With pre-season team camps well underway and jersey reveals on the horizon, the ink is drying on the final WorldTour transfers ahead of the 2026 pro season.
This year’s transfer window has been an interesting one, with several high-profile riders cutting their previous contracts short, namely Remco Evenepoel, Juan Ayuso and Biniam Girmay. The demise of Arkéa, promotion of Uno X, Israel-Premier-Tech identity crisis and Lotto-Intermarché merger have also left this transfer window in a volatile state. However, as the Tour Down Under nears, the dust is finally settling, with over 100 moves now confirmed on pro cycling’s top tier.
Before the season gets underway, let’s take a preliminary look at all those moves and weigh up our transfer winners and losers. We’ll race around the 18 WorldTour teams, including the newly promoted Uno X and NSN Cycling Team, and rate each team’s transfer selection, giving them a score and a star signing.
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Alpecin-Premier Tech
Alpecin-Deceuninck is no more. Welcome back, Premier Tech. Yes, the Canadian waste management company has jumped to the Roodhooft brothers’ rescue after leaving Israel-Premier Tech last month.
This sponsorship announcement could explain the delay in transfer confirmation. Before that news only three moves had been sealed and communicated officially. They all come from the development squad, in the form of Aaron Docx, Lennart Belmans and Senna Remijn. The latter is maybe the brightest talent, having finished on the podium of the under-23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège this year.
We now have three more big-name riders confirmed to be joining Alpecin in 2026. Tour de France stage winner Hugo Houle comes as part of the Premier Tech package to ensure some Canadian representation, while Florian Sénéchal has jumped across from the Arkéa sinking ship and Gerben Thijssen from Intermarché-Wanty amid the merger. The Belgian sprinter is the strongest of the three, at least at the moment, but it might be hard for him to stand out from all the similar fastmen in Alpecin’s stable.
The trade-off for these moves is plenty of valuable exits. Classics domestiques Quinten Hermans and Gianni Vermeersch are off to pastures new, as are long-time climber Xandro Meurisse and sprinting project Timo Kielich. It’s hard to argue Alpecin has made a net improvement.
Star signing: Gerben Thijssen
Transfer rating: 4/10
Bahrain Victorious
After a disappointing 2025 for Bahrain’s standards, they’ve decided to bet on a mix of youth and experience in 2026.
This is mainly underpinned by Giro Next Gen winner Jakob Omrzel. The Slovenian, who is currently the elite national champion, might be 19, but he’s shown great promise already on the youth scene. Bahrain might have another Tadej Pogačar on their hands, but it’ll probably take years of development to know whether he’ll be able to replicate his countryman’s feats in the Grand Tours.
Elsewhere, 20-year-old Alessandro Borgo brings yet more youthful exuberance. The reigning under-23 Gent-Wevelgem champion has been nurtured in Bahrain’s development structure, and shows some promise in the sprints already. Catalan rider Pau Miquel is another solid sprinting prospect and is just 25 years old. The jump up to the WorldTour could be jarring for him, having spent years at Kern Pharma, but he’s certainly got what it takes to crack the top ten for Bahrain in the sprints. This youth is balanced out by Hungarian puncheur Attila Valter, who jumps on board from Visma-Lease a Bike.
All things considered, I see Alec Segeart as the most exciting transfer here. The young Belgian, whose brother already works at Bahrain Victorious, has proved his strength in the time-trials and a varied selection of profiles. He looks like an Antonio Tiberi-like project in waiting. If I’m feeling ambitious, he reminds me of an early Tom Dumoulin. Big shoes to fill, but I think Bahrain is a better place to try out leadership than his former Lotto squad.
Star signing: Alec Segaert
Transfer rating: 3/10
Decathlon-CMA CGM
Decathlon will drop long-term cosponsor AG2R La Mondiale from its name in 2026. Instead, shipping firm CMA CGM – a difficult acronym to wrap your head around – has pledged the financing needed to bring the team towards the upper echelons of pro cycling.
The focal point of this increased spending comes in the sprints. Since retail giant Decathlon joined in 2024, the bunch finishes have been a key target for the brand’s internationalised strategy. After first rolling the dice with Sam Bennett, who leaves for Q36.5 this winter, Dutchman Olav Kooij was quickly wrangled into the French roster. He’ll act as the team’s lead sprinter, capable of Grand Tour stages, a feat yet to be achieved by AG2R in the sprints this past decade.
Alongside Kooij comes a bona fide sprint train of Benelux stars, featuring former Cavendish leadout man Cees Bol, Visma escapee Tiesj Benoot and TT specialist Daan Hoole. Together, this Dutch-speaking train should be one of the best in 2026. If Kooij continues to step up, which is logical for a man entering his mid-20s, he could end up being one of the most successful sprinters in the peloton this time next year. If he’s off the mark, Tobias Lund is also another promising signing reaching Decathlon’s roster this winter.
In support of current GC leader Felix Gall and future prospect Paul Seixas, who could make his Grand Tour debut in 2026, the squad have signed recent Vuelta star Matthew Riccitello alongside jack-of-all-trades Gregor Mühlberger, who finished inside the top 20 at the Tour de France in July.
This new string to their GC bow alongside the bulked-up sprint train should allow Decathlon to continue their upward trajectory, even if it means ditching a host of loyal French lieutenants. They appear to be the collateral damage in what could be one of the best transfer sweeps of the window.
Star signing: Olav Kooij
Transfer rating: 9/10
EF Education-EasyPost
It’s been a quiet transfer window for EF, with the team taking a laidback approach to announcing contract renewals and rider departures.
To save costs, EF have turned the squad into something of a creche in 2026. 21-year-old Noah Hobbs has been scooping up sprints at the under-23 level over the past year, while teenage Italian Mattia Agostinacchio brings his wonderkid status over from the junior ranks – and should bring extra UCI points from cyclocross in the years to come. Matthias Schwarzbacher has fled UAE’s Gen Z squad in favour of EF Pink. He’s a strong time-triallist and just 19, he can be moulded into whatever the team desires over the upcoming years. Likewise, Michael Leonard has the potential to be nurtured into an all-rounder after his baptism of fire at Ineos.
The team’s owner Jonathan Vaughters is always talking about how skint he is. Perhaps this is the proof.
Luke Lamperti is probably the most recognisable name on the transfer list. The American made a decent impression during his two years at QuickStep. The move to EF makes sense on paper – American rider at American team – but I’m doubtful this is the best place to grow as a sprinter. Who’s there to form a lead-out train?
Star signing: Luke Lamperti
Transfer rating: 3/10
Groupama-FDJ United
Groupama have been the lifeboat for many of those pushed out of either Arkéa’s financial wreck or Decathlon’s international priorities.
The general strategy is true to form for Groupama-FDJ United. There are some mid-table climbers on the move there, including Decathlon’s Clément Berthet and Arkéa’s Ewen Costiou. Both will probably light up the domestic Coupe de France races, but I wouldn’t expect Grand Tour stages out of them any time soon.
Some riders have also been promoted from their youth ranks. Maxime Decomble is perhaps the most well-known, having claimed two medals at the under-23 World and European Championships.
On the other hand, I reckon Bastien Tronchon will be the biggest breakthrough here. Pushed out of the fray at Decathlon, the punchy sprinter could be a vital link in securing wins at the Coupe de France and, at a push, a race like Itzulia Basque Country or the Tour de Romandie.
Star signing: Bastien Tronchon
Transfer rating: 5/10
Ineos Grenadiers
Ineos have taken a French approach to their signings this year, perhaps in preparation for TotalEnergies to step up as name sponsor in the not too distant future.
Flagbearer for the French transformation here will be Kévin Vauquelin, who finished comfortably inside the top ten overall at the 2025 Tour de France. To me, Vauquelin is a typical Ineos signing. Call me delusional, but I see a glimmer of Geraint Thomas there. With that comparison made, I think Vauquelin will be utilised as a team leader at stage races in 2026, perhaps with an eye to the hilly Classics if need be.
Reigning French national champion Dorian Godon, on the other hand, is another important signing to keep Ineos on the top step of the podium, more realistically at the lower tiers. It also keeps the bleu, blanc et rouge in their ranks before the team’s rumoured jilt to French nationality in 2027.
Otherwise, the team have only announced two more arrivals: Theodor Storm from their new quasi-development team and Embret Svestad-Bårdseng from the rubble of Arkéa. Both are talented, but unlikely to move the team’s needle in 2026.
Ineos’s transfer sweep could have been even better had they managed to secure the names of several other targets. Rumours suggest the team were outmuscled in the race for Olav Kooij, Sam Welsford, Filippo Zana and Benoît Cosnefroy. Welsford is still on the table though, and Ineos could be the future home of current free agent Derek Gee.
Star signing: Kévin Vauquelin
Transfer rating: 7/10
Jayco-AlUla
Jayco-AlUla may have lost their top sprinter Dylan Groenwegen, but they’ve managed to immediately fill that gap with the signing of Pascal Ackermann, a former stage winner at the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España. The German’s past his best days, but he’s surely not far off a WorldTour win or two. Tour of Guangxi, here we come.
Elsewhere, the Australian squad went for a rather scattergun approach to their transfer window, poaching a broad range of solid WorldTour names from across Europe. Alessandro Covi, Dries De Bondt and Andrea Vendrame are all former Giro stage winners and solid UCI points scorers in one-day races or breakaways.
As for the remainder of the signings, 22-year-old Finlay Pickering bolsters the climbing strength, while Hamish McKenzie brings a lot to the table at 21 years of age, having shown good promise against the clock and on lumpier terrain.
It’s a real jumble sale of WorldTour riders, but I reckon it’ll bear some fruit next year.
Star signing: Pascal Ackermann
Transfer rating: 6/10
Lidl-Trek
Lidl-Trek have toned down the extent of their supermarket sweep after several years of signing up every big name available. That was until the confirmation of Juan Ayuso’s arrival after his high-profile exit from UAE Team Emirates midway through the Vuelta.
Looking for a fresh start, Lidl-Trek have been looking for a tried and tested Grand Tour leader to rival the likes of Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. They don’t quite have the tested part of that description nailed down with Ayuso, but he’s certainly got the talent. It looks like he’ll be sent to the Tour next year, and the squad are willing to shuffle around the priorities of its leading sprinters to accommodate Ayuso’s GC aspirations.
Sounds optimistic, but the proof will be in the pudding.
Otherwise, the squad, which will switch to a German nationality in 2026, haven’t made too many signings to support Ayuso. Matteo Sobrero has penned a deal with Lidl-Trek after a couple of stale seasons at Red Bull, but the other recruits are all useful on the flat or time-trials. Lidl Future Racing graduate Jakob Söderqvist is a huge talent, but he’s not going to help Ayuso win a Grand Tour.
Star signing: Juan Ayuso
Transfer rating: 7/10
Lotto-Intermarché
OK, this doesn’t quite count as the Lotto-Intermarché have joined forces as part of this new Belgian WorldTour outfit. Fusing the two rosters together has offered the team little space for incomers.
Indeed, the only movers stem from Lotto’s youth ranks, notably former Giro Next Gen winner Jarno Widar and Tour de l’Avenir breakout Mathieu Kockelmann.
Otherwise, Lotto have absorbed the scraps from Intermarché. Although it must be said that Intermarché’s top names are headed elsewhere. That includes the team’s leading sprinters Biniam Girmay, Gerben Thijssen and Arne Marit. As such, Lotto-Intermarché feels like a compromise rather than a superteam.
Star signing: Jarno Widar
Transfer rating: 2/10
Movistar
Movistar have shed some important riders this winter. Fernando Gaviria goes out the door along with Gregor Mühlberger, the retiring Davide Cimolai, American Will Barta and Ruben Guirreiro.
They’ve balanced out this beefy list of exits with the usual Spanish suspects. Raúl García Pierna has been pulled out of Arkéa’s wreck, which should inspire some growth for the young Spaniard, who rode a strong pair of Grand Tours in 2025. The two other Spaniards may have already seen their best days, with Roger Adrià brought in from Red Bull and Juan Pedro López from Lidl-Trek.
The real draw, however, is Cian Uijtdebroeks, who once again has broken his contract early to switch team colours. The youngster could fill the early-season gaps left behind by Enric Mas, but we’ll have to wait and see whether he’s back to his Grand Tour best after a few injury-stricken years at Visma.
Star signing: Cian Uijtdebroeks
Transfer rating: 6/10
NSN Cycling
Farewell, Israel-Premier Tech. Hello, NSN Cycling Team.
As Premier Tech goes from the team name, so does a flock of Canadians. Derek Gee still has a legal battle to fight, but the squad have done a lot to balance the books by chopping Chris Froome from the roster as well as oldies Jakob Fuglsang and Pascal Ackermann. This has done a good job to lower the average age of the line-up as well.
The change of name reflects a wider change in identity, now severed from the former Israeli name. Flying the team’s Swiss-Catalan banner is Biniam Girmay, the first African rider to win the green jersey. The move comes a few years early for Girmay, who had a long-term deal issued with Intermarché long before talks of a merger. However, this transfer scoop could be what NSN needs to find a better direction in 2026, and alter its image on the WorldTour stage. The opening week of the Giro suits Girmay, so there is an opportunity for early returns on this big bucks deal.
The remainder of the transfers are rather meagre, but they should be enough to keep them in the mix for 2026. Catalan rider Pau Martí moves up from the development squad after showing some real signs of life throughout 2025, while Ryan Mullen and Lewis Askey pad out the rest of the rest of this transfer care package.
Star signing: Biniam Girmay
Transfer rating: 4/10
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have been desperately searching out star signings to bring them onto superteam status since the energy drink giant jumped on board in 2024. This year, they’ve laid the groundwork for that after picking up Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel.
A lot has been said of Remco’s move, but early signs suggest the Belgian will focus more on the Spring Classics in 2026 as part of his build-up to the Tour de France in July. With whom he shares leadership there seems to be another polemic, but he’ll no doubt bring in plenty of time-trial victories and podiums in one-day races.
In preparation for Evenepoel’s arrival, long-standing teammate Mattia Cattaneo will join him at Red Bull. On paper, this is a smart move to settle Evenepoel’s nerves in a new environment, particularly if he goes for gold at the Tour de France.
Elsewhere, the team have diversified their roster with the signing of Belgian sprinter Arne Marit, Classics rider Gianni Vermeersch and young talents Callum Thornley and Giro Next Gen breakthrough Luke Tuckwell. As young signings go, they’ve successfully converted some of the best names at Red Bull’s Rookies roster. For them, the chance to race alongside Evenepeol and Primož Roglič should be relished, although Lorenzo Finn’s omission seems notable.
Star signing: Remco Evenepoel
Transfer rating: 7/10
Soudal-QuickStep
With Remco Evenpoel off their books, Soudal-QuickStep have gone back to their roots ahead of 2026. Think sprints and Classics.
Headlining this return to the cobbles is Dylan van Baarle, who claimed Paris-Roubaix before his domestique stint at Visma-Lease a Bike. Elsewhere, Jasper Stuyven steps out of Mads Pedersen’s shadow. The Belgian’s still near his best, so I wouldn’t be too shocked to see Stuyven step up a notch and act as Soudal’s bargain bucket Tom Boonen in 2026.
The Classics signing I’m most excited about here is Laurens Rex, a top ten finisher at Paris-Roubaix. In the early 2010s, he would have been the kind of signing to receive a QuickStep boost in his first year. Let’s see if they still have that Midas touch.
Hoping for a similar fate is Alberto Dainese, who aims to become the heir to Sam Bennett and Elia Viviani’s throne as QuickStep’s renovation project. Dainese, a three-time Grand Tour stage winner, has talent, but has been withering away at Tudor’s ranks over the past two seasons. Yes, it’ll be tough for him to stand out with Paul Magnier and Tim Merlier in the frame, but I have an unrealistic amount of optimism on this one.
Star signing: Alberto Dainese
Transfer rating: 8/10
Picnic-PostNL
Much like last year, it’s hard to get excited about any of Picnic-PostNL’s signings. It’s a mix of kiddies and a couple of WorldTour floaters, with little razzmatazz to garner much attention.
James Knox is probably the most well-known recruit, but the squad have focussed on new gravel signings for 2026. The most notable name here is Frits Biesterbos, who recently finished as runner-up at the UCI Gravel World Championships in the Netherlands. He’ll be joined at Picnic by Italian gravel champion Mattia Gaffuri, who boasts a strong following on Instagram. Gaffuri, who formerly rode for Swatt Club and Polti-VisitMalta and has come close in the Zwift Academy competition, spent his first full year on the road lighting up minor stage races like the Tour de Beauce in Canada and the Oberösterreich Rundfahrt in Austria.
Hey, at least they kept Oscar Onley. For now.
Star signing: Mattia Gaffuri
Transfer rating: 2/10
UAE Team Emirates XRG
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
That seems to be the mentality of UAE Team Emirates XRG’s transfer policy this year. They’ve been uncharacteristically quiet. Instead, they’ve bet on themselves and picked up some diamonds in the rough.
Two WorldTour incomers certainly fit that bill: Benoît Cosnefroy and Kevin Vermaercke. Cosnefroy has been a useful asset to Decathlon’s domestic strategy at the Coupe de France, but a UAE makeover could turn him into another super-domestique-turned-winner like Tim Wellens. As for Vermaercke, the American rider has been consistent since joining Picnic-PostNL, but feels in need of a change of scenery to live up to his impressive under-23 results.
To me, this pair look primed for a superteam transformation.
Star signing: Benoît Cosnefroy
Transfer rating: 4/10
Uno X Mobility
Despite WorldTour promotion, Uno X continue their Scandinavian-only transfer policy for another year. As such, they’ve managed to pick up most of the Scandinavian talent on the market this year, with the exception of Tobias Lund. Hoping to stay local in 2026, they’ve attracted Sven Erik Bystrøm, Alexander Kamp and Anthon Charmig. All make sense, and should help to bolster the team’s ambitions.
While Kamp could hoover up UCI points, Torstein Træen is probably the incoming rider most likely to win a Grand Tour stage. He reached the top ten at the Vuelta a couple of months ago, and he’s certainly got the physical talent to pull that off again.
The squad want to nurture a future Scandinavian Grand Tour winner. Looking at the list of transfers, those dreams will have to be put on hold for a short while longer. Yes, Storm Ingebrigtsen is a fun talent, but I reckon Uno X’s transfer window in 2026/2027 will be more exciting given a potential arrival of Mattias Skjelmose.
Star signing: Torstein Træen
Transfer rating: 6/10
Visma-Lease a Bike
It’s been an odd transfer window for Visma-Lease a Bike. I don’t think it would be controversial to say this is their weakest since the pandemic, when they really stepped up as one of pro cycling’s biggest players.
The team reported financial losses of €6million in 2026, so that might explain the sheepish transfer window. Instead of the usual A-listers, they’ve picked up a fleet of untapped talent from the WorldTour and beyond. It’s hardly the Simon Yates tier of signings, but they could bear fruit in Visma’s typical style.
Bruno Armirail is the most promising of those incomers. A strong climber and time-triallist, he fits into Visma’s mountain train comfortably and should start a Grand Tour next year. That sets the tone really for the wider list of recruits, most of whom seem to slot somewhere into the domestique underbelly at Visma.
Besides names like Owain Doull and Filippo Fiorelli, there are a couple of young riders of note. Davide Piganzoli has shown great promise in the under-23 ranks, while Timo Kieleich and Anton Schiffer have taken more time to warm up to the pro ranks before their Visma call-up. All have a right to be on the WorldTour level, but I’m not sure how they’ll stand out among Visma’s all-star cast.
Star signing: Bruno Armirail
Transfer rating: 5/10
XDS-Astana
After a stellar 2025, XDS have been pragmatic with their transfers. Only four riders are coming in – and that includes Gleb Syritsa, who was sidelined onto the development team to make way for extra numbers in the senior team last year.
The other signings are a real mix. Cristián Rodríguez catches attention here, having been a consistent climber at Arkéa. He flew under the radar into the top 20 overall at the Tour de France, and he’s the kind of rider who could sneakily score UCI points for XDS going forward. In that vein, former Lotto rider Arjen Livyns could also be a solid points scorer in minor Classics and sprints.
Otherwise, the final signing is Marco Schrettl, the surprise bronze medallist in the under-23 road race at the Rwanda World Championships. He’s a bit of a baroudeur, so he’ll offer another pair of hands at Astana’s beloved Italian one-day races.
As a whole, it’s not as crafty as last year’s transfer window, but there’s momentum here.
Star signing: Cristián Rodríguez
Transfer rating: 4/10
