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

[Rockestar_33]

Welsford signs a 2 year deal at Ineos anyway

 

[RedheadDane]

Redrygo it is, one scammed Madrid already. I severely lack the Brasilian passport to pull that one off

And then, in a major plot-twist, you turn out to be super talented and become a star on the team. Leaving no time for you to post on the forum.
Then we all launch a "Where's Red Rick?" campaign.

 

[Red Rick]

And then, in a major plot-twist, you turn out to be super talented and become a star on the team. Leaving no time for you to post on the forum.
Then we all launch a "Where's Red Rick?" campaign.

Get yellow, score winner, get sent off for taking shirt off and revealing Angelo Zomegnan shirt underneath.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Get yellow, score winner, get sent off for taking shirt off and revealing Angelo Zomegnan shirt underneath.

And then Ruben Amorim will turn into 2012 Ronald Koeman.

 

[Potomac]

PCS still lists these 2025 EF riders as not having a contract for 2026

Nr.	Rider	Current team	Age
1	CARAPAZ Richard	EF Education - EasyPost	32
2	CARTHY Hugh	EF Education - EasyPost	31
3	CEPEDA Jefferson Alexander	EF Education - EasyPost	27
4	RYAN Archie	EF Education - EasyPost	24
5	NERURKAR Lukas	EF Education - EasyPost	22
6	RAFFERTY Darren	EF Education - EasyPost	22
7	ROOTKIN-GRAY Jack	EF Education - EasyPost	23
8	VAN DER LEE Jardi Christiaan	EF Education - EasyPost	24

 

[Roku]

PCS still lists these 2025 EF riders as not having a contract for 2026

Nr.	Rider	Current team	Age
1	CARAPAZ Richard	EF Education - EasyPost	32
2	CARTHY Hugh	EF Education - EasyPost	31
3	CEPEDA Jefferson Alexander	EF Education - EasyPost	27
4	RYAN Archie	EF Education - EasyPost	24
5	NERURKAR Lukas	EF Education - EasyPost	22
6	RAFFERTY Darren	EF Education - EasyPost	22
7	ROOTKIN-GRAY Jack	EF Education - EasyPost	23
8	VAN DER LEE Jardi Christiaan	EF Education - EasyPost	24

They have all contracts for 2026 with the team bar Rootkin-Gray.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Febe Jooris has been promoted by UAE ADQ. That should make it less likely that they'll be forced to start with only 3 riders in Guangxi next year.

Franklin Archibold has been signed by Solution Tech, meaning they can now achieve a Panama hat-trick at the national championships.

 

[RedheadDane]

Franklin Archibold has been signed by Solution Tech, meaning they can now achieve a Panama hat-trick at the national championships.

And Solution Tech NIPPO Rali is the final answer for what they're goig to be called next year?

 

[Potomac]

For what it is worth, here is the PCS take on who is gaining or losing in the transfer process.

Points won or lost by transfers and retirements​

#	Team	Points lost	Points gained	Up/down	View
1	INEOS Grenadiers	306	2644	▲2338	view breakdown
2	Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe	1119	3206	▲2087	view breakdown
3	Lidl - Trek	1015	2159	▲1144	view breakdown
4	Decathlon CMA CGM Team	3429	4114	▲685	view breakdown
5	Movistar Team	838	1505	▲667	view breakdown
6	XDS Astana Team	891	1348	▲457	view breakdown
7	Uno-X Mobility	450	878	▲428	view breakdown
8	Groupama - FDJ United	1232	1623	▲391	view breakdown
9	Lotto Intermarché	1257	1550	▲293	view breakdown
10	Team Jayco AlUla	1534	1700	▲166	view breakdown
11	NSN Cycling Team	1964	2102	▲138	view breakdown
12	EF Education - EasyPost	443	535	▲92	view breakdown
13	Bahrain - Victorious	1358	979	▼379	view breakdown
14	Alpecin-Premier Tech	1434	783	▼651	view breakdown
15	Soudal Quick-Step	2683	1900	▼783	view breakdown
16	Team Picnic PostNL	1551	416	▼1135	view breakdown
17	Team Visma | Lease a Bike	2989	1728	▼1261	view breakdown
18	UAE Team Emirates - XRG	2152	611	▼1541	view breakdown

 

[YavorD]

For what it is worth, here is the PCS take on who is gaining or losing in the transfer process.

Points won or lost by transfers and retirements​

#	Team	Points lost	Points gained	Up/down	View
1	INEOS Grenadiers	306	2644	▲2338	view breakdown
2	Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe	1119	3206	▲2087	view breakdown
3	Lidl - Trek	1015	2159	▲1144	view breakdown
4	Decathlon CMA CGM Team	3429	4114	▲685	view breakdown
5	Movistar Team	838	1505	▲667	view breakdown
6	XDS Astana Team	891	1348	▲457	view breakdown
7	Uno-X Mobility	450	878	▲428	view breakdown
8	Groupama - FDJ United	1232	1623	▲391	view breakdown
9	Lotto Intermarché	1257	1550	▲293	view breakdown
10	Team Jayco AlUla	1534	1700	▲166	view breakdown
11	NSN Cycling Team	1964	2102	▲138	view breakdown
12	EF Education - EasyPost	443	535	▲92	view breakdown
13	Bahrain - Victorious	1358	979	▼379	view breakdown
14	Alpecin-Premier Tech	1434	783	▼651	view breakdown
15	Soudal Quick-Step	2683	1900	▼783	view breakdown
16	Team Picnic PostNL	1551	416	▼1135	view breakdown
17	Team Visma | Lease a Bike	2989	1728	▼1261	view breakdown
18	UAE Team Emirates - XRG	2152	611	▼1541	view breakdown

It's clear! UAE and Visma are on the demise, the new-old boss in town is here!

 

[Samamba]

For what it is worth, here is the PCS take on who is gaining or losing in the transfer process.

Points won or lost by transfers and retirements​

#	Team	Points lost	Points gained	Up/down	View
1	INEOS Grenadiers	306	2644	▲2338	view breakdown
2	Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe	1119	3206	▲2087	view breakdown
3	Lidl - Trek	1015	2159	▲1144	view breakdown
4	Decathlon CMA CGM Team	3429	4114	▲685	view breakdown
5	Movistar Team	838	1505	▲667	view breakdown
6	XDS Astana Team	891	1348	▲457	view breakdown
7	Uno-X Mobility	450	878	▲428	view breakdown
8	Groupama - FDJ United	1232	1623	▲391	view breakdown
9	Lotto Intermarché	1257	1550	▲293	view breakdown
10	Team Jayco AlUla	1534	1700	▲166	view breakdown
11	NSN Cycling Team	1964	2102	▲138	view breakdown
12	EF Education - EasyPost	443	535	▲92	view breakdown
13	Bahrain - Victorious	1358	979	▼379	view breakdown
14	Alpecin-Premier Tech	1434	783	▼651	view breakdown
15	Soudal Quick-Step	2683	1900	▼783	view breakdown
16	Team Picnic PostNL	1551	416	▼1135	view breakdown
17	Team Visma | Lease a Bike	2989	1728	▼1261	view breakdown
18	UAE Team Emirates - XRG	2152	611	▼1541	view breakdown

I think it would be more interesting to show an "expected" ranking for 2026 given the transfers ( based on UCI point instead of dumb PCS points and with also some Pro Teams added), you would probably see that PicNic (when Onley leaves) won't even be in the top 20. They will probably already be in an Astana like position after 1 years of the new cycle. Lotto Intermarché probably also not even in the top 18.

 

[awavey]

Onley signs for the Grenadiers...

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View this content on Instagram

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSnYDFLDDP_/

 

[Bkinn]

Onley signs for the Grenadiers...

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSnYDFLDDP_/

Usually I would hate this, but if serves to keep Picnic alive is worth.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I hope this means free Arensman at the Giro, instead of having to do suicide missions to get Bernal a random top 10 on the gc.

 

[postmanhat]

I hope this means free Arensman at the Giro, instead of having to do suicide missions to get Bernal a random top 10 on the gc.

Ideally, both Arensman and Bernal will be free to stagehunt/support at GTs now. Hopefully Bernal can switch to focussing on one-day races and the occasional stage race?

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

I think it would be more interesting to show an "expected" ranking for 2026 given the transfers ( based on UCI point instead of dumb PCS points and with also some Pro Teams added), you would probably see that PicNic (when Onley leaves) won't even be in the top 20. They will probably already be in an Astana like position after 1 years of the new cycle. Lotto Intermarché probably also not even in the top 18.

Easy enough to do for the 2026 WTs, with PCS points (basic order won't be much difference whichever scale you use), using figures slightly updated from Potomac's data above:

		Pts from 2025 team	points incoming-outgoing	points by 2026 team	change in rank
1​	UAE Team Emirates - XRG	13600​	-1541​	12059​	(-)
2​	INEOS Grenadiers	5786​	3958​	9744​	(+5)
3​	Lidl - Trek	8128​	1144​	9272​	(-)
4​	Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe	6350​	2087​	8437​	(+2)
5​	Team Visma | Lease a Bike	8791​	-1261​	7530​	(-3)
6​	XDS Astana Team	6727​	457​	7184​	(-2)
7​	Decathlon	5659​	685​	6344​	(+1)
8​	Soudal Quick-Step	6550​	-783​	5767​	(-3)
9​	Uno-X Mobility	5130​	428​	5558​	(+2)
10​	Movistar Team	4391​	667​	5058​	(+6)
11​	Bahrain - Victorious	5382​	-379​	5003​	(-2)
12​	IPT/NSN	4702​	138​	4840​	(+2)
13​	EF Education - EasyPost	4739​	92​	4831​	(-1)
14​	Alpecin	5365​	-651​	4714​	(-4)
15​	Team Jayco AlUla	4541​	166​	4707​	(-)
16​	Groupama - FDJ	4152​	391​	4543​	(+1)
17​	Lotto Intermarché	3976​	293​	4269​	(+1)
18​	Team Picnic PostNL	4703​	-2755​	1948​	(-5)

Does look bleak for Picnic...

 

[Rockestar_33]

Easy enough to do for the 2026 WTs, with PCS points (basic order won't be much difference whichever scale you use), using figures slightly updated from Potomac's data above:

		Pts from 2025 team	points incoming-outgoing	points by 2026 team	change in rank
1​	UAE Team Emirates - XRG	13600​	-1541​	12059​	(-)
2​	INEOS Grenadiers	5786​	3958​	9744​	(+5)
3​	Lidl - Trek	8128​	1144​	9272​	(-)
4​	Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe	6350​	2087​	8437​	(+2)
5​	Team Visma | Lease a Bike	8791​	-1261​	7530​	(-3)
6​	XDS Astana Team	6727​	457​	7184​	(-2)
7​	Decathlon	5659​	685​	6344​	(+1)
8​	Soudal Quick-Step	6550​	-783​	5767​	(-3)
9​	Uno-X Mobility	5130​	428​	5558​	(+2)
10​	Movistar Team	4391​	667​	5058​	(+6)
11​	Bahrain - Victorious	5382​	-379​	5003​	(-2)
12​	IPT/NSN	4702​	138​	4840​	(+2)
13​	EF Education - EasyPost	4739​	92​	4831​	(-1)
14​	Alpecin	5365​	-651​	4714​	(-4)
15​	Team Jayco AlUla	4541​	166​	4707​	(-)
16​	Groupama - FDJ	4152​	391​	4543​	(+1)
17​	Lotto Intermarché	3976​	293​	4269​	(+1)
18​	Team Picnic PostNL	4703​	-2755​	1948​	(-5)

Does look bleak for Picnic...

But Picnic have been like this forever. They have a knack of discovering WT level talent despite being on the lower levels of WT rankings.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Alpecin and Groupama are a lot lower than I would have thought, a major injury to Van der Poel/Philipsen/Grégoire and you could see either as far down as a provisional relegation spot this time next year.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

But Picnic have been like this forever. They have a knack of discovering WT level talent despite being on the lower levels of WT rankings.

Big difference between being on the lower end of the rankings and having a team that has literally scored less than half of everyone else this year. And their current cohort of neopros looks a lot weaker than previous ones too - to compare to one cohort ago, Onley and Poole were both rated way higher when they turned pro than anyone they have coming through right now. They have some potential routes to safety - Poole making up for a year of lost development, Van Uden finding consistency, Jakobsen returning to full strength - but especially factoring in their financial situation, they have to be considered clear favourites for relegation.

 

[Tim Cahill]

2019 Sunweb, a far cry;

 

[awavey]

Usually I would hate this, but if serves to keep Picnic alive is worth.

weirdly also confirms Ineos are staying a Brit license team for year or two more yet, as Oscar cites them as being a British team, as one of the reasons for joining them.

 

[hayneplane]

weirdly also confirms Ineos are staying a Brit license team for year or two more yet, as Oscar cites them as being a British team, as one of the reasons for joining them.

I don’t think a change of the licence location would necessarily change the feel of the team being a British team so even if not literally a British team it still could be so in essence.