Published December 5, 2025 02:50AM
If you’ve been trying to keep track of which WorldTour teams are riding which bikes next season, you’re forgiven for needing a flowchart. The 2026 off-season has brought one of the most dramatic rounds of bike sponsor musical chairs in recent memory, with heritage brands returning to the WorldTour, controversial teams rebranding entirely, and at least one premium manufacturer left without a team altogether.
The movements tell a story beyond simple contract renewals. We’re seeing brands chase WorldTour exposure after years away, teams desperate to distance themselves from controversy, and the continuing consolidation of bike industry ownership creating surprising new partnerships.
Let’s break down every major WorldTour change heading into 2026, and what it means for the brands, teams, and riders involved.
And if you’re curious, yes, we’re working on a full rundown of every gear and sponsorship change made to the teams going into 2026. In the mean time, here’s all the gear changes we know of so far. Be sure to also catch up on Jim Cotton’s fantastic breakdown of the implications of the bike suppliers and sponsors.
Bahrain-Victorious to ride Bianchi after 2026
After nine years together, Bahrain Victorious and Merida have ended their partnership, with Bianchi stepping in to supply the squad from 2026 onward under a multi-year agreement announced in November.
The split with Merida represents the end of one of the more stable bike partnerships in recent WorldTour history. Bahrain raced on Merida equipment since the team’s formation in 2017 as Bahrain Merida. In a gracious press release, Milan Eržen, Bahrain Victorious’ managing director, called Merida “more than just partners – they are lifelong friends.”
Merida, for its part, said it would “use the ending of the partnership with the Bahrain WorldTour Cycling Team Project to consolidate and continue working on exciting new WorldTour racing projects going forward”. To us, that sounds very much like they have something else lined up, even if they’re not ready to announce it yet.
Enter Bianchi, whose iconic celeste colorway will remain in the WorldTour peloton following Arkéa-B&B Hotels folding at the end of 2025. The Italian brand brings genuine pedigree. Fausto Coppi rode Bianchi to his legendary victories, and the company sponsored its own team for much of the 20th century. Bahrain will use the Oltre RC aero bike and Specialissima RC climbing bike in road races, and the Aquila RC in time trials.
Alberto Cavaggioni, Bianchi’s CEO, emphasized the shared values between brand and team: “We share values such as heritage, innovation, and the drive to win. Bianchi has always been a key protagonist in this captivating sport, and we are ready to write a new chapter in our history.”
Among the riders who’ll be piloting Bianchi bikes next season: Lenny Martinez, Antonio Tiberi, and Matej Mohorič. Given Mohorič’s reputation for descending like a man who’s made peace with his mortality, watching him pin the Oltre RC down Alpine switchbacks should be appointment viewing.
Scott returns to the WorldTour with NSN Cycling, the team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech
Scott’s return to the WorldTour represents both a bit of clarity and a fresh start for the brand and especially for the team it’s partnering with.
The Swiss bike manufacturer spent 2025 supplying bikes to ProTeam Q36.5 Pro Cycling after being replaced by Lapierre at Picnic PostNL, leaving them absent from cycling’s highest level of racing. Their multi-year deal with NSN Cycling (no exact duration specified) puts them back in the WorldTour spotlight for 2026.
Following the Vuelta, Factor Bikes founder Rob Gitelis threatened to leave the team unless it changed its name and racing nationality. “It’s not a matter of right or wrong anymore,” Gitelis said. “It’s become too controversial around our brand.” Factor and the team parted ways after six seasons together.
The team underwent a complete rebrand in early October, announcing it was “moving away from its current Israeli identity.” Israel-Premier Tech became NSN Cycling, an acronym for “Never Say Never,” backed by the sports and entertainment company of the same name and Swiss investment bank Stoneweg. The team also changed its registered nationality to Swiss, matching their new bike partner.
It’s hard not to see this as carefully orchestrated: Swiss nationality, Swiss bike sponsor, complete visual rebrand. Whether it successfully distances the team from the controversy that defined their 2025 season remains to be seen.
Scott will supply the Foil RC aero bike and the Addict RC climbing bike for road racing, and the Plasma RC for time trials. The team also announced the signing of Biniam Girmay, the 2024 Tour de France green jersey winner, on a three-year deal.
For Scott, it’s a chance to return to WorldTour racing with a team hungry to prove itself. For NSN Cycling, it’s one more piece of a comprehensive effort to turn the page on a difficult year.
As of now, Factor has said it will sponsor St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93 for the next two seasons, Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, as well as existing partnerships with Human Powered Health, the gravel squad Team Amani, L39ION of LA and others.
Pinarello becomes title sponsor of Q36.5 Pro Cycling, replacing Scott
Pinarello has agreed to sponsor Q36.5 Pro Cycling in perhaps the least surprising bike sponsorship changes for 2026. What is somewhat surprising, however is that they’re becoming the title sponsor, with the team now racing as Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling.
This represents a significant commitment from the Italian bike brand, which already sponsors WorldTour team Ineos Grenadiers under a recently extended deal. Becoming title sponsor of a second team suggests Pinarello sees value in the partnership, even considering it currently sponsors WorldTour team Ineos Grenadiers.
The connection makes sense when you understand the ownership structure: both Q36.5 and Pinarello are brands with significant investments from billionaire Ivan Glasenberg, the former Glencore CEO who’s become a major player in cycling industry consolidation.
For Q36.5, the partnership comes after a successful 2025 season, in no small part due to Tom Pidcock, who joined the team this year and delivered results across road, mountain bike, and cyclocross. The team has also strengthened significantly for 2026, bringing in WorldTour riders Fred Wright, Tom Gloag, Sam Bennett, Eddie Dunbar, and Chris Harper, among others.
“I’m really happy to be back on Pinarello full time,” Pidcock said. “It genuinely feels like coming home. I’ve always loved riding their bikes, and over the years, I’ve built such a strong relationship with the brand. It’s the perfect reunion.” Pidcock rode Scott bikes on the road, and Pinarello bikes on dirt this past season.
The team will use the Dogma F and Bolide TT bikes for road racing.
If Q36.5 successfully earns WorldTour status for 2026 (they’ve applied), Pinarello will have two teams at cycling’s highest level—an unusual but far from unprecedented arrangement that speaks to the brand’s ambitions and resources.
Rose replaces Cannondale as bike sponsor for Unibet Rose Rockets
Not every WorldTour change involves headline-grabbing drama or nine-figure billionaire investments. Sometimes it’s just a smaller team finding a better fit with an ambitious brand. That’s exactly what happened when Rose Bikes replaced Cannondale at Unibet Rose Rockets (previously Unibet Tietema Rockets) earlier this year.
The French ProTeam, which is Dutch-owned and operates with a refreshingly transparent social media presence thanks to co-founder Bas Tietema, rode Cannondale bikes for three years (and Cervélo before that, both part of the Pon.Bike group).
In a candid post back in August, Tietema thanked Cannondale and Pon.Bike for their flexibility: “We always had very flexible agreements with Cannondale, as they wanted to support us in finding a long-term backer for the team.”
Rose Bikes, a far younger brand than Cannondale, represents a partnership of equals. For Rose, it’s a chance to showcase their bikes at the ProTeam level and build toward potential WorldTour aspirations. For Unibet Rose Rockets, it’s a committed partner invested in their long-term success rather than year-to-year renewals.
It’s not the sexiest WorldTour change of the off-season, but it might be the most mutually beneficial.