News Archive 2023

Some very sad breaking news this morning: former World Champion track cyclist Melissa Dennis née Hoskins passed away following an incident with a truck driven by her husband Rohan Dennis yesterday. Dennis has been arrested in connection with the incident. The couple have two young children.

Source: cyclingnews.com

31/12/2023

Ukrainian climber Mark Padun was today confirmed as a new rider for Italian Pro continental team, Team Corratec-Selle Italia. Padun had mixed fortunes in his two years with EF Education-EasyPost, following his breakout performance at the 2021 Criterium du Dauphine where he won two stages.

Source: Team corratec social media

11/12/2023

It's been a social media storm this past weekend, as a series of Twitter posts unfolded a dramatic contract wrangle between young Belgian talent Cian Uijtdebroeks, his current team BORA hansgrohe, to whom he is contracted until the end of 2024, and Team Jumbo Visma.

The Dutch team began the show with a post announcing that Uijtdebroeks had signed for them, on the afternoon on Saturday 9th December. This was followed shortly after by a post from BORA stating that Uijtdebroeks remained a rider for the German team, as he was still under contract with them.

Following this, a number of World Tour managers weighed in, debate raged over the legal ins and outs of the situation, and Cian himself posted the Jumbo Visma signing news on his instagram, along with an update from his agency regarding the legal implications.

On Sunday, it was revealed that BORA would seek a buyout of one million Euros for the contract, which is more than the total of Uijtdebroeks' remaining salary and may slow the proceedings, which need to be concluded prior to the end of the year in order for the move to go through in time for the beginning of the 2024 season.

Sources have been many and varied for this story, but if you'd like to follow along with the timeline of what's happened and when, look no further than this helpful thread, collated by writebikerepeat contributor Emma Bianchi, which brings together all the disparate threads of the narrative (joke posts from Chris Froome included!).

10/12/2023

17-year-old Dane Albert Withen Philipsen was officially announced as a Lidl-Trek rider today. The signing had been strongly rumoured following a social media leak a couple of weeks previously.

Philipsen shows huge potential both on and off-road, and is the current junior World Champion both on the road and in mountain biking. He's also European time trial champion, proving his versatility and potential for the future.

He will begin his professional career with the American side in 2025, and his contract will see him stay with the team until 2028.

Source: Lidl-Trek

08/12/2023

INEOS Grenadiers have announced the successor to Rod Ellingworth following his departure from the team last week will be John Allert. Allert, formerly managing director, is now CEO. There is a new performance director, Scott Drawer, while Steve Cummings is promoted to director of racing, with Movistar's Imanol Erviti coming on board as a new sports director for 2024. (Source: GCN)

06/12/2023

Groupama-FDJ announced today they would end their partnership with Lapierre in favour of Wilier Triestina bikes from 2024 onwards (Source: Groupama-FDJ instagram).

38-year-old Maciej Bodnar today announced his retirement from professional road racing. The Polish rider has been a part of the World Tour peloton for 15 seasons, riding mostly in support of others, including most recently a long stint in service of Peter Sagan. (Source: Cycling News).

06/12/2023

Just a few transfers to report on today.

Dutch rider Anouska Koster extends with Uno-X until 2026. Koster, 30, was been a key part of the Jumbo-Visma women's team for two seasons. before switching to the Scandinavian team in 2023.

Davide Cimolai leaves Cofidis for Movistar - the 34-year-old Italian sprinter heads from France to Spain for the 2024 season.

Toon Aerts will return from his suspension with Deschacht-Hens-Maes. Aerts has signed a two-year contract with the team and will make his debut for them on 17 February, one day after his suspension period ends (source: Het Nieuwsblad).

Cyclocrosser Pim Ronhaar will ride as a stagiare with Lidl-Trek on the road next summer. A two-time elite World Cup winner in 2023, Ronhaar will debut for the road branch of his Baloise Trek team in August.

All sources: team social media unless otherwise stated.

04/12/2023

Arkéa–Samsic, soon to be Arkéa–B&B Hotels, revealed their new kit yesterday on social media.

The presentation was done via a video celebrating the history of the Bretagne region, where the team is based, and featured Arnaud Démare brandishing a sword. The kit is named 'Excalibur' and certainly sets a high standard for the team going into 2024. Images below.

Source: Arkéa–Samsic social media

03/12/2023

In a live presentation in Lille, the first three stages for the 2025 Tour de France were revealed on Thursday.

Representatives from the Northern départments spoke with enthusiasm about the Tour's return to the region, before the three stage profiles were revealed to the public.

The first will begin and end in Lille Métropole - a flat stage billed as the first opportunity since 2020 for a sprinter to wear the yellow jersey.

Stage 2 is a rugged test along the northern coast, with a chance for puncheurs to take victory in Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Stage 3 from Valenciennes to Dunkerque features the climb at Cassel which was decisive in 2023's French national road championships, before crosswinds may impact the final portion of the stage on exposed roads.

See the link for full details.

Source: Tour de France

30/11/2023

Michael Woods has confirmed he's extended his contract with Israel-Premier Tech until 2025. The Canadian rider has stated that among other goals, his intention is to go for a Grand Tour hat-trick in 2024. The Giro d'Italia is the only one of the three Grand Tours in which he has not won a stage, following his win on Puy de Dome in the 2023 Tour de France.

Source: Cycling News

29/11/2023

The final member of the so-called 'big three' to announce his winter plans, INEOS Grenadiers have today posted Tom Pidcock's proposed cyclocross calendar. It includes ten races beginning in Herentals on 16th December, and concludes in Benidorm on 21 January 2024, in a race that will include both Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel and provided excellent entertainment on its first appearance in 2023.

As was reported last week, Pidcock does not plan to race at the World Championships in Tabor.

Source: INEOS Grenadiers X

29/11/2023

Marianne Vos has suggested that she may be able to return to the cyclocross field before the end of this season, following a better than expected recovery from the iliac artery surgery which forced her to curtail her 2023 season.

Initially, the veteran superstar had planned to skip the season to prepare for her 2024 road programme, but with her recovery going well, there's a possibility she may return to the 'cross field before the end of the winter.

Source: Cycling News

28/11/2023

The former Dutch stage race will now be run as two one-day races and drops from .Pro series level to .2 level. Potential reasons for the change cited include proximity to the Vuelta and schedule crowding on the women's calendar.

Source: Owen Rogers, Grand-Ducal Cycling

28/11/2023

It was a bumper day for AG2R fans as the team dropped around two months' worth of news all in one mega press release.

It began with the confirmation of the new name for the team following their title sponsor switching from Citroën to Decathlon. The Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale name is active as of 1st January 2024, along with a new equipment partnership with Van Rysel, for bikes, helmets and sunglasses.

The team also released their new kit - the first team to officially reveal 2024 kit - and it's a bitter blow for lovers of the brown shorts as they depart from their iconic brown and white look, opting for a light blue jersey with black bib shorts (pictured below).

The news kept on coming, with the announcement of six new signings. There was confirmation of the transfer of Tour de France stage winner Victor Lafay from Cofidis, along with Irish sprinter Sam Bennett (BORA hansgrohe), former French time trial champion Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ), Giro stage winner Dries de Bondt (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Belgians Sander de Pestel (Team Flanders Baloise) and Gianluca Pollefliet (Lotto-DSTNY).

Later the same day, Steve Lampier, former rider and Saint Piran staff member, announced that he would also join the team as a sports director in 2024.

Source: AG2R social media

27/11/2023

Jumbo-Visma's Tobias Foss was yesterday confirmed as transferring to the INEOS Grenadiers for the 2024 season.

The 26-year-old from Norway, who was World time trial champion in 2022, is a self-confessed fan of the team, having grown up following Team Sky, and he joins the team for an initial period of three years.

Foss has shown potential to be a GC leader as well as a strong time trialist. He won the 2019 Tour de l'Avenir, often seen as one of the key indicators of future success for under-23s.

Source: INEOS X

27/11/2023

A few updates from around the cycling world this morning.

Dries Devenyns has been announced as a new sports director at Soudal-QuickStep. The Belgian, who called time on his racing career at the end of the 2023 season, will move into the new role in 2024.

EF Education-EasyPost this morning announced the signing of Yuhi Todome. The Japanese climber will make his World Tour debut in 2024 at the age of 21.

Israel-PremierTech's 23-year-old Australian Sebastian Berwick drops to Pro Team level with Caja Rural-Segurous RGA on a two-year contract.

All sources - team social media

22/11/2023

Rising road and cyclocross star Thibau Nys has extended his dual contract wth Lidl-Trek and the Baloise Trek Lions until 2026. Nys, who took his first cyclocross World Cup win at elite level back in October, has shown excellent form so far this off-road season, and showed promise in his opening pro road season, taking his first UCI victories in the Tour of Norway.

Source Lidl-Trek/Baloise Trek Lions

21/11/2023

Surprise winner of Paris-Tours, 23-year-old American rider Riley Sheehan has signed a contract with Israel-Premier Tech, with whom he was riding as a trainee when he won the race. He joins the team on a three-year deal.

Source: Israel-Premier Tech

20/11/23

The 37-year-old Belgian rider will ride his final season in 2024. He's been a part of the World Tour peloton since 2011, and has been with Lotto-DSTNY since 2015.

The breakaway specialist broke the news via his own social media channels. He announces that his main goals for his final season will be to go for stage wins at the Volta a Catalunya and La Vuelta a España.

Source: Himself

18/11/23

Deputy team principal, Rod Ellingworth, is confirmed by the team as leaving at the end of this calendar year.

Ellingworth has been with the team since its inception in 2009 and played a pivotal management role during the team's period of dominance at the Tour de France.

Ellingworth's departure is yet another troubling development at the British team, who have seen a number of key riders leave, without a great many new signings.

Source: The Guardian

17/11/2023

Tom Pidcock became the latest of the 'big three' riders to confirm he would not be in attendance at the 2024 Cyclocross World Championships in Tabor.

The INEOS Grenadiers rider will participate in a limited cyclocross schedule, which is yet to be confirmed, before switching focus to road training in January.

Following Wout van Aert's confirmation last week, it leaves Mathieu van der Poel as the only one of the off-road discipline's top riders to take on Worlds.

Source: Cycling News

17/11/2023

The one-day race featuring the iconic climb is off the menu for 2024 due to the Olympic torch relay passing through the region on the same day.

Source: L'Equipe

16/11/2023

Daniel Lloyd and Si Richardson revealed in a short YouTube video the end of the GCN+ service, as of the 19^th December. It’s a great shame to cycling fans across the globe, who have come to rely on the service for dedicated, passionate and broad coverage of many disciplines of cycling. Not only was it astoundingly good value for money, it was a passion project put together by people with a genuine love for the sport, and their rigorous knowledge and adventurous spirit was evident throughout the channel.

The decision, made by parent company Warner Bros, will see the live racing content subsumed into the Discovery+ channel – meaning that while UK viewers and most in Europe are able to continue watching (albeit at twice the price), the North American and Australian markets are currently not catered for – a situation that Discovery+ has said it is looking into solutions for.

It’s deeply troubling as just as cycling were beginning to enjoy increased access and coverage, this seems to represent a significant backwards step. The latest news on the documentary content is that it will be moving onto the YouTube channel.

Thanks for the memories, GCN – it’s been one hell of a ride.

Source: GCN YouTube

15/11/2023

A few days after long-time rival Mathieu van der Poel announced his schedule, Wout van Aert followed suit this week. With ten races planned, his calendar is slimmer than last year’s, and he hopes this will ensure a smoother run up to the Spring Classics. Most notably, his calendar does not contain the World Championships, a bitter disappointment to all ‘cross fans hoping for a rematch of last year’s nail-biting clash at Hoogerheide. Having said that, it offers up to seven opportunities to see him clash with MVDP.

Source: Jumbo Visma (image below)

14/11/2023

Gianni Moscon joins QuickStep - Italian classics specialist Moscon becomes the 27th rider on the Soudal-QuickStep roster for 2024, the team have today confirmed. Source: Soudal-QuickStep (X), 09/11/2023

20-year-old Colombian Santiago Umba will join the World Tour with Astana-Qazaqstan Team. The young rider signed his first pro contract with the Kazakh team today. Source: Astana, 09/11/2023

Lucas Plapp seals 4-year deal at Team Jayco-Alula - the team announce the transfer with another inimitably Australian social media post. Source: Team Jayco-Alula (X), 07/11/2023

Double signing for Cofidis - the French side complete the signings of Kenny Ellissonde from Lidl-Trek and Ben Hermans from Israel-Premier Tech. Source: Cofidis (X), 06/11/2023

And in extension news, Soraya Paladin has extended with Canyon//SRAM, while Justyna Czapla steps up from the Generation development team to World Tour level. Source: Canyon//SRAM (X), 08/11/2023

Meanwhile at INEOS Grenadiers, three more riders have secured their futures with the team with contract extensions - Salvatore Puccio, Brandon Rivera and Omar Fraile sign on for two more years each. Source: INEOS Grenadiers (X), 01/11/2023

The UCI has announced the details of the routes for the 2024 World Championships which will take place in Zurich, Switzerland next September. The road routes feature significantly more altitude metres than has been seen in recent years, with repeated short punchy climbs that looks to favour the likes of Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel for the men, with Demi Vollering the favourite over most parcours for the women. The individual time trial routes have also been announced.

Source: while the UCI published the routes first, this post from @ammatipyoraily on X details all the route profiles.

08/11/2023

More dismal news for the British domestic racing scene, as following a dispute over unpaid rights fees with Tour of Britain race promoter SweetSpot, British Cycling have terminated their agreement, meaning that unless a new promoter can be found, the future of the race is in jeopardy.

It's a huge blow following the loss of the Women's Tour from the 2023 calendar and speaks volumes about the state of professional cycling in the UK currently, with economic pressures on local authorities, a lack of funding from the governing body and the ever-present after-effects of Brexit all contributing factors to a gradual deterioration in the domestic road scene.

Source: for the full story by Jeremy Whittle, head here.

08/11/2023

Inimitable Colombian cycling legend Rigoberto Urán has today announced his retirement from the professional sport following the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 36-year-old, currently racing for EF Edcuation-EasyPost, has been hugely influential in his home country throughout his career, helping young riders establish themselves in Europe and inspiring the next generation with his profile at home. His career has spanned 17 years and has seen numerous wins, including a prized Grand Tour hat-trick, with stages at the Giro, Tour and Vuelta.

Source: @ammattipyoraily (X) via infobae.com

08/11/2023

Reigning road and cyclocross World Champion Mathieu van der Poel announced his planned calendar for participation in cyclocross this winter, and it doesn't begin until 22nd December.

The Dutchman will return to the field at the Exact Cross in Mol, and will ride 12 races in preparation for a world title defence in Tabor in February.

We are still awaiting news on the schedules of Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock.

Source: Alpecin-Deceuninck (X)

02/11/2023

Another four contract extensions were announced today by the INEOS Grenadiers, as they go about confirming their roster for the 2024 season.

Laurens de Plus extends for 3 years, and Ben Swift, Kim Heiduk and Luke Rowe all extend for 2 years, as the team shores up for the new season. Earlier in the week they announced the signing of Oscar Rodriguez from Movistar on a 3-year deal.

Source: INEOS Grenadiers
31/10/2023

Nairo Quintana will return to his former team Movistar. The news was revealed by Quintana himself in a video on Movistar's social media on Saturday morning.

Quintana, who spent 8 seasons with the Spanish side, winning two Grand Tours and placing second twice in the Tour de France, returns to them after a year without a team following a doping case in which he was found to have taken tramadol twice during the 2022 Tour de France. He was suspended by his team Arkéa Samsic and did not secure a contract for 2023, though he continued to train.

Quintana signs a one-year deal with Movistar.

Source: Movistar X
28/10/2023

Reports from Reuters suggest that a proposal to form a competitive pro cycling league are currently being discussed, with rumours of major investor interest.

The report states that INEOS Grenadiers and Jumbo Visma are among the teams currently involved in the talks, and that it could incorporate a number of current races, and result in a greater pay-out for teams and riders, as opposed to the lion's share of income from races being kept by organisers. It's not the first time such a league has been suggested; the last time was in 2012 but nothing came of the proposal.

More as we have it.

Source: Reuters
26/10/2023

INEOS Grenadiers' Colombian climber Egan Bernal hopes to return to Grand Tour GC contention in 2024, with the Vuelta a España a potential target.

He revealed his plans on Colombian podcast Táchalo, stating that he really hopes to be able to be in the mix once again for overall victory at a Grand Tour. The rider has been on the long road to recovery from a serious training accident in January 2022. He racked up 79 race days in 2023, achieving a number of top ten placements in stage races, with his most recent notable result 8th place on stage 18 of La Vuelta.

Source: Domestique X

26/10/2023

Soudal-QuickStep boss Patrick Lefevre suggested yesterday that Remco Evenepoel may target GC at both the Giro d'Italia AND the Tour de France in 2024.

He states that alongside other major goals such as the Olympics next summer, that it would be a tough route for the 23-year-old Belgian to take, but that he currently has a score to settle at the Giro. Though the Tour may also be on the cards, Lefevre added 'it doesn’t seem like the best idea' and that he and the team may advise against this challenging programme.

Source: Global Cycling Network

25/20/2023

The routes for the 2024 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes were revealed at a presentation in Paris today.

The Tour de France Femmes begins with three stages in the Netherlands, incorporating one 'double' stage on the second day, with a short road stage followed by a short test against the clock.

The fourth stage begins in Bastogne and takes the peloton into France. The final day is also the Queen stage, and features the legendary Alpe d'Huez, as rumoured last week.

The men's route begins with three stages in the Piedmont region of Italy, including a record-breaking amount of altitude metres on stage 1, before heading into the Alps early, with an ascent of the Col du Galibier on stage 4. There is a gravel stage on stage 9, several days in the Pyrenees, and a final mountain test on stage 20 before an individual time trial from Monaco to Nice concludes the Tour, keeping the GC race exciting until the last.

Full details on the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes websites.

25/10/2023

Announcements continue to issue from the INEOS Grenadiers camp this week, following the contract extension of Geraint Thomas on Monday.

Carlos Rodriguez confirmed he would remain at the team, signing a four-year contract that will keep him at the British team until 2027. Today the team officially announced the arrival of American off-road talent AJ August, which had been strongly rumoured over the summer. August will begin his pro career with the team, and stay with the team through the end of the 2026 season.

Source: INEOS Grenadiers

25/10/2023

Team Jayco Alula will become Liv Alula Jayco on the women's side for 2024, following their merger with Liv Racing TeqFind. The team also confirmed its final roster for next season in this morning's press release, featuring 16 riders, 5 of whom transfer across from this season's Liv Racing squad. The most notable of these is Mavi Garcia. The 39-year-old will continue her career as one of the women's peloton's veterans, providing valuable experience to the younger riders.

The team most recently announced the signing of young Australian talent Ella Wyllie, who at 21, is the youngest member of the squad.

Source: GreenEDGE Cycling

25/10/2023

Winners of their respective Tours de France in 2023, Jonas Vingegaard and Demi Vollering took home top honours in the prestigious Velo d'Or ceremony in Paris on Tuesday night.

The two were awarded the honours ahead of other candidates, including Mathieu van der Poel and Lotte Kopecky, who were voted in second place respectively for the men and women. Tadej Pogačar and Annemiek van Vleuten were voted in third place. Van der Poel and Kopecky claimed the inaugural Eddy Merckx trophies for best classics riders as a consolation.

The Bernard Hinault prize for best French riders were awarded to Christophe Laporte and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.

Source: Cycling News

24/10/2023

Two more years for the Welshman at the British team, as today they announce a contract extension that will mean one of their key leaders remains on board until the end of 2025.

It's an important move for the Grenadiers, who have yet to announce any new signings, as there is currently some uncertainty about their future, with regard to financial backing. Securing the services of their most experienced leader for two more seasons is a sign that perhaps, the ship may be steadying - our ears remain to the ground for news of any new arrivals, and we will bring you updates as we have them.

Source: INEOS Grenadiers

23/10/2023

Movistar have released a slew of signing announcements in the past 24 hours. The Spanish team have mainly focused on bringing in new young talent, with the acquisition of 21-year-old Italian Manlio Moro, 22-year-old Carlos Canal, Burgos-BH's Pelayo Sanchez (23), who achieved a podium spot on stage 20 of this year's Vuelta, and 24-year-old Javier Romo, winner of the white jersey at this year's Vuelta a Burgos.

Perhaps the headline act of the collection however is today's news of the arrival of Davide Formolo from UAE Team Emirates. The Italian brings a wealth of experience and arrives off the back of some good late season form, taking two wins in the autumn racing block.

UPDATE: as of this afternoon, Remi Cavagna will now also be a Movistar rider as of 2024. The French time trial champion moves from Soudal-QuickStep after 7 seasons with the team.

Source: Movistar X

/10/2023

28-year-old Norwegian Torstein Træen was announced as Bahrain-Victorious' latest signing today.

Part of the Scandinavian team Uno-X since 2017, Træen made an impression this season with some strong climbing and GC performances, including narrowly missing out on his first pro win at the Tour of the Alps in April.

He will make the step up to World Tour level for the first time in 2024.

Source: Bahrain-Victorious

19/10/2023

Movistar have released a slew of signing announcements in the past 24 hours. The Spanish team have mainly focused on bringing in new young talent, with the acquisition of 21-year-old Italian Manlio Moro, 22-year-old Carlos Canal, Burgos-BH's Pelayo Sanchez (23), who achieved a podium spot on stage 20 of this year's Vuelta, and 24-year-old Javier Romo, winner of the white jersey at this year's Vuelta a Burgos.

Perhaps the headline act of the collection however is today's news of the arrival of Davide Formolo from UAE Team Emirates. The Italian brings a wealth of experience and arrives off the back of some good late season form, taking two wins in the autumn racing block.

UPDATE: as of this afternoon, Remi Cavagna will now also be a Movistar rider as of 2024. The French time trial champion moves from Soudal-QuickStep after 7 seasons with the team.

Source: Movistar X

19/10/2023

In one of the headline signing announcements of the week, veteran breakaway specialist Rui Costa will move from Intermarché–Circus–Wanty to EF Education-EasyPost in 2024.

The 37-year-old Portuguese has enjoyed something of a renaissance in 2023, with 5 UCI wins, after a barren spell with no victories since 2020. He'll look to continue the strong form that has seen him claim a stage at La Vuelta this season, at his new team, where he will have considerable experience to share with the team.

Source: EF X

18/10/2023

Wielerflits reports this morning of a credible rumour surrounding the route for the 2024 Tour de France Femmes.

The race, which takes place later than its usual place on the schedule next year due to the Paris Olympics, on 12-18 August, begins in the Netherlands, and may apparently feature a finish on the legendary climb on the final weekend. Details will be confirmed during the route presentation, on 25th October, so not long to wait to find out whether or not this one holds water.

Source: Wielerflits

16/10/2023

After all the merger chaos and disappointment as the potential Amazon sponsorship did not materialise, it's a relief to hear this morning that Team Jumbo-Visma have secured a replacement title sponsor as Jumbo depart in 2024.

The team will become Visma-Lease A Bike, with financial backing coming from the Dutch company, a subsidiary of the Pons transport multinational and bike distribution group. The company already sponsors the team but is set to grow its investment in 2024.

For a team as successful and prominent as Jumbo-Visma to have had a few hiccups along the way when trying to secure sponsorship is a concern, for all with a vested interest in the sport, and any new sponsorship is positive, particularly when it comes from a brand connected with the sport.

Source: GCN

16/10/2023

Women's road racing team Fenix-Deceuninck have announced their plans to form a cyclocross team, led by Dutch champion Puck Pieterse. While Pieterse was racing for Alpecin-Deceuninck last season, the women's branch of the team will become a separate entity, with support provided by some of the other multi-discipline riders on the road team, including Yara Kastelijn and Millie Couzens.

Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado remains with the Alpecin-Deceuninck team. Alvarado doesn't currently race on the road, and as a UCI registered cyclocross team Alpecin are required to have at least one woman.

Source: Fenix-Deceuninck

14/10/2023

The Giro d'Italia held a presentation for their 2024 route last week and there's plenty to get excited about ahead of next season's first Grand Tour. One of the toughest Grande Partenzas in recent Giro history, in the region of Piedmont, the Passo dello Stelvio as the Cima Coppi (though arguably in a rather bizarre position on the stage in which it features), a smattering of 'sterrato' white roads, and some epic mountain-top finishes.

The Giro Donne will be taken over by the same company who run the Giro d'Italia, RCS, and the race has been renamed the Giro d'Italia Women, with a route announcement expected imminently. See below for full stage details.

Source: Giro d'Italia

13/10/2023

Lidl-Trek have continued in their quest to secure the signatures of emerging female cycling talent, signing World Junior Time Trial champion Felicity Wilson-Haffenden. The Australian becomes the third junior in just a few weeks to pledge her future to the American team, following their acquisition of the Holmgren twins Ava and Isabella, and British talent Izzy Sharp, in late August.

Source: Lidl-Trek

12/10/2023

Belgian rider Jens Keukeleire revealed that the Tour of Guangxi, where he is currently racing, will be the final competitive outing of his racing career.

The 34-year-old, currently riding for EF Education-EasyPost, made the announcement on Thursday. Keukeleire has had a number of wins in his career, including a stage at the Vuelta a Espana. His longest stint at a single team was 6 years at Orica-GreenEdge.

Source: Wielerflits

12/10/2013

Two riders from the Intermarché–Circus–Wanty squad have been withdrawn ahead of the Tour of Guangxi in China, following images shared on Instagram involving racist gestures.

Madis Mikhels and Gerben Thijssen have both been removed from the Belgian side and will no longer take part in the race, which begins tomorrow. Reaction from the team was posted across social media.

Source: Intermarché–Circus–Wanty

11/10/2023

Unsettled Australian sprinter Caleb Ewan confirmed his departure from Lotto-DSTNY today on the same day that it was officially announced he would ride for Team Jayco-Alula in 2024.

The 29-year-old has had a difficult season, with persistent reports of unrest between himself and the Lotto side where he has spent the past four seasons. He will return to the side where he began his professional career, in the hope he can hit the high notes once again next season, though he will have Dutch powerhouse Dylan Groenewegen to contend with.

The announcement was delivered via probably the most original video you're likely to see this year; check it out here.

Source: Team Jayco-Alula

11/10/2023

American Kristen Faulkner makes the move from Team Jayco-Alula to EF Pro Cycling, as announced by the team. 

The 30-year-old Alaskan native had a difficult 2023 season, suffering injuries following crashes, but she will hope to bounce back in 2024 to the kind of fitness that saw her take two stages and the QOM jersey at the 2022 Giro Donne.

It's another strong signing for an EF side who are building steadily in preparation for the new season.

Source: EF Pro Cycling

10/10/2023

Former Lotto-DSTNY and Israel-Premier Tech DS Cherie Pridham has today been announced as a new member of staff at UAE Team ADQ. The first woman ever to achieve a men's World Tour victory will make the move to supporting the women's side of the sport from 2024.

Source: UAE Team ADQ

10/10/2023

The Spanish team today confirmed 20 names for their roster for the new season. It included 12 contract extensions, for the likes of Mattias Norsgaard, Fernando Gaviria and Nelson Oliveira.

Source: Movistar Twitter

10/10/2023

Peloton driver and valuable domestique, 34-year-old Tim Declercq, has departed Soudal-QuickStep after 7 years to join Lidl-Trek.

The move, which was rumoured a couple of weeks ago, was finally confirmed by the team this morning. Lidl-Trek have signed a number of riders for next season, and look set to be one of the most exciting teams in 2024.

Source: Lidl-Trek

10/10/2023

Lidl-Trek rider Ellen van Dijk announced the safe arrival of her son with partner Benjamin de Bruijn. Faas Valentijn de Bruijn was born on 4th October. 

Lidl-Trek have been praised for their approach to maternity cover for their female riders, with Lizzie Deignan returning to the WWT peloton this season following the birth of her second child.

Source: Ellen van Dijk instagram

08/10/2023

Sporza reports today that a proposed merger between Jumbo-Visma and Soudal-QuickStep will no longer go ahead, with both QuickStep boss Patrick Lefevre and their chief financial backer Zdenek Bakala pledging to remain with the team until 2025.

The news suggests that by extension, Remco Evenepoel will remain at QuickStep and, following the departure of Primož Roglič, offers the tantalising prospect of a potential four-way battle for the Tour de France GC in 2024.

Source: Wielerflits

06/10/2023

After days of speculation over his destination, BORA hansgrohe have today confirmed the signing of Primož Roglič. 

Roglič leaves Jumbo-Visma after seven fruitful years with the team, with his main target for 2024 the Tour de France, where he will likely be sole leader for BORA. 

Source: BORA hansgrohe

06/10/2023

The stars are aligning for Mark Cavendish at Astana as the team today confirmed the signing of two more key members of the team who helped him deliver four stage wins at the 2021 Tour de France.

Lead-out man extraodinaire Michael Mørkøv and trainer Vasilis Anastopoulos were both involved in Cavendish's incredible 2021 Tour performance and they are added to a roster of staff and riders which includes Mark Renshaw, Cavendish's former lead-out companion, and Davide Ballerini, another member of Cav's lead-out train in 2021. 

It's a canny piece of business from Astana owner Vinokourov and the surest sign yet that Cavendish will not only be in attendance at the 2024 Tour de France, but will attempt to achieve win number 35.

Source: Astana-Qazaqstan Team

04/10/2023

It's the news cycling fans around the world have been waiting for. Mark Cavendish announced officially this morning that he would extend his contract with Astana-Qazaqstan Team for one further year, meaning he will have the opportunity to return to the Tour de France one more time.

Here's the man himself with the announcement.

04/10/2023

The former French champion is the latest departure from Soudal-QuickStep, as the future of the Wolfpack continues to hang in the balance.

Sprinter and classics specialist Sénéchal joins the likes of Arnaud Démare to strengthen the squad of the French side.

Source: Arkéa–Samsic

02/10/2023

The winner of this year's Tour de l'Avenir, 19-year-old Mexican rider Isaac del Toro, has today signed for UAE Team Emirates. It's yet another strong signing from the Emirati side who continue to amass young talent.

Source: UAE Team Emirates

01/10/2023

Speaking to journalists in the mixed zone ahead of the Giro dell'Emilia today, Primož Roglič confirms he will leave Jumbo-Visma at the end of the 2023 season, bringing an end to speculation over whether or not he will remain at the team, regardless of the outcome of the potential merger with Soudal-QuickStep. 

News of his destination is expected tomorrow (1st Oct) but Daniel Benson at GCN claims the deal may be worth 6 million Euros.

Source: Jumbo-Visma; GCN

30/09/2023

21-year-old British rider Tom Portsmouth and writebikerepeat.com contributor has signed for the Bingoal WB team for 2024 - huge congratulations on the promotion from the development team from everyone here at writebikerepeat.com and best of luck for your neo pro year Tom!

Source: Bingoal WB

28/09/2023

It's been a rollercoaster of rumours and speculation since the news broke on Sunday of a possible merger between Jumbo-Visma and Soudal-QuickStep, and the latest piece of the puzzle is a potential new title sponsor.

According to sports marketer Chris Woerts, speaking to Dutch sports new site In de Leiderstrui, the deal will be worth 15 million Euro, with Visma investing 10 million, and would be a direct replacement for Jumbo.

With the injection of cash from the global shopping site, it would seem a merger with Patrick Lefevre's team would no longer be required, however the article goes on to allege the deal is still on the table, with Jumbo-Visma team manager Richard Plugge keen to secure the services of Remco Evenepoel, according to Woerts.

Source: In de Leiderstrui

29/09/2023

According to a report in Wielerflits today, it looks almost certain that Slovenian multiple Grand Tour-winner Primož Roglič will leave the Dutch side he has ridden for since 2016. He's currently under contract with them until 2025, so this news adds further fuel to the fire surrounding the rumoured merger between Jumbo-Visma and Soudal-QuickStep, as the new team would have to ship a number of riders from their books in order to meet UCI regulations.

Currently, INEOS Grenadiers appear to be leading the race to sign Roglič, who won this year's Giro d'Italia, although Lidl-Trek are also rumoured to be in the running.

Source: Wielerflits

28/09/2023

According to Dutch News Outlet AD, 34-time Tour de France stage winner Mark Cavendish is about to extend his contract at Astana-Qazaqstan.

After crashing out of this year's Tour de France, it was uncertain whether or not the Manx Missile would return to the sport, as 2023 was due to be his final season in the peloton. However, an agreement which will see almost certainly see him take on one final Tour de France in an attempt to surpass the record he currently shares with Eddy Merckx has been reached,with just a few final details left to be ironed out, reports suggest.

Source: AD

27/09/2023

Star sprinter Charlotte Kool, classics specialist, lead-out rider and current British champion Pfeiffer Georgi and German sprinter Franziska Koch all extend their contracts with Team DSM firmenich,

The announcement was made on Tuesday in a cute Toy Story-inspired reveal video.

Source: Team DSM firmenich

26/09/2023

British rider Matt Walls makes the move from BORA hansgrohe while French rider Cyril Barthe steps up from Pro Team level, moving from his latest team Burgos BH to ride at World Tour level for the first time in his career.

Source: Equipe Groupama-FDJ

26/09/2023

The transfer is not yet confirmed, but is close to completion, according to GCN's Daniel Benson.

The Australian time trial champion would become the latest rider to depart the British team, who have seen something of an exodus so far this transfer season, with Tao Geoghegan Hart, Dani Martinez, Pavel Sivakov and Ben Tulett already having signed elsewhere.

Plapp has a year left on his contract but it looks as though negotiations are heading towards a mutual termination

Source: GCN

26/09/2023