was able to get well-acquainted with the team and see how they train. Although it wasn’t until his performance at the British national championships – where he placed second in the individual time trial, and third in the road race – that they officially presented him with a contract to sign.

The 23-year-old has stated that he is “super happy to be joining EF Education-EasyPost” as he has “wanted to join the team for the last two years”. He is now set to move to either Girona or Andorra so that he can be surrounded by his new teammates and create an optimal environment for his development. Next year his focus will be on improving his time-trialling, and growing as a WorldTour rider, however it is also expected that he will get the chance to play a key role in the team’s spring Classics squad, and he has also expressed a keen desire to ride in a Grand Tour.

Sutton will also make a big step up, as he moves from his current club team, AVC Aix-en-Provence, to the ProTeam Euskaltel-Euskadi, on a two-year contract, through to 2026. The young British rider excelled at this year’s Tour of Britain – finishing sixth in the second stage against the likes of Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe, and winning the combativity award on stage three – however he had already been collecting great results throughout the year too, winning the Bidasoa Tour and a stage in the Tour of Castello, as well as achieving a podium place in a stage of the Tour de l’Avenir.

Sutton came late to the road cycling game, however he has now officially secured a pro-contract. In the team’s official press release, he stated that “joining the Euskaltel-Euskadi team means a lot”, as it will give him the opportunity to “compete at the highest level” and ride with the color orange, in the place he likes to ride the most, with the Basque fans as support. His main aim for next year is to build on his development – as he is still open to discovering what type of rider he is – and try to continue his winning ways.

Sources: EF Education-EasyPost Press Release, Euskaltel-Euskadi Press Release

19/10/2024

After announcing her departure from FDJ-SUEZ yesterday, Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig has now revealed her next destination: CANYON-SRAM. She will join the team on a two-year contract lasting through to 2026.

Over the course of her career, Uttrup Ludwig has proven to be an impressive, versatile and determined rider that’s full of personality. During the five years that she has been with her current team, she has won many significant races, including a stage in the Tour de France Femmes, the Giro dell’Emilia (twice), three stages in the Tour of Scandinavia, as well as the general classification, and taken home a bronze medal at the UCI Road World Championships.

Her 2024 season hasn’t been as fruitful however, as despite securing a stage win in her first race of the year at the Tour Down Under, she spent the rest of the year hampered by crashes and illnesses, and unable to perform at her best. She believes that she can get back on top form with her new team, however, and when discussing her reasons for wanting to join CANYON-SRAM, the Danish rider stated that she loves the team’s “aggressive racing style and not being afraid to lose”.

Going forward, it is expected that Uttrup Ludwig will use her one-day racing skills to play a role in the CANYON-SRAM Classics team. She will also have the opportunity to hunt for stages in stage races.

Source: CANYON-SRAM Press Release

11/10/2024

One of the most impressive young prospects in the women’s peloton, Marion Bunel, will join Visma Lease-a-Bike next year on a three-year contract, through to 2027.

The 20-year-old will move over from St Michel-Mavic-Auber93, where she has already been putting in strong performances since she joined the team last year in 2023. This year, she has secured a string of impressive results, including winning the general classification and youth classification of the Tour de l’Avenir, as well as taking two stage wins. She even placed third in the youth classification on her debut at the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

Bunel described joining Visma Lease-a-Bike as “a dream come true” and the “perfect next step”, and discussed how she is excited to experience a new approach to training, after thus far only having been trained by her father. She is also looking forward to working with and learning from the impressive women in the team, most notably Marianne Vos and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.

As a GC rider/climber, she will help to fill this gap within the Visma Lease-a-Bike team – although the current plan seems to be to provide her with a space to develop and learn first, before expecting any big results. In the future, however, she has expressed a desire to win a stage, or even the overall general classification, in the Tour de France.

Source: Team Visma Lease-a-Bike Press Release

11/10/2024

UAE Team Emirates have previously been quite calm during this transfer window, only announcing Florian Vermeersch for the 2025 season. The Emirati team has now made official the arrival of another Belgian for the years to come with Rune Herregodts but also the signing of the young Spanish Pablo Torres. Despite being 26 years old, Herregodts does not have a vast experience of the World Tour, as he only joined Intermarché Wanty in 2023. However, he has shown great capacities as a time trialist by winning the ZLM Tour and finishing third of the Belgian ITT Championships this year. The former rider of Sport Vlaanderen Baloise has high endurance and that will help UAE Team Emirates throughout the season, especially during the Northern classics.

If the Belgian only signed until 2026, Pablo Torres has a contract with Tadej Pogačar's team for the next six seasons! Indeed, the soon-to-be 19-year-old has tied his future to UAE Team Emirates until the end of the 2030 season. The native of Madrid is a great climber who finished second in the Tour de l’Avenir, bringing home two stage wins on summit finishes. To explain his choice of a long deal, UAE Team Emirates’ CEO Mauro Giannetti said: “We remain a team dedicated to developing the talents of the future and we believe that Pablo Torres is a rider with the qualities to make the step-up to the World Tour.”

While UAE announced Torres, Movistar officialised the signing of another young Spanish rider: Pablo Castrillo. The native of Jaca in Northern Spain will discover the World Tour level with Movistar, with a deal lasting until the end of the 2027 season. Castrillo’s breakthrough was this year’s Vuelta a Espana, where he managed to win two stages, including a very spectacular one at the top of the Cuitu Negru, making history for his team, Kern Pharma. With his new team, Castrillo’s aim will be to develop even more as a climber to maybe play the general classifications in the future. At only 23 years old, the sensation of the Vuelta still has a lot of time to raise his arms again, hopefully with the same class.

Another big transfer of the past few days is the signing of Kasper Asgreen with the American team EF Education EasyPost. The four-time Danish ITT Champion became professional in 2018 with Quick-Step Floors, a team that he hasn’t left since. At 29 years old, the native of Kolding will take on a new challenge, with the objective of performing in the Northern Classics but also in time trials throughout the season. Asgreen will bring experience to the EF Education EasyPost Classics squad and will try to succeed once again at major races such as the E3 Saxo Bank Classic and even the Ronde van Vlaanderen. The former stage winner on the Tour de France only signed a one-year deal so it will be very important for him to perform well with his new team.

Sources: Movistar Press release; UAE Team Emirates press release; EF Education-EasyPost press release

09/10/2024

Following the announcement that Elisa Longo Borghini will be joining the team next year, UAE Team ADQ has revealed two more key signings: Brodie Chapman and Karlijn Swinkels.

Swinkels - who has already been a part of the team for a year - has now signed a two-year extension, meaning that she will remain with the team through to 2026. Throughout her short time with the team she has already picked up over 20 top-ten results, and won the St Feuillien Grand Prix de Wallonie and the points jersey at the Internationale LOTTO Thüringen Ladies Tour, amongst other things. When asked what she liked about the team, Swinkels praised the “positive and happy” atmosphere, and the mix of cultures between the riders in the team. She also went on to discuss the mental aspect of cycling, and feeling like she’d lost her spark, stating that “this team has helped [her] get [her] fire back”.

It is now expected that she will play a crucial role in supporting the new team leader, Longo Borghini, especially in the spring Classics and Grand Tours. She will also have the chance to push her own self-development, and go for stage wins in stage races.

As Swinkels stays on, Chapman is coming in. She will be moving over from her current team Lidl-Trek, and will stay for at least two years, through to 2026. The experienced Australian has also been enlisted to assist Longo Borghini, whom she has been successfully working with for the past two years at Lidl-Trek. She stated that she has “always kept an eye on the team” and admires their professionalism and “superior equipment”, but that it was the transfer of her current teammate that was the “pretty big factor” in her decision to join UAE Team ADQ.

She will therefore continue her role as a key domestique for Longo Borghini, but will also have the opportunity to develop further individually, especially in the individual time trial. Her personal goals include the spring Classics, such as Strade Bianche, as well as a possible debut in the Tour de France Femmes. 

Sources: UAE Team ADQ Press Releases on Swinkels and Chapman

03/10/2024

After announcing the arrival of 5 Next Gen talents for 2025 a few days ago, Decathlon-AG2R just officialised their roster for the next season with four new riders and four renewals of contract.

First of all, the Belgian Stan Dewulf has been renewed until 2026. The former Paris-Roubaix U23 winner will have to continue to help his leaders during the Flanders Classics season but could also sometimes play his own card, like he did at the recent Renewi Tour where he finished in fifth position.

One of these leaders could be Pierre Gautherat. At 21 years old, the French rider still hasn’t won a race among the professional peloton but he showed great strength throughout the year, in sprint stages but also in the Classics. Gautherat is still very young and will without a doubt soon raise his arms many times during his contract which will now last until the end of 2027.

After the Classics men, Decathlon-AG2R also announced the prolongation of two climbers: Aurélien Paret-Peintre and Nicolas Prodhomme. The first one has spent all his career with the French team, beginning with the U19s at 17 years old. The biggest win of Paret-Peintre’s career is undeniably his stage win at the 2023 Giro d’Italia at the top of Lago Laceno. The second, Nicolas Prodhomme, has also spent almost all of his career with the team from Savoie, but his trophy cabinet is not as full as Paret-Peintre’s. Indeed, he is still waiting for his first win as a pro, despite not being far away a few times, including last year’s Tour de l’Ain, where he finished in third place. The main goal of these two excellent climbers in the next seasons will be to accompany their leaders when the road rises but also to play for their own chances from time to time.

The first new recruit for Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale is Swiss. Time-trial specialist Stefan Bissegger joins the team for the next two seasons. His arrival is very important for the French team, as Bissegger will help them to continue developing a good time trial bike, adding his experience. Bissegger’s main results all took place from a solo effort, like his title at the European Championships 2022 or his stage win on Paris-Nice in 2021. With his new team, Bissegger will try to get back to winning ways, after spending the last season without raising his arms.

If Stefan Bissegger is used to race the biggest races in the World, it is not the case of Tord Gudmestad, who will also join Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale for the next two seasons. The Norwegian signed with Uno-X Mobility in 2022 and he has mainly taken part in smaller races, including the Veenendaal-Veenendaal classic that he won this season. With his new team, Gudmestad’s goal will surely be to become a key element of the French Cup team, with maybe some opportunities in the cobbled races that he loves.

Like Gudmestad, Callum Scotson spent his entire career in the same team, Jayco-AlUla. At 28 years old, the Australian climber has decided to take on a new challenge by changing environments and joining the French team. Since he became pro in 2019, Scotson has never been able to raise his arms. Indeed, the native of Campbelltown is more a very important teammate when the road rises. By helping his leaders, Scotson managed to finish in the top 15 of races such as the Critérium du Dauphiné andthe Tour de Suisse. With Decathlon-AG2R, the Australian will have to continue his teammate role, hoping to have his chance someday.

The fourth and final recruitment of Decathlon-AG2R for next year is the young Norwegian Johannes Staune-Mittet, who joins from Visma-Lease a Bike. At 22 years old, Staune-Mittet is known for being a very good climber, as proven by his wins a the Giro Next Gen 2023 and Ronde de l’Isard 2022. Unfortunately, his first year as a pro with the Dutch team was not easy, as he stayed in a domestique role and could not really have his chance throughout the season. By moving teams, the Norwegian hopes that he will be able to confirm the expectations that were placed on him and maybe explode in the eyes of the cycling world. His new team clearly have trust in him, as he signed until 2027.

Source: Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale's press release

03/10/2024

UAE Team ADQ have struck a major blow on the transfer market with the announcement of the signing of the Italian Champion Elisa Longo Borghini for the next three seasons. At 32 years old, the winner of the last Giro d'Italia Women will leave Lidl-Trek after six years spent with the American team, under whose colours she won the majority of her successes. Longo Borghini is a very complete rider, capable of winning General classifications but also in Classics like Paris-Roubaix or the Ronde van Vlaanderen, two races that she already boasts on her palmares. This season has been awesome for the native of Ornavasso in Northern Italy as she stands at the moment third in the UCI Classification.

After announcing his retirement from professional cycling at the end of the season, Michael Morkov has found another job and will become the head coach of the Danish national team. Denmark's coach for the last 9 years was the former Saxo Bank rider Anders Lund, who resigned after the last World Championships. Morkov will have, from the 1st of January, to take care of the Elite and U23 Danish teams, on the road but also on the track, where the Astana-Qazaqstan rider has known a lot of successes.

Sources: UAE Team ADQ's post on X, ekstrabladet.dk

02/10/2024

After much speculation, it has finally been confirmed that the newly crowned U23 World Champion, Niklas Behrens, has signed a three-year contract with Visma Lease-a-Bike, through to 2027.

The 20-year-old currently rides for the Lidl-Trek Future Racing development team, after having joined at the start of 2024, and has so far shown himself to be an incredible talent, winning both the National and World Championships Road Race in the U23 category, as well as coming second in the U23 European Continental Championships Road Race. He hasn’t been cycling for long, however – Behrens was a swimmer and a triathlete before deciding to focus on cycling just three years ago. The talent acquisition team at Visma Lease-a-Bike have stated that they have been keenly watching his development over this time, and decided to invest in him early in the hopes that he will develop even further.

The young German is therefore set to turn pro next year, and has expressed his excitement, stating that the team’s high level of professionalism drew him in, and that he is “really looking forward to being part of such a great team”. He aims to perform well in the spring Classics, but will also be focusing on developing his time-trialling skills. He has even expressed a desire to try sprinting, making it likely that he could play a key role in Olav Kooij’s leadout train.

Source: Team Visma Lease-a-Bike Press Release

30/09/2024

After already having announced the signings of Juliette Labous, Ally Wollaston, Eglantine Rayer and Célia Gery, FDJ-Suez continues its incredible transfer window with the official announcement of the arrival of Elise Chabbey for the next two years. The Swiss rider is a strong all-rounder, as she can perform in the Classics - as proven by her third and fourth places on the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix in 2022 - but also in stage races, with for example a third place at La Vuelta 2021. At 31 years old, the former kayaker has had almost all of her successes on the bike with Canyon//SRAM and will now take on a new challenge with the French team. As said Stéphane Delcourt, the Manager of FDJ-Suez: “Elise will also undoubtedly be one of our team’s most important assets in our bid to win a Grand Tour overall.”

After the departure of Jan Hirt, Soudal Quick-Step needed another really good climber to replace him. They found him in Valentin Paret-Peintre, who signed with the Wolfpack until 2026. The French climber began his professional career in 2022 with AG2R Citroën, a team with whom he spent the last three seasons. This year was undeniably the best of the young career of Valentin, who won for the first time in his career, on the tenth stage of the Giro. He also helped his leader Ben O’Connor to finish in the top four of two Grand Tours, the Giro and La Vuelta. With his new team, Aurélien’s brother will be a very important rider for Remco Evenepoel and Mikel Landa, as confirmed by Patrick Lefevere: “Valentin is a strong addition to our climbers’ contingent and we are confident he will fit right in and grow in our team”.

Sources: FDJ-Suez press release; Soudal Quick-Step press release

25/09/2024

The Slovenian Cycling Federation has finally announced their confirmed lineup for the 2024 World Championships – taking place in Zurich, Switzerland, on 21-29 September – after a week of circulating rumours, and it’s packed with star power.

The Men’s team for the Elite Road Race will be led by Tadej Pogačar, who - after having already won the Giro, Tour, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Strade Bianche, and many other prestigious races this year - is now on the hunt for his first rainbow jersey, at a course that’s seemingly tailor-made for him.

He will be supported by a star-studded superteam, including the likes of the most recent Vuelta a España winner, Primož Roglič. This will be the first time that Pogačar and Roglič work together in the same team since 2021, and with both of them currently on top form, this duo is likely to cause trouble for the other teams.

Another big star that will be part of the team for the road race, is the reigning Gravel World Champion, Matej Mohorič. Additionally, Jan Tratnik - who has had a pretty good year so far, winning Omloop het Nieuwsblad and securing podium places in many races, including the Clásica Jaén and a stage in the Giro d’Italia - will also be there, alongside Matevž Govekar, Luka Mezgec, Jaka Primožič and Domen Novak.

Source: Slovenia Cycling Federation Instagram Post

22/09/2024

Countries competing in this year’s UCI Road World Championships – taking place in Zurich, Switzerland, on 21-29 September – have continued to announce their teams, including Great Britain, France and Denmark. These teams include big names, such as Anna Henderson, Tom Pidcock, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Emma Norsgaard and Mattias Skjelmose. 

Team GB

The Women’s team for the Elite Road Race will be led by Anna Henderson, supported by Elinor Barker, Lizzie Holden and Claire Steels. Henderson – as this year’s Olympic silver medallist – will also compete in the Elite Individual Time Trial, where she just missed the podium last year.

The Men’s team for the Elite Road Race will be led by Tom Pidcock, who will be supported by an impressive squad, including the Yates brothers, Adam and Simon Yates, rising talent, Oscar Onley, Mark Donovan, James Knox, Stevie Williams and Jake Stewart. Joshua Tarling will contest the the Elite Individual Time Trial, where he aims to upgrade his world championships bronze medal from last year.

Team France

The Women’s team for the Elite Road Race will include elite climbers Juliette Labous – the current French Road Race Champion – and Évita Muzic. Supporting them, will be Marion Bunel, Léa Curinier, Cédrine Kerbaol and Jade Wiel. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot is also on the team, and will therefore be making her road racing comeback on the 10-year anniversary of her own World Championships win in 2014. When it comes to the Elite Individual Time Trial, Kerbaol and Labous are the two riders selected, and the duo will also take part in the mixed relay, where they will be joined by Audrey Cordon-Ragot.

The Men’s team for the Elite Road Race will include the previous double World Champion Julian Alaphilippe, as well as renowned climbers David Gaudu and Romain Bardet. They will be joined by the impressive youngster, Romain Grégoire, this year’s Olympic silver medalist, Valentin Madouas, and experienced riders, Julien Bernard, Rudy Molard and Pavel Sivakov. Bruno Armirail and Thibault Guernalec will participate in the Elite Individual Time Trial, alongside Armirail.

Team Denmark

The Women’s team for the Elite Road Race will include Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig, Emma Norsgaard Bjerg, Maja Heisel, and Rebecca Koerner. Alberte Greve and Solbjørk Anderson will also be participating, but as U23 riders. Koerner will compete in the Elite Individual Time Trial, as will Greve, but for the U23 category.

The Men’s team for the Elite Road Race unfortunately will not include the two-time Tour de France winner, Jonas Vingegaard, as he – despite having his best chance ever to win the World Championships Road Race this year, due to the mountainous parcours – decided to end his season early, last month. The team will instead be led by Mattias Skjelmose, supported by Jakob Fuglsang, Andreas Lorentz Kron, Mikkel Frølich Honoré, Frederik Wandahl, Magnus Cort Nielsen, and previous World Champion, Mads Pedersen. Kasper Asgreen will participate in the Elite Individual Time Trial alongside Mikkel Norsgaard Bjerg, with Bjerg also participating in the Mixed Relay, with Cort and Honoré.

Sources: Announcements from British Cycling, Denmark’s Cycling Union and the French Cycling Federation

20/09/2024

In a heartwarming announcement video that got the cycling world talking, Wout van Aert announced that he will be staying with his team, Visma Lease-a-Bike, for the rest of his career.

Van Aert has been with the team for five years, and since joining in 2019, has achieved immeasurable success. With the team, he has won nine Tour de France stages and the green ‘points’ jersey, three Vuelta a España stages, Milano-Sanremo, Strade Bianche, the Amstel Gold Race, Gent-Wevelgem, and a bronze medal in the Olympic Games Individual Time Trial, amongst so much more. He has also become a crucial member of the team’s Tour de France squad, and has used his incredible versatility to help bring his team leader, Jonas Vingegaard, to victory two years in a row.

Despite his success within the team, rumours had been circulating about a possible move to BORA-Hansgrohe – mainly due to the fact that the team’s new title sponsor, RedBull, also sponsors Van Aert personally. These rumours have finally been put to bed however, as the team announced that the Belgian rider has extended his contract, which was set to expire in 2026, until “the end of his career”.

This gesture shows how valuable Van Aert is to the team – as stated by the CEO, Richard Plugge, he is a rider that can do it all – “a sprinter, a classic rider, a time trialist” and occasionally, a climber. He is also an important thread in the social fabric of the team, as “a leader and a team player” and “a rider who also makes others in the team better, just through his insights and charisma.”

Just as the team values Van Aert, it also seems as though he values the team, too. He revealed that he “didn't have to think long” when the idea of an ‘indefinite contract’ came up, as he feels “very much at home in this team” and believes that they have “the best people and the best equipment”. He has therefore officially decided that he will stay with the team “forever”, until retirement.

Source: Visma Lease-a-Bike Press Release

20/09/2024

Decathlon-AG2R have announced the signings of 5 very promising riders that will join them as from the 2025 season, introducing a “New Gen” that will aim for the future.

The first of them is Léo Bisiaux, a French climber who has been part of the U19 team of Decathlon-AG2R since 2022 before joining the Development team this year. At only 19 years old, he is a very good GC rider, as proven by his 4^th place at the Tour de l’Avenir and also his 6^th place at the Giro d’Italia Next Gen this year. He has also been cyclocross world champion in 2023 in the junior category, showing his abilities extend beyond just the road.

Second, Oscar Chamberlain, is also 19 years old and has followed the same formation path as Bisiaux, with the young teams of Decathlon-AG2R. The Australian is a very good time trialist and he even won the Junior World Championships in this discipline last year. Even if the 2024 season is not as good as the previous for Chamberlain, he showed some qualities in bunch sprints with a third place at the first stage of the Alpes Isère Tour.

The third rider has had a different path than the others. Indeed, before joining the Development team of Decathlon-AG2R in 2024, Noa Isidore was part of the team CIC U Nantes Atlantique, with who he took part in several French Cup races, confronting himself with some of the best teams in the World. In 2024, the 20-years-old’s biggest success was undeniably his title in the French National Championships U23 but he also raised his arms in February, by winning the Istrian Spring Trophy in Croatia. Recently, Isidore took part in the Tour of Britain, where he finished in a brilliant 9^th place.

The fourth is the oldest of the group. Indeed, at 22 years old, Rasmus Sojberg Pedersen can almost be considered 'old' by some of his teammates. The Danish rider caused a sensation in June when he won his National Championships in the Elite category, ahead of riders such as Kasper Asgreen, Frederik Wandahl and Magnus Cort. Sojberg Pedersen is a very good rider for the Northern classics, finishing second at Gent-Wevelgem U23 this year, but he is also at ease in bunch sprints, as proven by his second place on the final stage of the Tour of Britain, only beaten by Matejz Govekar.

If Sojberg Pedersen was the oldest, Paul Seixas is undeniably the youngest of this New Gen wave in Decathlon-AG2R. At only 17 years-old, the French rider will discover the World Tour level without even stopping by in the U23 category! It is true that the native of Lyon is a diamond. He won 13 races this year, including Liege-Bastogne-Liege Junior and the recent Giro della Lunigiana. By signing him until 2027, Decathlon-AG2R showed their ambition; let’s hope for them that the bet will be won and that Seixas and all of his companions will shine at the World Tour level, as soon as 2025.

Source: Decathlon-AG2R press release

19/09/2024

The cycling world knew that it was only a matter of time before we’d see Pauline Ferrand-Prévot back on the road again, after she announced her intention to retire from mountain biking after the Olympic Games in Paris and pursue road racing full-time once again, but now the time has finally come. She will be making her road-racing comeback debut at the 2024 World Championships in Zurich – 10 years after she won the race back in 2014.

The team for the Road Race will also include elite climbers Juliette Labous – the current French Road Race Champion – and Évita Muzic. Supporting them, will be Marion Bunel, Léa Curinier, Cédrine Kerbaol and Jade Wiel. Kerbaol and Labous will also take part in the Elite Individual Time Trial, as well as the mixed relay, where they will be joined by Audrey Cordon-Ragot.

When to watch:

The Women’s Individual Time Trial is up first, on 22/09/2024, followed by the Mixed Relay on 25/09.2024, and the Road Race on 28/09/2024.

Source: French Cycling Federation Press Release

17/09/2024

Countries competing in this year’s UCI Road World Championships – taking place in Zurich, Switzerland, on 21-29 September – have continued to announce their teams, including Belgium, Switzerland and Spain. These teams will feature current World Champions, Lotte Kopecky and Remco Evenepoel, as well as Elise Chabbey, Marc Hirschi, Mavi García and Carlos Rodríguez, alongside a range of top-tier support riders.

Team Belgium

The Women’s team for the Elite Road Race will include: Lotte Claes, Valerie Demey, Lore De Schepper, Julie De Wilde, Justine Ghekiere, Julie Van de Velde, Margot Vanpachtenbeke, and the reigning World Champion, Lotte Kopecky. De Wilde and Kopecky will also be participating in the Elite Individual Time Trial.

The Men’s team for the Elite Road Race will include: Tiesj Benoot, Laurens De Plus, Victor Campenaerts, Quinten Hermans, Jasper Stuyven, Maxim van Gils and Tim Wellens, who will try to lead the 2022 World Champion, Remco Evenepoel, to another World Championship victory. Evenepoel will also attempt to defend his current title in the Elite Individual Time Trial, and Campenaerts will participate alongside him.

Team Switzerland

The Women’s team for the Elite Road Race will include: Elena Hartmann, Caroline Baur, Elise Chabbey and Noemi Rüegg. Hartmann will also compete in the Elite Individual Time Trial.

The Men’s team for the Elite Road Race will include: Stefan Küng, Silvain Dillier, Marc Hirschi, Johan Jacobs, Mauro Schmid and Yannis Voisard. Küng will also contest the Elite Individual Time Trial, alongside Stefan Bissegger.

Team Spain

The Women’s team for the Elite Road Race will be led by Mavi García, who will be supported by Mireia Benito, Sara Martín, Usoa Ostolaza – the current Spanish Champion on the road – Eneritz Vadillo and Paula Blasi. Benito, the Spanish Individual Time Trial Champion, will also compete in the Elite Individual Time Trial, as will Blasi, but in the U23 division.

The Men’s team for the Elite Road Race is full of big names, including: Tour de France stage winners, Pello Bilbao and Carlos Rodríguez; three-time Vuelta a España runner up, Enric Mas; and the recent two-time Vuelta a España stage winner, Pablo Castrillo. Top riders Mikel Landa, Juan Ayuso, Álex Aranburu, and Roger Adriá will also form part of the team. David de la Cruz, the current Spanish Champion, and Raúl García Pierna, will compete in the Elite Individual Time Trial.

Sources: Announcements from the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation, Belgian Cycling and Swiss Cycling

17/09/2024

After the third European title in the U23 category for Alec Segaert (Lotto-Dstny), the UCI have announced that the riders who have a contract with a team in the first or second division of professional cycling (World Tour or Pro Continental) will not be able to ride in an international championship as of the 2025 season.

Currently, riders are launched into the professional level much sooner than before, meaning that there is a huge gap between the riders who benefit from a World Tour or a Pro Team equipment and others who are still in a Continental team. Indeed, according to the UCI rules, riders such as Arnaud De Lie, Olav Kooij or Juan Ayuso could compete in the U23 World or European championships, though they are some of the best riders at the World Tour level.

This new rule should allow the race to be more equal and will help some riders less known to shine to the eyes of the cycling world. It is however important to note that riders from a Development team will still be able to race, as they have not signed a professional contract with the main team yet.

Source: Direct Vélo

13/09/2024

One of the season’s long-awaited transfer announcements has finally been made: Oier Lazkano will leave Movistar at the end of this year to join RedBull BORA-Hansgrohe.

The promising young Spaniard has already had a great career so far – with a stage at the Vuelta a Burgos, wins at Clasica Jaén and the Spanish National Championships, and a second place at Dwars Door Vlaanderen, already in his palmarès, amongst other impressive results. Over the past few years especially, he has proven to be a force to be reckoned with in one-day racing, drawing the attention of many of the top WorldTour teams.

We now have official confirmation, however, that it was RedBull BORA-Hansgrohe, with their newfound sponsor’s resources, that managed to lure him away from the Spanish team that launched his WorldTour career. In the team’s official press release, Lazkano stated that he believes that the move will be “a big step forward in [his] career”, and that “working with the biggest names in the sport” was an opportunity that he just couldn’t turn down.

He will now be working alongside the likes of Laurence Pithie, Danny Van Poppel, Nico Denz and (likely) Jan Tratnik, as part of the RedBull BORA Hansgrohe Classics team, and will also feature as part of the team’s squad for stage races, which should give him plenty of opportunities to grow and develop into one of the team’s key leaders.

Source: RedBull BORA-Hansgrohe Press Release

11/09/2024

Following multiple announcements detailing how Team SD Worx-Protime would be losing quite a few of its key riders at the end of this year - including Niamh Fisher-Black, Demi Vollering and Christine Majerus - the team has now revealed who will be coming in as their replacements. Alongside Anna Van der Breggen – one of the team’s Sports Directors, who is set to rejoin the pro peloton next year – Marta Lach will also be joining the team, on a three-year contract through to 2027.

The Polish rider currently rides for the newly-promoted CERATIZIT-WNT Pro Cycling Team, and has so far shown great promise and versatility. Throughout her career, Lach has won a good number of one-day races and stages in one-week races so far, and only just recently, she finished 10th in the road race at the Paris Olympics. The team are therefore bringing her in as “a rider who can do well in both stage races and one-day races” – according to the Sports Manager, Danny Stam, and in particular, as a replacement for Majerus, who will retire at the end of the year.

Lach herself has stated that accepting the offer to join SD Worx-Protime was a no-brainer, calling it “a dream come true”, and naming the team “the best team in the world”. She believes that this marks a big step in her career, and that the team will be able to help her to develop further – especially in the Individual Time Trial discipline, owing to the team’s top-of-the-range equipment. Going forward, therefore, her main focus will improving in this discipline, as well as competing strongly in the spring Classics – both as a team player, and riding for her own results.

Source: SD Worx-Protime X (formerly Twitter) Post

11/09/2024

The first few team announcements for this year’s UCI Road World Championships – taking place in Zurich, Switzerland, on 21-29 September – have been made. Australia, the USA and the Netherlands have all announced strong teams, with the likes of Ben O-Connor, Neve Bradbury, Matteo Jorgenson, Kristen Faulkner, Mathieu Van der Poel and Demi Vollering, as team leaders.

Team Australia

The Women’s team for the Elite Road Race will include: Neve Bradbury, Grace Brown, Brodie Chapman, Sarah Gigante, Ruby Roseman-Gannon and Amanda Spratt – with Bradbury also being eligible for the under-23 competition. Brown and Chapman will also be participating in the Elite Individual Time Trial, along with Isabelle Carnes – the latter also eligible for the under-23 competition.

The Men’s team for the Elite Road Race will include: Jack Haig, Jai Hindley, Michael Matthews, Ben O’Connor, Nick Schultz, Callum Scotson, Michael Storer and Jay Vine – with Vine coming in as a replacement for Chris Harper, who withdrew for medical reasons. Vine will also be participating in the Elite Individual Time Trial, replacing Lucas Plapp, after he too had to withdraw for medical reasons, following his crash in the Olympic Games.

Team USA

The Women’s team for the Elite Road Race will include: Chloe Dygert, Ruth Edwards, Emily Ehrlich, Heidi Franz, Lauren Stephens, and the reigning Olympic Road Race Champion, Kristen Faulkner. Dygert, Edwards and Ehrlich will also compete in the Elite Individual Time Trial, alongside Amber Neben.

The Men’s team for the Elite Road Race will include: Matteo Jorgenson, Riley Sheehan, Brandon McNulty, Sean Quinn, Neilson Powless, Kevin Vermaerke, Quinn Simmons and Magnus Sheffield. McNulty and Sheffield will also contest the Elite Individual Time Trial.

Team Netherlands

The Women’s team for the Elite Road Race will be led by Demi Vollering, supported by Puck Pieterse, Riejanne Markus, Pauliena Rooijakkers, Shirin van Anrooij, Mischa Bredewold, and former World Champion, Marianne Vos. Vollering will also participate in the Elite Individual Time Trial, alongside either Ellen van Dijk or Riejanne Markus (this decision will be made following the European Championships taking place this week).

The Men’s team for the Elite Road Race will include the reigning World Champion, Mathieu van der Poel, as well as elite climbers more suited to the race, such as Wilco Kelderman, Bart Lemmen, Frank van den Broek, and Bauke Mollema. Oscar Riesebeek, Daan Hoole, Sam Oomen and Sjoerd Bax, have also been selected for the Road Race squad, and Daan Hoole will also compete in the Elite Individual Time Trial.

Sources: Announcements from AusCycling, USA Cycling, and the Royal Federation of Dutch Cycling

07/09/2024

It was announced today that Alpecin-Deceuninck will be losing two important riders – Axel Laurance and Søren Kragh Andersen – to INEOS Grenadiers and Lidl-Trek, respectively.

Laurance has signed a two-year contract with the British team through to 2026, and will join the team primarily with the aim of developing as one of their lead riders in the stage races that suit him. So far, his relatively short pro career has been spent with Alpecin-Deceuninck, after he joined the development team in 2023, and was quickly promoted to the WorldTour team in 2024. During this time, the young Frenchman has proven his ability to perform well at this top level, winning the Tour of Norway, and stages in the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya and Etoile de Besseges, as well as riding in his first Tour de France, all in his debut year at WorldTour level. He is also the reigning Under-23 World Champion in the road race, and these impressive results soon attracted the attention of the other WorldTour teams. It has now been revealed that out of those teams, Laurance chose the INEOS Grenadiers, and in the team’s press release, he stated that this was due to his admiration for the team, and belief that it is the best fit for him and his future ambitions. He will therefore join the team in 2025, with the goal of winning races and achieving impressive results.

Alpecin-Deceuninck will also be losing one of their older, more experienced riders – Søren Kragh Andersen – who has signed a two-year contract with Lidl-Trek, through to 2026. Kragh Andersen had also only been with Alpecin-Deceuninck for two years, but during this time, he proved himself to be a key player within the team – winning Eschborn-Frankfurt and the points jersey at the Skoda Tour Luxembourg, achieving great results at Milano-Sanremo, the Renewi Tour and the Tour of Denmark, and acting as a key domestique in the spring Classics for the team’s lead rider, Mathieu Van der Poel. Additionally, his palmarès also includes stages at the Tour de France, Paris-Nice and the Tour de Suisse. The Dane will now move into his tenth season as a professional cyclist with a new team, where he can bring his valuable experience, and focus on playing a significant role in their spring Classics squad. He has also hinted at a desire to take another Grand Tour win for himself, if the opportunity arises. When asked what swayed him to sign with Lidl-Trek, instead of remaining with his current team, Kragh Andersen cited the opportunity to join “some of the best Danish riders of this generation” and ride on a ‘superteam’.

Sources: INEOS Grenadiers Press Release, Lidl-Trek Press Release

02/09/2024

Lidl-Trek is definitely the most active team in this Women’s transfer window. Indeed, after signing Riejanne Markus, Emma Norsgaard and Anna Henderson, the American team just announced that Niamh Fisher-Black will be riding for them for the next three season. The 24-years-old New Zealander began her professional career in 2020 with Bigla-Katusha, before signing with SD Worx under which colours she spent the last three seasons. She is a very good climber, as proved by her stage win on the last Giro d’Italia, at the top of the climb of Toano. With her new team, she will have a role of leader on the stage races: “I am eager to explore my potential in GC riding, perhaps starting with shorter stage races and progressing to the Grand Tour lengths.”, a role that she will discover with, let’s hope, great success.

After already announcing Alberto Bettiol, Florian Kajamini and Nicola Conci, Astana-Qazaqstan seems to really like Italian riders as they officialised the arrival of the veteran Diego Ulissi until 2026. Ulissi started as a pro in 2010, with Lampre, with who he spent all of his career. Indeed, he stayed when the team became UAE Team Emirates and has been a key member of the team during his 14 seasons with them. During his long career, Diego Ulissi won a lot, including 8 stages on his national Grand Tour but also the Grand Prix of Montreal in 2017. This year, he won the Tour of Austria along with one stage, but also finished second of the Tour of Poland and the Czech Tour. According to Alexandr Vinokurov, “Diego will strengthen Astana Qazaqstan Team, becoming a leader in many races, while also being able tu support his teammates when needed.”

Soudal Quick-Step needed some reinforcements in their Classics squad after their deceiving 2024 campaign. They found one with the Belgian Dries Van Gestel, who will arrive from TotalEnergies for the next two seasons. At 29 years old, the native of Turnhout in Northern Belgium will discover the World Tour level, after spending all of his career in Pro Continental teams such as Sport Vlaanderen Baloise and TotaleEnergies. Dries Van Gestel is not a rider who won a lot since he passed pro in 2016, with only two wins including the Ronde van Drenthe 2022. However, he already finished 3 times in the top 20 of a Flanders Monument, with a 13^th place on Paris-Roubaix 2024. Van Gestel could be an important man for the Classics season with Soudal Quick-Step, as confirmed by Patrick Lefevere: “He is a kind of rider who never gives up and always gives his all in a race, and this mentality is a perfect match to that of our team.”

After the signing of Alexey Lutsenko, Israel Premier Tech still want to extend their climbing team with the arrival of Jan Hirt until 2026. The Czech climber spent the last 6 seasons at the World Tour level, with four different teams and will join the Israeli team at the age of 33, in order to bring experience and quality when the road will rise. Indeed, Jan Hirt is a very good climber, as proved by his 6^th place on the general classification of the 2022 Giro d’Italia, along with one stage win. This same year, he also won the Tour of Oman, signing the best season of his career. In 2024, Hirt finished 8^th of the Giro and was a very important domestique for Remco Evenepoel on the Tour de France. With his new team, he will have “more opportunities […] especially when it comes to the Grand Tours and stage races”, according to the General Manager of Israel Premier Tech Kjell Carlström.

Sources: Lidl-Trek Press release; Astana Qazaqstan Press release; Soudal Quick-Step Press release; Israel Premier Tech Press release

31/08/2024

After a calm start to the transfer window, Uno-X Mobility have announced their first recruit for the next season with the Danish rider Andreas Kron until 2027. The 26 years-old joined Lotto Soudal in 2021 after 4 years with the Danish team Riwal, entering the World Tour. With the Belgian team, he managed to win three times, all in World Tour, including a stage on La Vuelta but also on the Volta a Catalunya and on the Tour de Suisse. Andreas Kron is a very good puncheur and is capable to shine on the Ardennes classics as shown by his fourth place on the Amstel Gold Race in 2023. This signing is really important for Uno-X Mobility as they are chasing UCI Points in order to get promoted in the World Tour for the 2026 season. Despite a more complicated season for Andreas Kron in 2024, Uno-X Mobility’s General Manager Thor Hushovd said “Andreas has tremendous potential and his results clearly demonstrate. We believe he can develop even further with us”

After already losing Laurence Pithie and Lenny Martinez, Groupama-FDJ will have to do without one of their young stars for the next season as Sam Watson has signed as a new rider for INEOS Grenadiers. Sam Watson began his professional career with the French team 2 years ago and recently won his first win with the World Tour team, the fifth stage of the Etihas-Tour de Wallonie. He also finished in the top 10 of several French races such as the Tour de la Provence or the Boucles de la Mayenne. With INEOS Grenadiers, the young rider from Leeds will be an important rider for the Classics, as said by the performance director of the team Scott Drawer: “Sam’s profile and the range of capabilities will likely see him take a place in our Classics squad and feature in one-week races”. At 22 years old, Sam Watson signed with his new team until 2026 and is “beyond excited to start working together and see what we can achieve”.

After spending all of their career with Visma-Lease a Bike, the Van Dijke twins, Mick and Tim, have both signed with Red Bull Bora for the next three seasons. The Dutch brothers will both be a very good improvement for the Classics squad of the German team, as they both finished in the top 20 of Paris-Roubaix this year. While Mick never won as a pro, his brother raised his arms once, on the ITT of the 2022 Sibiu Tour. In addition of being an excellent time trialist, Tim Van Dijke is also a good sprinter, as shown by his top 5 on the Tour of Romandie and on the Giro. As mentioned by Ralph Denk, the CEO of Red Bull Bora, “Both are powerful and quick. Combined with their physical presence, this is a combination that will help us in the spring”

After the loss of the Van Dijke twins, Visma Lease a Bike needed a replacement for their Classics squad. They chose to sign an experienced rider, who already knew the team with Victor Campenaerts from Lotto-Dstny. The Belgian spent his first seasons in the World Tour with the Dutch team, who was then called LottoNL-Jumbo. Under the yellow colours, he became the ITT European Champion and won a stage on the Ruta del Sol. After leaving the team, “Campi’”’s raised his arms numerous times, including some in World Tour such as a stage on the Giro 2021 and, more recently, a stage on the last Tour de France. The Belgian rider, who will turn 33 in October, has signed with Visma Lease a Bike until 2027. Grischa Niermann, the team director of the Dutch team said that Campenaerts was “a very experienced rider known for his pursuit of innovations. We can really use that experience.”

Sources: Uno-X Mobility press release; INEOS Grenadiers press release; Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe press release; Visma Lease a Bike press release

28/08/2024

In the past week, Lidl-Trek has announced three significant signings to its women’s team: Riejanne Markus, Anna Henderson and Emma Norsgaard. This trio will be crucial in supporting and strengthening the team, following the expected departure of their star rider, Elisa Longo Borghini, and all three have been signed on three-year contracts, through to 2027.

The team announced their signing of Markus first, the Dutch individual time trial (ITT) champion who currently rides for Visma Lease-a-Bike, and has already enjoyed a successful career – having secured great results in the Classics, stage wins in multiple stage races, and national titles in both the road race and ITT, and finishing second in the general classification of this year’s Vuelta a España. Markus is now targeting even more success – wishing to pursue good general classification results in stage races and excel in time trials especially – and so has stated that Lidl-Trek’s “world-class bikes” played a large role in her decision to switch teams, as did the team’s “atmosphere among the riders and staff” and “pioneering role within women’s cycling” (with Lidl-Trek being known for giving their women’s team the same level of support as their men’s team, which is unfortunately rare amongst WorldTour teams with both men’s and women’s divisions). It is expected that next year, Markus will target the European and World ITT Championships, as well as the Tour de France, the Vuelta a España, and hilly Classics races, such as Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Here she will have opportunities to ride for herself, but will also be a valuable asset to the overall team.

The team then went on to announce another rider that will be coming over from Visma Lease-a-Bike: Henderson. She too is an ITT specialist – having won a silver medal at this year’s Olympic Games and last year’s European Championships, as well as being a two-time British Champion in the ITT – but has also achieved impressive results in the general classification of races such as the Tour of Britain, Simac Ladies Tour, and Baloise Ladies Tour. She has stated that “a wish for new challenges and opportunities to grow as a rider” was her main reason for deciding to change teams, and that she chose Lidl-Trek due to its “interesting environment with strong support…clear vision for [her] future, and…team dynamic that aligned with [her] professional and personal goals”. Additionally, she revealed that next year she will be targeting the spring one-day races and time-trials, and will work both as a leader, and in a support role for the team.

Finally, the team announced the signing of Emma Norsgaard yesterday. Norsgaard currently rides for Movistar Team, where, over the years, she has proven her prowess in one-day races – having won stages in the Tour de France Femmes, Giro d’Italia, Lotto Thüringen Ladies Tour, and Ceratizit Festival Elsy Jacobs, as well as many one-day races. She has also held national titles in the road race and ITT, as well as on the gravel. The versatile rider will join Lidl-Trek as a Classics specialist, and believes that the team is “one of the absolute best teams in the world” that can help her to become “the best version of [herself] and the best possible teammate.” Next year, she will therefore aim to both pursue her own individual goals, and strengthen the team’s performance.

Source: Lidl-Trek’s Press Releases on Markus, Henderson and Norsgaard

26/08/2024

After having announced the signings of Dylan Teuns and Emanuel Buchmann, amongst others, Cofidis has now added one more to the impressive list: Alex Aranburu. The team have signed the reigning Spanish National Champion on a three-year contract, through to 2027, during which he will lead the team – alongside Teuns – in the Classics and stage races alike. Aranburu, who currently rides for Movistar, has already thoroughly proven his one-day racing prowess – having won stages in Itzulia Basque Country, Vuelta a Burgos, and the Baloise Belgium Tour, and achieved three second places in the Vuelta a España – but is now looking to take his career to the next level. He believes that Cofidis is the right place for him, as a team that has shown great trust in him, and where he already has friends, and he has even stated that in preparation for the next season, he will begin learning French!

Additionally, Lidl-Trek has announced that they will be promoting Tim Torn Teutenberg from their development team, Lidl-Trek Future Racing, to their WorldTour team in 2025, on a two-year contract, through to 2026. The German rider joined their development team officially at the beginning of this year, and immediately won the GC at the Olympia’s Tour, as well as the prestigious Paris-Roubaix Espoirs, and a number of stages in various other stage races. The team therefore feel that he is ready to make the step up to the WorldTour, where he will be able to continue his development and learn from the more experienced riders in the team. This signing marks the first time that Lidl-Trek has promoted a rider from their development team to the WorldTour team, and in the team’s press release, they emphasise how special this is, to show completion of the development team project, and the team’s dedication to developing young talent.

Groupama-FDJ have also moved to add additional young talent to their roster, signing Tom Donnenwirth – who is currently riding for the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale development team – for two years, through to 2026. He will join the team in a support role, riding as a domestique for the team’s leaders, in order to gain experience riding at WorldTour level, and aid his development.

Finally, Soudal Quick-Step have announced that they have signed Pascal Eenkhoorn on a two-year contract, through to 2026. Eenkhoorn currently rides for Lotto-Dstny, after having joined them last year, however he is now looking to continue to advance in his career with a different team. In Soudal Quick-Step's press release, he expressed great excitement to join the team, praising it as “a team that has had a huge impact in the cycling world…with an incredible heritage”. He believes that the “professional environment and top equipment” at the team will help him to return to his best level, and aims to bolster the team’s squad in both the Classics and one-week stage races.

Sources: Team Cofidis Press Release, Lidl-Trek Press Release, Groupama-FDJ X (formerly Twitter) Post, Soudal Quick-Step Press Release

21/08/2024

After announcing the Italian champion Alberto Bettiol a few days ago, Astana Qazaqstan officialised the arrival of the Dutch veteran Wout Poels for the 2025 season. Poels began his professional career in 2009 and has spent 14 seasons at World Tour level. He was a key part of Team Sky between 2015 and 2019, helping his leaders win the biggest races in the world, including four Tours de France. Poels’ biggest win is undeniably Liège–Bastogne–Liège, which he won in 2016. He also won at the Tour de France in 2023 in St Gervais Mont Blanc. With Astana, Poels, who will be 37 in October, will be a road captain but he will also be “fighting for victories and podiums in both stage races and the classics” according to Alexandr Vinokurov.

While losing the former World Champion Julian Alaphilippe, Soudal Quick-Step announced that the Brit Ethan Hayter has signed for the Wolfpack until 2026. The native of London began his career with Ineos in 2020 and will change teams for the first time to join Patrick Lefevre’s team. The biggest win of Hayter’s career is the GCata the Tour of Poland 2022, but the multiple World Champion on the track has also won at the Tour de Romandie in addition to becoming the 2024 British National Champion on the road. Patrick Lefevre spoke about his new rider in the team statement: “Ethan is a multi-discipline rider, somebody who is used to winning and who has caught our attention with his many qualities”. At 25 years old, the all-rounder is capable of shining on every type of profile and this will be his goal with Soudal Quick-Step.

Sources: Astana Qazaqstan team statement; Soudal Quick-Step team statement

19/08/2024

Following last week’s news that Marc Hirshi had signed for Tudor Pro Cycling, the team has now announced another big signing: Julian Alaphilippe. He too will be joining Tudor Pro Cycling next year, and will remain with the team for at least three years, through to 2027.

The two-time World Champion currently rides for Soudal Quick-Step, after having joined the WorldTour team in 2014, and since then, he has shown himself to be up there with the best of the best in one-day racing, having won La Flèche Wallonne three times, six stages in the Tour De France, and many other prestigious races, such as Strade Bianche, the Clasica San Sebastián, and Milano-Sanremo. He did experience a difficult couple of seasons following a serious crash in the 2022 edition of Liège–Bastogne–Liège that left him with two broken ribs, a broken shoulder-blade, and a collapsed lung – however this year he has finally been getting back on track, and won a stage in his maiden Giro d’Italia.

It is clear though that the Frenchman is now approaching a new stage in his career, and he has therefore cited the need for a “change of scenery” as the main reason for his departure from the team he has been with for over ten years. It was long-speculated as to which team he would join, with the French-speaking TotalEnergies, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale and Cofidis all being suggested as likely options, however it is now clear that Alaphilippe has set his sights on a Swiss team instead. In his new team’s press release, Alaphilippe states that this is due to his excitement to join the “Tudor Pro Cycling project”, revealing that he has been watching the team develop, and already become familiar with a few of the riders and other staff members.

It is expected that Alaphilippe will join the team as a leader, alongside Hirschi, and the two of them will work together to achieve top results – especially in the spring Classics. Additionally, he has openly shared his willingness to use his experience to “guide the youngsters”, and act as an advisory figure that can provide the team with stability and support.

Source: Tudor Pro Cycling Press Release

19/08/2024

After the announcement of the new Chinese investor, Astana-Qazaqstan had to improve their squad for the seasons to come with the objective of staying in the World Tour. They started their transfer window very well with the arrival of Alberto Bettiol with immediate effect. The former winner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen and recent Italian champion left his - almost - forever team EF Education-EasyPost to join the Kazakh team as of 15 August. Bettiol will be an important weapon for Astana in the chase for UCI Points, especially at the Flanders classics. The manager of the team Alexander Vinokurov said: “Together with other riders, Bettiol will form a strong group capable of competing for top positions in classic races of any level.” The Milano-Torino-winning rider signed with his new team until the end of 2027 and will hope to shine as soon as possible in his new colours.

Another team started their business on the transfer market in the past few days as Lidl-Trek announced the signing of Lennard Kämna for the next three seasons. The German climber has already won a stage at all three Grand Tours as well as stages of prestigious one-week races such as the Critérium du Dauphiné and Volta a Catalunya. Unfortunately, Kämna suffered multiple injuries following a road accident while he was training earlier this year. The BORA hansgrohe rider’s last race was Tirreno-Adriatico in March and we still don’t know if he will be capable of racing prior to the end of the season. At 27 years old, the 2022 German ITT Champion will start a new chapter of his career in a very strong collective, where he will have his chance to shine at the biggest races in the world. As Lidl-Trek general manager Luca Guercilena said: “When the opportunity arose to bring him on board, it was a clear and natural for for our Team.”

Another rider leaving Red Bull-BORA is Marco Haller, who is joining the ambitious Tudor Pro Cycling team. Indeed, after the signing of the two Swiss Marc Hirschi and Fabian Lienhard, Raphael Meyer’s team recruited another World Tour rider with the 33-year-old Austrian. Haller has not won a lot during his career but he is a very important teammate and road captain for his leaders. He is also capable of performing very well at the Classics, as proved by his 6^th place at the 2024 Olympic road race. The former Austrian Champion also aims to help the team to improve, in every way possible, as he mentioned: “At the end of the day, contributing to the project’s progress is the most important thing for me. I am not just a rider.”

After the arrivals of Guillaume Martin and Clément Braz Afonso, Groupama-FDJ officialised the signing of the Swiss rider Johan Jacobs for the next two seasons. The 27-year-old has spent all of his professional career with Movistar and will try to give a new boost to his career by signing with Marc Madiot’s team. Jacobs is a solid teammate for the Flanders classics and will reinforce the group of one-day racers for Groupama-FDJ. The Swiss never won during his time as a professional and will aim to unlock his potential with his new team.

Sources: Lidl-Trek team statement; Astana-Qazaqstan team statement; Tudor team statement; Groupama-FDJ post on X

After the signing of Guillaume Martin, Groupama-FDJ announced the arrival of another French rider: Clément Braz Afonso. The 24-year-old began his professional career this year with CIC U Nantes Atlantique and already showed some great capacities on his home soil. Indeed, he finished in the top ten of several French Cup races but he was also very often at the front of the race, trying to trap the big teams. With Groupama-FDJ, he will discover the World Tour level for at least the next two seasons, and will aim to raise his arms for the first time in his career.

Red Bull-BORA hansgrohe opened their transfer window with the signing of Giulio Pellizzari. They continue to go for young talents as they confirmed the signing of two 22 year-olds from New Zealand: Laurence Pithie and Finn Fisher-Black. The first one began his World Tour career in 2023 with Groupama-FDJ and posted an amazing first half of the season n 2024, winning the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race as early as January. He also finished in the top ten in Paris-Roubaix and even wore the yellow jersey on the roads of Paris-Nice. As said by the general manager of Red Bull-BORA, Ralph Denk: “Laurence is still young but his talent is no longer a secret.” While Pithie will reinforce Red Bull's Classics squad, the other New Zealand signing, Finn Fisher-Black, will be a very important rider when the roads rise. Indeed, the current UAE Team Emirates rider is a very good puncheur, who is also very capable in time trials. He already won three times this year and will hope to improve even more with his new team.

While some teams have already announced a lot of riders for next year, others have been quiet during these first days of August. Israel Premier-Tech was one of them before the confirmation of their first signing of the summer: Alexey Lutsenko. The Kazakh rider spent all of his career with the team of his country, Astana, and will move for the first time at 31 years old. During his 12-year career, Lutsenko collected some amazing successes such as a stage win at two Grand Tours: the Tour de France and La Vuelta. He also won a few stage races, including the Arctic Race of Norway of the Tour of Oman. Israel Premier-Tech General Manager Kjell Carlstrom said about him: “Alexey is a proven winner, you only need to look at his palmares to see that, but beyond that he is also an excellent teammate and someone who will fit the culture of the team”.

The most active team on this beginning of transfer window is undeniably Cofidis. Indeed, their latest signing, Emanuel Buchmann, is already the sixth for the French team. After spending all his career with BORA hansgrohe, the German climber chose to start a new chapter by signing with Cédric Vasseur’s team. The best season of Buchmann’s career is obviously 2019. During this year, he won a stage on the Itzulia Basque Country but he also finished fourth at the Tour de France, posting the best result of his career at a Grand Tour. This season was more complicated for the man of Ravensburg despite a second place at the Tour of Hungary. He will bring experience to his new team, especially at stage races, including Grand Tours, and could maybe replace Guillaume Martin as a leader for the GCs.

Sources: Groupama-FDJ's post on X (formerly Twitter); Red Bull-Bora's team statement; Israel Premier-Tech team statement; Cofidis team statement

14/08/2024

Intermarché-Wanty have just announced that their rider, Taco van der Hoorn, will finally return to racing this month, after taking 16 months out of the pro peloton due to the effects of a concussion.

The Dutchman crashed heavily in the Ronde van Vlaanderen last year, suffering a heavy concussion, and since then, his recovery journey has been full of ups and downs. For most of 2023, van der Hoorn was unable to train, and whilst he was able to join his team’s training camp at the beginning of 2024, he still could not cope with heavy training. Consequently, he has so far been unable to compete in any professional races.

During this time, it was unclear whether van der Hoorn would ever be able to return to racing - given the unpredictable nature of concussion symptoms, and the fact that recovery from concussion is never linear - however now it has been confirmed that he will be back racing this year. He will take to the start line on the 15^th August, for a one-day race – the Tour of Leuven – alongside his teammates Mike Teunissen, Dries de Pooter, Gerben Kuypers, Madis Mihkels, Laurenz Rex, and Huub Artz.

Source: Intermarché-Wanty X (formerly Twitter) Post

13/08/2024

Confirming the rumours that have been circulating for the past few months, Tudor Pro Cycling has just announced their signing of Marc Hirschi for three years, through to 2027.

Hirschi currently rides for UAE Team Emirates, and since joining them in 2021, has accumulated a number of high-profile victories – including the Tour of Hungary, the Czech Tour, and the Tour of Luxembourg – and impressive podium places. Most recently, the former Swiss Champion impressed in the Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa, beating Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) in a two-man sprint to take the win.

However, despite his success with the Emirati team, he has decided to embark on a new journey with Tudor Pro Cycling, where he will have the chance to ride as leader and chase his own victories in all the races that suit him, instead of mostly working as a domestique or back-up leader in the majority of the biggest races as he does currently. Additionally, the 25-year-old has stated that as a Swiss rider, “it feels special to join a Swiss team”.

This ‘poaching’ of a top-class WorldTour rider from the best WorldTour team makes for an impressive statement from the Pro-Continental team, and following their success this year in securing their first ever WorldTour victory in Paris-Nice and then following it up with another in the Tour de Romandie, this further shows that they are developing in a positive direction, and cements their upwards trajectory.

Source: Tudor Pro Cycling Press Release

12/08/2024

Intermarché-Wanty Gobert started its transfer window with the arrival of the Belgian climber Kamiel Bonneu. The native of Hamont-Achel, near the Dutch border, started his professional career in 2022 with the team Flanders-Baloise, in whose colours he spent the last three seasons. picking up three wins, including the queen stage at the recent Arctic Race of Norway. His recruitment will help Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert to “reinforce its climbing core”. Aike Visbeek, the performance manager of the Belgian team, added: “We will assess his ability to keep up the pace in the high mountains, we know he is ready to take a step up in the WorldTour peloton.” At 25 years old, Kamiel Bonneu signed with Jean-François Bourlart’s team for the next two years.

Soudal Quick-Step also started the transfer window by announcing their first recruit for the next two seasons, Maximilian Schachmann. The man from Berlin is already known to the Belgian team as he spent the first two years of his World Tour career with the Wolfpack before joining Bora-Hansgrohe. With the German team, Schachmann won Paris-Nice twice but also became a two-time National Champion. With this return, the 30-year-old rider will try to get back to his best level and to raise his arms again after more than one year of waiting. The CEO of Soudal-QuickStep Patrick Lefevre described Schachmann as a “very good and versatile rider who still has plenty to show in the sport”. Indeed, the German should have the chance to play his cards at a few races but he could also be an excellent teammate for his leaders, such as Remco Evenepoel.

Jayco-AlUla have been very active at the beginning of this transfer window and they once again announced the signing of a new rider for the next two seasons with Patrick Gamper. The Austrian spent all of his professional career with BORA hansgrohe with whom he won his ITT National Championships last year. He is an all-rounder who can be useful for his leaders on all types of profiles. He took part in the success of Jai Hindley at the Giro 2022 and will aim to help Ben O’Connor in the same way during the next two years. However, Gamper could also have his chance from time to time as mentioned by Jayco-AlUla General Manager Brent Copeland: “It will be great to see Gamper also take his own opportunities with us throughout the year.”

Sources: Intermarché-Wanty team statement; Soudal Quick-Step team statement; Jayco-AlUla team statement

10/08/2024

Amongst the new signings that have been announced in this year’s transfer period, additional contract extensions have been revealed too. Just this past week, it has been announced that Julien Vermote, Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier, and Jonas Abrahamsen, have all extended their contracts with their current teams.

Julien Vermote extended his contract with Visma Lease-a-Bike for one more year, until the end of next season, after joining the team just this year, in January, and slotting nicely into the team’s spring classics squad. Since joining, he has demonstrated his value as a domestique, and as stated by the team’s sports director, Grischa Niermann, “the experience he brings…is very valuable”. Vermote himself revealed that he immediately felt comfortable with the team, was given great opportunities to ride big races, and loves the team’s atmosphere – and all of this contributed to his decision to sign up for one more year. Next season, it is therefore expected that he will continue to support the team in a domestique role in a variety of races, from classics to stage races.

Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier has also extended his current contract with his team, Lidl-Trek. He has been with the team since 2021, and has now extended his stay for two further seasons, through to 2026. During his time with the team, the Eritrean has proven that he is both a great climber, and a rider who excels on the flat and can work well at the front of the peloton as a ‘rouleur’ for his team – putting the fact that he is a three-time Eritrean time trial champion to great use. He therefore now aims to not only continue contributing to success for his team leaders – as he did in this year’s Giro d’Italia for Jonathan Milan – but also to pursue his own top results.

Finally, Jonas Abrahamsen has extended his contract with Uno-X Mobility for four more years, through to 2028. The Norwegian has been with the team since it properly began, and has been achieving good results ever since – with second places in Dwars Door Vlaanderen, Dwars Door Het Hageland and a Tour de France stage. Following his impressive performance in this year’s Tour de France – where he held the green points classification jersey for a few days, and the King of the Mountains jersey for most of the first week – the team has made sure to secure his services for the next four years, as one of their main riders for one-day races and stage-hunting.

Sources: Visma Lease-a-Bike Press Release, Lidl-Trek Press Release, Uno-X Mobility X (formerly Twitter) Post

09/08/2024

Team Cofidis is the most active team in this beginning of transfer window and they confirmed it by announcing two more riders that will ride for them for the next two seasons. The first of them is Damien Touze, who will make his return under the red and white colours after four seasons spent with Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale. The rider from Normandy never won at the professional level but he already finished twice on the podium of the French National Championships. With his new team, he could have his chance at the Flanders Classics, which he particularly enjoys. The other recruit for the Northern French team is Simon Carr, arriving from EF Education-EasyPost. The British climber grew up in France and started his career with a French team, Delko Marseille Provence. At 25 years old, Simon Carr’s greatest success is undeniably his two stage wins on the Tour of the Alps, both times from a breakaway. He also won the Tour of Langkawi in 2023 and the Trofeo Calvià at the beginning of the season. With his new team, Simon Carr’s main goal will be to raise his arms at World Tour level but also to take part in the Tour de France for the first time.

Jayco-AlUla also signed two more riders in the past few days. The first one is the English rider Paul Double, who has signed from Polti-Kometa for the next two seasons. The man from Winchester will discover the World Tour level next year with the objective of being a key teammate for his leaders when the road goes up. This year, Paul Double finished third at the Tour of Turkiye and sixth at the Tour of Slovenia. The General Manager of Jayco-AlULa Brent Copeland described Paul Double as “a talented climber and domestique, but he will also get his own opportunities to go for results with us.” In addition to Double, Jayco-AlUla also signed Dutch climber Koen Bouwman, continuing to improve their mountains team. Bouwman spent almost his entire career with team Jumbo (now Visma-Lease a Bike) and will be moving teams for the first time since 2015. The biggest achievement of his career is undeniably his Giro 2022, during which he won two stages and brought home the Azzurra KOM jersey. With his new team, Bouwman’s objective will be to “be a strong domestique for GC riders” according to Brent Copeland. However, he could also play his card on some races, as he did this year on the Settimana Inter Coppi e Bartali which he won. After the recruitment of Ben O’Connor, the announcement of two new climbers for Jayco-AlUla show the desire of the Australian team to create a new dynamic in their climbing division.

Sources: Jayco-AlUla team statement, Cofidis team statement

08/08/2024

The race organisers of the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men have just announced the full list of teams that will be participating in this September’s race, consisting of a mix of teams that are ‘newcomers’ to the race, and 'race regulars’ that have enjoyed previous success at the Tour of Britain Men in the past.

Four UCI WorldTour teams will be present: INEOS Grenadiers, a home team; DSM-Firmenich PostNL, returning after participating in last year’s edition; race debutants, Bahrain Victorious, and one of the race’s most successful teams, Soudal Quick-Step, who will be racing in Britain for the first time since 2021.

Three UCI WorldTour teams are sending their development teams – Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, Groupama-FDJ, and Lidl-Trek – and three UCI ProTeams will also take part: Uno-X Mobility, who won a stage in last year’s race with their rider Ramus Tiller, Israel-PremierTech, and Q36.5 Pro Cycling, who won the team classification, and secured third place in the general classification with their rider, Damien Howson.

Furthermore, alongside INEOS Grenadiers, there are three more British ‘home’ teams in the race: the Great Britain national team, Saint Piran and TRINITY Racing.

Finally, there are five more UCI Continental teams participating: Global 6 United, REMBE Pro Cycling Team Sauerland, Van Rysel-Roubaix, Sabgal/Anicolor, and Project Echeleon Racing.

Full list of teams:

· INEOS Grenadiers
· DSM-Firmenich PostNL 
· Bahrain Victorious
· Soudal Quick-Step
· Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Development Team
· Équipe Continentale Groupama-FDJ
· Lidl-Trek Future Racing 
· Uno-X Mobility
· Israel-PremierTech
· Q36.5 Pro Cycling
· Great Britain national team
· Saint Piran
· TRINITY Racing
· Global 6 United
· REMBE Pro Cycling Team Sauerland
· Van Rysel-Roubaix
· Sabgal/Anicolor
· Project Echeleon Racing

More details on the official rider start list are expected to follow in due course, with the race itself beginning on Tuesday 3 September and concluding on Sunday 8 September.

Source: British Cycling Press Release

07/08/2024

As reported by GCN and Wielerflits two months ago, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has signed with Visma Lease-a-Bike on a three-year contract, through to 2027.

After a successful road career that saw her become the World Champion at 22 years old in 2014, the Frenchwoman decided to focus solely on mountain biking in 2019. In this discipline, she has won the World Championships five times, and just last week, she finally managed to clinch the elusive Olympic mountain biking gold medal that she has been chasing for the past 12 years. With this, she now feels as though she has “completed mountain biking”, and will therefore retire from the sport at the end of the year, as she prepares to pursue a “new challenge in cycling”, that will take her back to the road.

The 32-year-old has chosen Visma Lease-a-Bike as the team to accompany her in this journey, as her current team, INEOS Grenadiers, still does not yet have a women’s road racing team that she could switch over to. Additionally, Ferrand-Prévot has stated that “the way the team works and its professional approach really appeal to [her]”, and the team have made it clear that they are ready to support her road-racing ambitions.

Her ultimate goal now is to win the Tour de France Femmes, and so she will join the team as Visma Lease-a-Bike’s designated Grand Tour leader. She will also specifically target the Ardennes Classics.

Source: Team Visma Lease-a-Bike Press Release

07/08/2024

FDJ-Suez has announced the signing of Juliette Labous from Team dsm-firmenich PostNL for the next three seasons.

The French rider has spent all of her professional road career with Team Sunweb, which later transformed into team DSM, and became one of the best climbers of the peloton in the past few years. At 25 years old, Juliette Labous already finished in the top four of all three Grands Tours, including a second place on the 2023 Giro Donne. She also won the French National Championships in the past few weeks and will aim to podium at the next Tour de France Femmes.

Her signing with FDJ-SUEZ is a very good recruitment for the French team as confirmed by manager Stéphane Delcourt: "Juliette is a remarkable athlete and undeniably one of the best climbers in the professional peloton".

Juliette Labous is not the first signing of this transfer window for FDJ-Suez as the arrival of one of the future big names of the international peloton Célia Gery has already been announced by the team. Stéphane Delcourt's squad should continue to be active in the next weeks with big names of the professional peloton such as Elise Chabbey and, most of all, Demi Vollering linked to the French team.

Source: FDJ-Suez team statement

Team Bahrain Victorious has just announced their signing of Lenny Martinez for the next three seasons, through to 2027 – thereby confirming the rumours that have been circulating since the beginning of the 2024 season.

The young Frenchman – who has already shown his strength this year, winning the youth classifications at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya and O Gran Camiño, and multiple one-day stage races – will move across from his current team, Groupama-FDJ, to form part of Bahrain Victorious’ general classification squad. He will therefore be joining the team’s current pool of young GC talent, including Santiago Buitrago, and aim for success in the general classification and youth classification of Grand Tours and one-week stage races.

In the press release for the announcement, Martinez cited “the solid project around the team and [himself]” as his reason for leaving his current team and joining Bahrain Victorious, and Milan Erzen, Managing Director of Bahrain Victorious, revealed further that this ‘project’ involves “achieving a podium at the Tour de France with a French rider” and helping Martinez “create his own legacy in French cycling”.

Source: Team Bahrain Victorious Press Release

04/08/2024

After the signing of Dylan Teuns yesterday, Cofidis continues the announcements with two new riders today. First of all, the Belgian climber Sylvain Moniquet has signed from Lotto-Dstny, with the goal of replacing Guillaume Martin on the mountainous races but also of performing on the Ardennes classics. At 26 years old, Sylvain Moniquet is still waiting for his first professional win so he will also have this objective in mind with Cédric Vasseur’s team. The other rider who will wear the red and white colours next year is Valentin Ferron. The Frenchman has already won on a World Tour race, with the 6^th stage of the 2022 Critérium du Dauphiné and will aim to repeat this performance with his new team. Valentin Ferron is a versatile rider capable of shining in all types of races, which is a very important asset for a team like Cofidis, looking for UCI Points before the end of the 2025 season. Both of these riders signed with Cofidis until 2026.

After the announcement of the Ecuadorian Champion Jhonathan Narvaez, UAE Team Emirates continues to strengthen its Classics squad with the former Paris-Roubaix podium finisher Florian Vermeersch from Lotto-Dstny. The 25-year-old Belgian has not raced a lot this season due to a crash at the Vuelta Ciclista de Murcia in February but he remains a very good improvement for UAE Team Emirates to support Nils Politt and Tim Wellens in races such as the Ronde or Paris-Roubaix for the next two seasons. Raising his arms will be one of the main objectives for Vermeersch, who has only won once in his professional career, at the 2022 Antwerp Port Epic.

The British team INEOS Grenadiers started its transfer period with the announcement of two new riders on this second day of August. The first of them is a former Monument winner, the Luxembourgish Bob Jungels, winner of Liege-Bastogne-Liege 2018. Jungels also won his national championship six times, and two stages on Grand Tours. Bob Jungels will arrive from Red Bull-Bora for the next two seasons with the objective of bringing experience to the team, especially to the young riders, according to Scott Drawer, the Performance Director: “Bob will form an important part of that mentoring culture”. The other recruit for the British team will be the Monegasque Victor Langelotti, who has signed a two-year contract. He will become the first ever rider from Monaco to compete at the World Tour level, making history for his country. Victor Langelotti is currently part of the Spanish team Burgos-BH, with whom he started his professional career. The Monegasque is a good climber who already won twice in his career, at the Tour of Turkey and the Volta a Portugal. According to Scott Drawer, “Victor will have a role to play in the future GC ambitions that we have”.

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe has been subject to a lot of rumours concerning this transfer window, including some very good young talents. The German team confirmed one of these talks by announcing the signing of the young Italian climber Giulio Pellizzari from VF-Group Bardiani. The 20-year-old shone at the recent Giro, finishing second on the stage arriving at Santa Cristina Valgardena and also in the KOM classification, only beaten by Tadej Pogacar. Pellizzari is supposed to be one of the best climbers in the world in the next years and will be an important asset for his new team at Grand Tours but also one-week races.

Sources: Cofidis team statement; INEOS team statement; Red Bull-Bora Post on X (formerly Twitter); UAE Team Emirates team statement

02/08/2024

Following yesterday’s announcement of Axel Zingle’s signing, today Visma Lease-a-Bike announced that they have also signed Simon Yates, on a two-year contract through to 2026.

The British rider is set to leave Jayco-AlUla, his current team, and will join Visma Lease-a-Bike as part of their Grand Tour and one-week stage race general classification team. He has already proven himself in this area – having won the general classification in the Vuelta a España, and Tirreno-Adriatico, as well as multiple stages in the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Paris-Nice – and will therefore slot in nicely alongside the likes of Matteo Jorgenson, Wilco Kelderman and Sepp Kuss.

It is expected that like these riders, his main role will be that of a superdomestique for the team leader, Jonas Vingegaard, but he will likely also have chances to ride for his own result. Yates – who thus far has only ridden for one team throughout his whole career on the WorldTour – has expressed excitement to be in a new environment, and take his career in a new direction, stating that Visma Lease-a-Bike is a team he has “admired for a long time” and that he “couldn't pass up the opportunity to join”.

Source: Visma Lease-a-Bike Press Release

02/08/2024

Amongst the frenzy of transfer announcements made yesterday on the 1^st August – the date upon which the official transfer window opens each year – three more interesting signings were revealed for Visma Lease-a-Bike, Groupama-FDJ, and Cofidis.

Visma Lease-a-Bike announced that they have signed Axel Zingle – currently riding for Cofidis – to their team for three years, through to 2027. He is expected to form part of their classics team, and target the hillier stages in stage races – where his skills in a reduced-bunch sprint can shine. There is also potential for him to join the sprint train for Visma Lease-a-Bike’s main sprinter, Olav Kooij, which may need reinforcements should the speculation about the Van Dijke brothers leaving the team prove to be true.

Meanwhile, confirming the rumours that have been circulating for the past month, Guillaume Martin has signed for Groupama-FDJ on a two-year contract. He is therefore also leaving Cofidis, his current team, and switching out one French team for another. It is expected that he will continue to aim for success in the General Classification of stage races, as well as individual stages and one-day races that suit his climbing capabilities well.

Despite Cofidis thereby losing two of their riders, they’ve also gained one: Dylan Teuns. The team announced that they have signed the Belgian rider for the next two seasons, and intend for him to lead their classics team. The 32-year-old has already won stages at the Tour de France, as well as la Flèche Wallonne, and so the team will be relying on his experience and prowess in one-day racing to bring them success in the spring classics, but also in individual stages in stage races.

Sources: Visma Lease-a-Bike Press Release, Groupama-FDJ X (formerly Twitter) Post, Team Cofidis Press Release

02/08/2024

UAE Team Emirates started their transfer period with the announcement of the signing of the Ecuadorian Jhonathan Narvaez from INEOS Grenadiers for the next two seasons.

Jhonathan Narvaez started his professional career in 2018 with Quick-Step Floors before moving to Sky/INEOS, where he stayed 6 seasons. The Ecuadorian Champion won two stages on the Giro, including the first of this year, ahead of Schachmann and... Pogacar, his future leader! Narvaez is a very complete rider, who will help his leaders throughout the season but who could also have his chance to shine on some races such as the Classics.

The first Pink Jersey wearer of this year's Giro is ready for a new chapter in his career at the age of 27: "I feel like I still haven’t reached my full maturity as a rider and hope to keep progressing and improve both as a classics rider and as an all-rounder.” His capacities on every type of races makes him a very important rider for his new team, as said by the CEO of UAE Team Emirates Mauro Gianetti: "He’s shown his ability both as a winner and as a worker and we feel he can slot in well to our team."

Source: UAE Team Emirates team statement

01/08/2024

The transfer season has officialy begun on this 1st of August and Jayco AlUla were the first to announce a new rider for next season with Ben O'Connor

The Australian rider started his World Tour career with Dimension Data, under which colours he won one stage on the Giro in 2020. After joining AG2R-Citroën the next season, he revealed himself to the world as an excellent climber by finishing 4th of the overall classification of the Tour de France after winning the stage arriving in Tignes. In 2024, Ben O'Connor had a really good season so far with a second place overall on the UAE Tour and on the Tour of the Alps, a fifth place on Tirreno-Adriatico and a fourth place on the overall classification of the Giro.

At 28 years old, the native of Subiaco in Western Australia will aim to "change these fourth-place overall finishes at Grand Tours into overall podium placings" in a team full of Australian riders to support him. For Jayco-AlUla's manager Brent Copeland, Ben O'Connor "will fill in that general classification gap with Simon Yates moving on." The current Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale rider will have a role of leader in his new team until at least 2026.

Source: Jayco-AlUla team statement

01/08/2024

Exactly one year after the biggest win of his career on the Champs-Elysées, Jordi Meeus has had his contract extended by his team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe.

The Belgian sprinter joined Bora-Hansgrohe in 2021 and has raised his arms eight times under the German team's colours. The biggest win of all was of course his incredible sprint on the Champs-Elysées last year, revealing him to the eyes of the world. Yesterday, Jordi Meeus took his second win of the season by winning the first stage of the Ethias Tour de Wallonie, an early celebration before the announcement of his renewal.

In the team statement of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, Meeus declared: I'm really happy to stay with the team. I've become a professional cyclist here and I've felt at home from the beginning." Let's hope for him that he will shine again on World Tour roads very soon, maybe at the Tour of Poland in which he will take part in August.

Source: Red Bull-Bora team statement

23/07/2024

After his historical wins at the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) was awaited in Paris for the Olympic Road Race, where he was one of the favourites. However, the Slovenian has announced on Instagram that he needed "to take a bit of rest" in order to be as strong as possible for his next objective: the UCI World Championships. The non-selection of Pogačar's fiancée Urška Žigart (Liv AlUla Jayco) may also have had an impact on the decision of the triple Tour de France winner, as he showed his disapproval of this choice publicly a few days ago.

With this announcement, "Pogi" also confirmed that he will not take part in La Vuelta, where he could have tried to make history once more by winning the three Grand Tours the same year. He will now aim for a first rainbow jersey in Zurich before defending his title on the Giro di Lombardia.

Tadej Pogačar's replacement for the Olympics race will be his teammate Domen Novak, who will ride alongside Luka Mezgec (Jayco-AlUla), Matej Mohorič (Bahrain-Victorious) and Jan Tratnik (Visma-Lease a Bike).

Source: Tadej Pogacar Instagram story

23/07/2024

Following a ‘fairytale’ ride at the 2024 Tour de France, where he won three stages (Stages 3, 8 and 12), and brought home the green ‘points’ jersey, Biniam Girmay has just announced that he has extended his contract with his current team, Intermarché-Wanty, through to 2028.

Girmay joined the team in 2021, and since then, has shown himself to be an impressive sprinting and one-day racing talent – having won a stage in the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de Suisse, Gent-Wevelgem, and the Circuit Franco-Belge, in the past few years. He was close to a stage win in last year’s Tour, but prior to this year, his best result in a Tour de France sprint was a solid third place.

This year, however, after having had to abandon the Giro d’Italia, following two nasty crashes on Stage 4, the young sprinter came to the Tour de France ready to perform, and managed to secure three stage wins, and the points classification – with a lead of 33 points on Jasper Philipsen, last year’s winner. This Tour was therefore historic for both Girmay and Intermarché-Wanty. The impressive Eritrean became the first Black African in history to win a stage in the Tour de France, and the first African to win the points classification. Additionally, he gave the Belgian team their first ever stage win at the Tour (plus two more), and this marks the first time that they have ever won a classification at the Tour de France, and brought home a distinctive jersey.

Therefore, following this performance, it is only natural that the team would want to re-sign the young star for as long as possible, and Girmay himself seems more than happy with this arrangement. In confirming that he broke open his contract to extend it for two more years than planned, he stated that Intermarché-Wanty is “like a family” and “the perfect team to achieve [his] goals”. Girmay and the team now look to the future to see what more they can achieve together.

Source: Intermarché-Wanty X (formerly Twitter) Post

23/07/2024

The organisers of this year’s Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men have finally announced the race route, which will travel from Scotland’s Kelso, to Felixstowe on the Suffolk coast, over six days of racing.

Four new locations have been added this year (Barnsley, Derby, Northampton, and Lowestoft) alongside six previous host locations (Kelso, Redcar, Newark-on-Trent, Felixstowe, Darlington, and Sheffield).

Full Route:

Stage 1 – Kelso to Kelso (03/09/2024)

Stage 2 – Darlington to Redcar (04/09/2024)

Stage 3 – Sheffield to Barnsley (05/09/2024)

Stage 4 – Derby to Newark (06/09/2024)

Stage 5 – Northampton to Northampton (07/09/2024)

Stage 6 – Lowestoft to Felixstowe (08/09/2024)

It is expected that further details, including route maps and detailed timings, will follow in the coming weeks.

Source: British Cycling Press Release

19/07/2024

Team GB have just announced their official selection for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

The men’s team for the Road Race includes Tom Pidcock, Stevie Williams, Fred Wright and Josh Tarling. Tarling will also compete in the Individual Time Trial, as will Ethan Hayter, and Hayter will also compete in Track Endurance, alongside Dan Bigham, Charlie Tanfield, Ethan Vernon and Ollie Wood. Pidcock (the reigning Mountain Bike gold medallist) is also looking to repeat his success at the last Olympic Games in the Mountain Bike race, alongside Charlie Aldridge.

The women’s team for the Road Race includes Lizzie Deignan, Pfeiffer Georgi (the current British Champion) and Anna Morris – with Anna Henderson competing in the Individual Time Trial. Anna Morris will also participate in Track Endurance, alongside Elinor Barker, Neah Evans, Josie Knight and Jess Roberts.

Source: Team GB Press Release

10/07/2024

Belgium was one of the first countries to announce their selection for the upcoming Olympic Games, and as expected, their men’s team will be led by Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel. They will both compete in the Road Race and the Individual Time Trial, and will be supported by Van Aert’s trade teammate, Tiesj Benoot, and Jasper Stuyven, in the Road Race.

The men’s ITT will take place on 27/07/2024, and the Road Race on 03/08/2024.

The women’s team will be led by the current World Champion, Lotte Kopecky, who is set to compete in the Road Race, Individual Time Trial, and Track races (Madison and Omnium). She will be supported by Justine Ghekiere, Margot Vanpachtenbeke and Julie Van de Velde in the Road Race.

The women’s ITT will take place on 27/07/2024, and the Road Race on 04/08/2024.

Source: Team Belgium’s Instagram Post Announcements for the Men & Women

10/07/2024