Cycling news: Evenepoel, Ayuso and the transfers reshaping the UCI WorldTour peloton in 2026
The men’s Tour Down Under is about to get underway and with it comes the official start of the 2026 cycling season.
It has been a busy winter, with lots of comings and goings across the peloton – some big names have been on the move, not least the Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel.
The peloton will certainly look very different as riders return to European roads over the next few weeks, but which riders will swim and which will sink with their new teams?
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Oliver Wilkinson digs into the five biggest transfers of the winter.
Remco Evenepoel
The Olympic champion was the big-name transfer of the season, making the switch from Soudal Quick-Step to Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe for 2026.
The move was announced on the back of a disappointing 2025 for the Belgian rider, who was forced to abandon the Tour de France on stage 14.
Evenepoel was, however, able to retain his World Time Trial Champion title with a convincing victory over Tadej Pogačar, sparking suggestions that he may be the one to beat the Slovenian in the 2025 UCI Road World Championships road race.
That was not to be, but Evenepoel’s efforts did at least secure second in Kigali.
His departure from the Belgian team brings to an end a six-year relationship dating back to when Evenepoel turned professional with Quick-Step in 2019.
He has since become a three-time world TT champion, two-time European TT champion, and an Olympic TT champion.
The 25-year-old is, of course, the reigning Olympic road race champion after winning finely on the streets of Paris in 2024 and also won the Vuelta a España in 2022.
Moving forward, the dynamic within Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe will be an interesting one to keep an eye on.
The German team already boasted star riders Florian Lipowitz and Primož Roglič in their ranks, so how they will manage their latest addition will be the biggest challenge.
Evenepoel will not be in action on the road until the Trofeo Calvià at the end of January, when he begins his long-term Tour de France preparations.
By all accounts, he will be hoping for a much-improved 2026 campaign, and a new team may be exactly what he needs.
MORE FROM OLIVER WILKINSON: Cycling news: Ineos Grenadiers eye successful 2026 after high-profile transfers, contract extensions
Juan Ayuso
Juan Ayuso’s departure from UAE Team Emirates XRG at the end of last season was not pretty, but the Spanish rider will be looking for a fresh start when he begins his 2026 season with new team Lidl-Trek.
There are a number of potential reasons why the decision was made to part ways with the UAE team.
The Spaniard initially joined UCI Continental team Colpack-Ballan at the start of 2021 before making the move to UAE Team Emirates XRG later that season.
Ayuso has since won Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour of the Basque Country as well as stages at both the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.
However, the 23-year-old is yet to secure a win at the Tour de France and has been very public about his desire to do so.
This could well be the reason for his departure from the UAE team, with two-time world champion Pogačar dominating the race in recent years.
Ayuso has long been a servant to the Slovenian, but it became clear that he has ambitions of his own.
It won’t be so easy at Lidl-Trek, though, with the German team already boasting Mads Pedersen, Jonathan Milan, Mattias Skjelmose, and Derek Gee-West in the ranks.
All in all, this is another statement signing, both for Ayuso and Lidl-Trek, making the German team one to watch out for in 2026.
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Oscar Onley
Oscar Onley’s transfer this Christmas was a move that his former team, Picnic Post-NL, described as one he “couldn’t refuse”.
The Scotsman joins Ineos Grenadiers as one of several high-profile additions to the British team, including Kevin Vauquelin and Sam Welsford.
Onley impressed in his breakout season with the Dutch team, finishing fourth at the 2025 Tour de France.
The 23-year-old thus brings a genuine Grand Tour threat to the Grenadiers, who have struggled as of late.
In fact, Onley was a rider whom Geraint Thomas and the Ineos management were desperate to sign this winter, and I am curious to see how Ineos line-up at the 2026 Tour de France, especially with so many potential GC riders in their squad.
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Pascal Ackermann
Pascal Ackermann was part of the Israel–Premier Tech team that was caught up in the middle of a political debate throughout 2025.
The Premier Tech team have since dropped the Israeli identity, instead opting to become NSN Cycling Team, co-owned by Barcelona icon Andrés Iniesta.
Ackermann has opted for an even bigger change, making the move to the Australian team Jayco AlUla.
The 31-year-old sprinter has been unsettled in recent seasons and is looking for a fresh start.
The German will now be seen as Dylan Groenewegen’s replacement, with the Dutchman making the switch to Unibet Rose Rockets.
However, he has not formed part of Jayco’s Tour Down Under roster and will have to wait to make his debut for his new team.
This could well be a positive move for a man who still has plenty to give on the World Tour stage.
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Olav Kooij
Olav Kooij has burst onto the scene in recent years and dominated the Tour of Britain in 2025.
A powerful sprinter, Kooij can beat the best in the world, but in a team with Matthew Brennan and Wout van Aert, he has struggled for opportunities.
Hence the move from team Visma–Lease a Bike across to Decathlon CMA CGM.
The 24-year-old has three Giro d’Italia stage victories in the bag as well as winning the ZML Tour twice in consecutive years.
Unfortunately, the Dutchman has fallen ill with a virus and is another one who will have to wait to make his debut – he was supposed to have been part of the squad for the UAE Tour, but it’s understood this illness will set him back.
Decathlon have been busy this winter, having also added Tiesj Benoot, Cees Bol, and Matthew Riccitello to the ranks.
They are another team to watch over the coming season.
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