Teams & Riders The Great Big Cycling Transfers, Extensions, and Rumours Thread

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Caja Rural confirms that Stites leaves the team, so he was released from his contract to join Hincapie

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Silva was rumored to join Movistar, but there's still no official confirmation. Johnston already signed for Li Ning Star, Abner Gonzalez for Illes Balears Arabay.

No clue about Babor. Asia Tour could make sense for him as well, either in China, or maybe at a team like Solution Tech.

 

[Roku]

Silva is joining Astana. No clue about Babor. I would guess a return to Central Europe teams rather than Asia.

 

[search]

Silva is joining Astana. No clue about Babor. I would guess a return to Central Europe teams rather than Asia.

ah yeah, sorry, Astana it was. Mixed up the two

 

[JRanton]

Yuhi Todome joins Asian Racing on a one year deal after his contract with EF Education wasn’t renewed.

 

[Rockestar_33]

Arne Marit to Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe. It'll be interesting to see who performs better between he and Meeus given he's on a one year deal and Meeus is on his last year.

 

[awavey]

Nienke Vinke signs 3 year deal at SD Worx

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[MLKarlos]

Arne Marit to Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe. It'll be interesting to see who performs better between he and Meeus given he's on a one year deal and Meeus is on his last year.

I like it. I think he has some Chance to score quite well in smaller races. Also clear helper in the classics…also something the team needed

 

[Roku]

Arne Marit to Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe. It'll be interesting to see who performs better between he and Meeus given he's on a one year deal and Meeus is on his last year.

Arne had a good 2025 season. Probably the best of his career in terms of placings and quality sprinting and delivered a couple of surprisingly good performances (4th at Kuurne, 2nd at Down Under second or third stage).

Meeus is definitely better and has certain results that seem completely out of reach for Marit, namely a TdF stage win, but with certain freedom and support on lesser races I think he can make a step forward and deliver a couple of wins. He was not far from that in the 2025 season.

Honestly, I'm happy about him and the guys that found a good environment to keep growing (Rex, Busatto, Barré). Hopefully Bonneu and a couple of other guys with their future still unknown have found a place. I was quite disappointed to see Paquot retiring given he has been a good domestique and I personally think he deserved a place in the peloton.

 

[JRanton]

Daniel Benson reports on his substack that Ineos are still trying to sign Oscar Onley in a last minute deal. December 31st is the deadline I assume?

He also says Sam Welsford is close to being confirmed as a new Ineos rider and that Egan Bernal is in contract extension talks.

 

[Wyndbrook]

G

Nienke Vinke signs 3 year deal at SD Worx

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Good for her, but I do fear for Picnic, results were not exactly flowing in this year and difficult to see where they will come from next year. Lots of new signings, but they will have to step up considerably.
Another team looking short of finances I guess.

 

[Roku]

It seems Dries de Pooter has signed for Jayco Al-Ula insted of going to Quick Step Devo. Happy about it.

 

[Rockestar_33]

Arne had a good 2025 season. Probably the best of his career in terms of placings and quality sprinting and delivered a couple of surprisingly good performances (4th at Kuurne, 2nd at Down Under second or third stage).

Meeus is definitely better and has certain results that seem completely out of reach for Marit, namely a TdF stage win, but with certain freedom and support on lesser races I think he can make a step forward and deliver a couple of wins. He was not far from that in the 2025 season.

Honestly, I'm happy about him and the guys that found a good environment to keep growing (Rex, Busatto, Barré). Hopefully Bonneu and a couple of other guys with their future still unknown have found a place. I was quite disappointed to see Paquot retiring given he has been a good domestique and I personally think he deserved a place in the peloton.

I see Meeus ahead as well but outside that TDF win I think both have shown to be average sprinters in general. He should get the gig at TDU with DVP as the lead out though

 

[Rockestar_33]

It seems Dries de Pooter has signed for Jayco Al-Ula insted of going to Quick Step Devo. Happy about it.

Don't know much about him, what's he like? Sprinter? Or more like Bling/Schmid, punchy up hill finishes?

 

[awavey]

G
Good for her, but I do fear for Picnic, results were not exactly flowing in this year and difficult to see where they will come from next year. Lots of new signings, but they will have to step up considerably.
Another team looking short of finances I guess.

were they on the womens team at least, stuck too often trying to support Kool, who wasnt anywhere near her best, and I know its harsh because she's up against Wiebes, but she wasnt even consistently finishing 2nd to her, then she got into that, imo still very predictable crash just before the TdFF which wrecked their whole approach to that race as they still picked her knowing she probably wasnt fit for it. Plus Pfeiffer still suffering from her TdFF crash last year, then broke her wrist just as she was getting some form again.

they arent packed with big name riders, but theyve got riders who can take stage wins, join breaks etc, if they focus on the resources theyve got, vs the resources they wish they had if that makes sense.

 

[Squire]

Don't know much about him, what's he like? Sprinter? Or more like Bling/Schmid, punchy up hill finishes?

Workhorse primarily, I'd say. With a few half-decent finishes on tough-ish courses. Don't see him getting results at WT level, but probably a decent classics domestique.

 

[Roku]

Don't know much about him, what's he like? Sprinter? Or more like Bling/Schmid, punchy up hill finishes?

Decent domestique for the northern classics and lead-out train mainly. For his own chances, he is sort of a fast rider on punchy finishes and reduced groups on slightly hilly parcours.

 

[Rockestar_33]

Decent domestique for the northern classics and lead-out train mainly. For his own chances, he is sort of a fast rider on punchy finishes and reduced groups on slightly hilly parcours.

Don't mind having more lead out depth at all. Mezgec probably has 26 and then done, and half our lead out riders get their own opportunities as well.

 

[search]

I see Meeus ahead as well but outside that TDF win I think both have shown to be average sprinters in general. He should get the gig at TDU with DVP as the lead out though

even if he didn't have a great season, Meeus still took two WT wins this year - while Arne Marit has never won anything of note at all.

He may get opportunities occasionally, of course, but I would expect his main job to be to help on the flat.

 

[pablohidalgo7]

In fact, Jordi Meeus did have his best season of his career in terms of number of wins and PCS Points.
Van Poppel also scored 4 wins (vs 0 of Marit)and more UCI points despite being a domestique or leadout man in some races.

So it makes no sense for Marit to be above either of them. In fact, when his signing was rumored, I wondered if he would be the C option for sprints or Meeus's lead-out man. I hope it's the former because in speed he's not that far behind the other two, and in smaller races I still think he can achieve some victories. But being on par with them in terms of hierarchy doesn't make sense from the outset if we're honest about each of their results.

 

[JRanton]

Five Ineos extensions announced:

Three more years for Kwiatkowski, two more years for Lucas Hamilton and one more year for Ben Swift, Kim Heiduk and Brandon Rivera.

 

[RedheadDane]

Hmm... so Premier Tech is sponsoring the Roodhooft bro's teams now.

I can't help but notice that those teams so far have no Canadians, and room to spare.

 

[search]

Hmm... so Premier Tech is sponsoring the Roodhooft bro's teams now.

I can't help but notice that those teams so far have no Canadians, and room to spare.

Hugo Houle is the first to follow

Premier Tech and Hugo Houle join forces with Mathieu van der Poel’s Alpecin squad - Canadian Cycling Magazine

Hugo Houle also makes surprise transfer from team formerly known as Israel–Premier Tech

cyclingmagazine.ca

 

[jono]

Hmm... so Premier Tech is sponsoring the Roodhooft bro's teams now.

I can't help but notice that those teams so far have no Canadians, and room to spare.

They did have Noah Ramsay on their development team in 2025. No contract yet announced for 2026.

 

[search]

Alpecin has finally confirmed a bunch of other signings as well

• Francesco Busatto (Intermarché–Wanty))
• Florian Sénéchal (Arkéa–B&B Hotels)
• Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché–Wanty)
• Hugo Houle (NSN Cycling Team)
• Maurice Ballerstedt (no team)
• Lindsay De Vylder (Team Flanders–Baloise)
• Jonas Geens (Team Flanders–Baloise)
• Tim Marsman (VolkerWessels Cycling Team)
• Lennert Belmans (Alpecin Devo)
• Aaron Dockx (Alpecin Devo)
• Senna Remijn (Alpecin Devo)
• Sente Sentjens (Alpecin Devo)
  
  Gogl, Plowright & Uhlig extended. So suddenly the team is full.
  
  

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[jono]

Hugo Houle is the first to follow

Premier Tech and Hugo Houle join forces with Mathieu van der Poel’s Alpecin squad - Canadian Cycling Magazine

Hugo Houle also makes surprise transfer from team formerly known as Israel–Premier Tech

cyclingmagazine.ca

Houle has now followed Premier Tech from Astana to IPT to Alpecin.