The biggest 2024/25 pro cycling transfers and rumours so far

It’s all kicking off in the 2025 pro cycling transfer market. As we have now passed the watershed opening to the transfer market on 1st August, moves are being officially revealed.

This means teams and riders can finally put us out of our misery and share the news of who’s gone where for 2025, though the rumours will keep on circling until all rosters are filled.

For the men, Simon Yates, Julian Alaphilippe and Ben O’Connor have made some of the biggest moves in the transfer market this year. There are also plenty of rumours brewing around riders cutting ties early, notably Tom Pidcock and Remco Evenepoel. On the women’s side, Tour de France Femmes champion Demi Vollering is expected to move away from SD Worx-Protime, Visma-Lease a Bike are signing MTB World and Olympic champ Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, and Elisa Longo Borghini is on the market.

Confirmed: Elise Chabbey joins Juliette Labous at FDJ-Suez

Elise Chabbey has confirmed her departure from Canyon-SRAM. The 31-year-old has announced that she will move to French team FDJ-Suez for 2025 on a two-season deal.

The Swiss rider is a true all-rounder. She has finished on the final podium at the Vuelta and Tour de Suisse, and has had top five results at Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Dwaars Door Vlaanderen. Chabbey will, therefore, play a Swiss Army Knife role in the team.

French champion Juliette Labous has signed a three-year contract with FDJ-Suez, seeing her through until her 29th birthday. Labous and Chabbey will join Demi Vollering at FDJ-Suez if we are to believe the rumours. Évita Muzic will still provide another key card for FDJ-Suez next year. With these signings, FDJ-Suez is quickly becoming a super-team within the women’s peloton.

Confirmed: Wout van Aert’s ‘lifetime contract’

Having just turned 30, Wout van Aert has been thinking about his future. In a unique deal struck up between himself and Visma-Lease a Bike, Van Aert has signed a ‘lifetime contract’ with the Dutch team. This means that the Belgian star will ride with the term indefinitely, presumably until the end of his career. This squashes any doubts surrounding his future with the team. It was previously rumoured that he was linked to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe following the Red Bull’s takeover of the team and considering Van Aert’s personal sponsorship deal.

The Belgian has been with the team since 2019. In that time, he’s taken nine Tour stages, a Monument victory, a Tour green jersey, as well as supporting Jonas Vingegaard’s two Tour titles. It goes without saying that he is a key figure within this setup.

‘This is unique in our sport, but we both didn’t have to think long about that,’ said team boss Richard Plugge. ‘Wout has become an important culture carrier, an indispensable link in our team. He is a leader and a team player,’ Plugge continues. ‘We are extremely happy with him and that is mutual.’

Confirmed: Lidl-Trek sweep up some big names

Lidl-Trek have been very active in the women’s transfer window. With Elisa Longo Borghini leaving, the team have picked up some new recruits in the form of Emma Norsgaard, Niamh Fisher-Black and Anna Henderson.

Emma Norsgaard, a stage winner at the Tour de France Femmes last year, is a strong Classics rider and time-triallist with a sprint kick to her. She’s previously won Le Samyn and the Festival Elsy Jacobs stage race. Along with Norsgaard, Niamh Fisher-Black will move to Lidl-Trek from SD Worx. Still just 24 years old, Fisher-Black is a promising GC talent. She recently finished in the top ten of GC at the Giro and Vuelta and has won a Grand Tour stage at the 2024 Giro.

The arrival of Brit Anna Henderson was announced earlier in the transfer window. The Olympic silver medalist will ride for the American team until 2027.

These incomers will join 29-year-old Riejanne Markus, who has announced that she will leave Visma-Lease a Bike for Lidl-Trek. Markus finished the Vuelta Femenina as runner-up earlier this year. She is also one of the strongest time-triallists in the women’s peloton with a number of national titles to her name.

Confirmed: A host of switches across the men’s WorldTour

There are a few WorldTour staples that are swapping teams for 2025.

After just one season at DSM-Firmenich-PostNL, Emīls Liepiņš has signed a contract with Q36.5. The former Latvian champion is a strong rouleur and valiant teammate. Also moving from the WorldTour to Q36.5 is Sjoerd Bax of UAE Team Emirates. Over the past two seasons with UAE, Bax was fielded to a number of one-day Classics, including as part of Pogačar’s Tour of Flanders win.

Another Classics rider, Germany’s Jonas Rutsch has signed a contract with Intermarché-Wanty. Rutsch will leave EF-Education-EasyPost after five seasons spent with the team that has seen Rutsch feature in two Tours de France and plenty of WorldTour breakaways. At his new Belgian home Intermarché-Wanty, Rutsch will play a crucial role in Biniam Girmay’s lead-out train and Classics ambitions.

It’s been long-awaited for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe to announce the signings of Oier Lazkano and Jan Tratnik. After months of waiting for the confirmation, the German team released the news last week.

Confirmed: Astana poaches Aaron Gate, Sergio Higuita, Diego Ulissi and Alberto Bettiol

Astana Qazaqstan, soon to be rebranded to XDS following the change of sponsors, have been one of the most active teams in the this year’s transfer window. Currently sitting deep in the UCI relegation zone, Alexander Vinokourov’s team is in need of some change in order to solidify their WorldTour status.

The first man to jump ships was Italian champion Alberto Bettiol who announced a mid-season transfer in mid-August. Along with Bettiol, fellow Tuscan Diego Ulissi was announced to be joining the team soon after. The eight-time Giro d’Italia stage winner will anchor Astana’s one-day squad.

In the mountains, Astana confirmed the signing of Sergio Higuita following intense rumours. The Colombian will ride for Astana until the end of 2026. Higuita backs up the other climbing signing of Wout Poels. The Dutchman, a former Monument winner and Tour stage victor, will bring optimism for the squad in Grand Tour breakaways for their critical 2025 season.

The reigning Commonwealth and Kiwi champion Aaron Gate has also confirmed his move to Astana for 2025. The 33-year-old New Zealander will make his WorldTour debut with the team after years spent on the lower tiers of pro cycling. This isn’t to take away from his reputation, Gate is a well-known track rider who has claimed two world titles, an Olympic medal and a waft of medals at the Commonwealth Games. Gate has sealed this move on the back of an impressive summer in East Asia. He claimed two stages and the overall title at the Tour of Hainan as well as the general classification at the Trans-Himalaya Race.

Confirmed: Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirshi sign for Tudor Pro Cycling

After months of speculation, Alaphilippe has finally settled on his new home for 2025. This will end a turbulent decade with Soudal-QuickStep. His relationship with team boss Patrick Lefevere soured over the past two years and it became clear earlier in the year that Alaphilippe, a double world champion, would be heading elsewhere. After confirming his departure at the Klassikoa at the beginning of August, he has gone on to sign a contract with Swiss team Tudor Pro Cycling through to 2027.

‘I liked the Tudor Pro Cycling project from the beginning,’ Alaphilippe explains. ‘I saw the team arrive and develop, and I also know a few of the riders and staff members. What better way to mark a turning point in my career than with a new and ambitious project?’ The Swiss team headed by Fabian Cancellara has been growing in the past few seasons, courtesy of some big-name transfers such as Alberto Dainese, Arvid de Kleijn, Michael Storer and Matteo Trentin.

Fresh from a WorldTour victory at the Klasikoa, Marc Hirschi has also confirmed his transfer to Tudor Pro Cycling. This transfer brings to an end Hirschi’s four-year-long partnership with UAE Team Emirates. He signed for the team at the beginning of 2021 after an abrupt divorce with Team DSM. Since then, Hirschi has scored some solid one-day victories, but he only made two Grand Tour appearances during his four seasons at the team.

Along with Hirschi and Alaphilippe, Tudor Pro Cycling have brought in Swiss Fabian Lienhard and Austrian Marco Haller. The latter finished inside the top ten in the Olympics road race.

Confirmed: Israel-Premier Tech sign Lutsenko, Hirt and Louvel

A frontman for Astana Qazaqstan, Alexey Lutsenko will leave the Kazakh squad after 12 years spent with the team. He will move to Israel-Premier Tech for the next seasons. The 31-year-old has finished in the top ten of the Tour twice and has claimed Tour and Vuelta stage wins.

‘After 12 great years with Astana, I am looking for the motivation I need to achieve new goals,’ explains Lutensko. ‘Sometimes you need to leave your comfort zone to achieve something new. I have nothing but good things to say about my time with Astana Qazaqstan Team, I achieved a lot and I’m grateful for this team, but I feel I have the potential to do more in a new environment.’

Along with Lutsenko, Remco Evenepoel’s domestique Jan Hirt has signed for Israel-Premier Tech. The Czech rider has previously finished in the top ten of the Giro on two occasions. Mathis Louvel has also confirmed his three-year-long move to Silvan Adams’ team. The Frenchman will leave Arkéa B&B Hotels after five seasons spent with the Breton team.

Confirmed: Simon Yates to Visma-Lease a Bike, O’Connor to replace him at Jayco

It has been formally announced that Simon Yates’s next destination will be Visma-Lease a Bike. The British rider has penned a contract with the team until 2026.

Despite previous interest from Israel-Premier Tech, Dutch squad Visma-Lease a Bike won the hunt for Yates’s signature. Much like his brother Adam at UAE, Simon will be hoping to star in a powerful mountain train at future Tours de France.

Visma-Lease a Bike director Grischa Niermann said that Yates would provide ‘a significant boost for the general classification squad. Simon will have the opportunity to go for his own results with us, but he will also be a valuable asset for the team in the mountains.’ 

After ten years spent at Jayco-AlUla, this will mark the end of one of cycling’s longest-running partnerships, which saw Yates claim a Vuelta a España victory and a Giro d’Italia podium.

With Yates gone, Jayco-AlUla have announced that they will bring in Perth-born Ben O’Connor. High in confidence from finishing runner-up at the Vuelta, O’Connor will lead Jayco-AlUla’s Tour de France hopes for at least the next two seasons. Despite his Australian nationality, O’Connor has never ridden for the GreenEdge project.

Along with O’Connor, Paul Double, Koen Bouwman and Patrick Gamper will join the squad. All three of these riders are strong climbers. Bouwman won the maglia azzurra at the Giro d’Italia in 2022 while Paul Double finished in third place overall at the Tour of Turkey.

Rumour: Pablo Castrillo hunted by three teams

Pablo Castrillo was the breakout star of the Vuelta earlier this month. The Spaniard shocked many by taking two serious stage wins at the Spanish race. In particular his queen stage win up to Cuitu Negru proved that he was a real talent after dropping Sasha Vlasov and Pavel Sivakov on the testing slopes.

During the Vuelta, it emerged that Ineos Grenadiers were in pole position to sign Castrillo. These rumours were already circling before the race, however, the British team was edging closer to Castrillo’s signature for the next three seasons. In the weeks after the Vuelta, more choices have appeared on the table for young Castrillo. Astana and Movistar have persisted in the chase, while Red Bull and Cofidis have pulled out.

It has been rumoured in Spanish newspaper La Marca that Castrillo has been given a better offer from Movistar. What this offer is, we don’t know. It is also unsure whether this is judged on rider opportunities or financial incentives. Astana have also been mentioned in this transfer battle. The Kazakh team has been scooping up riders during this transfer window, and Castrillo could be a nifty points scorer in their fight against relegation.

Urko Berrade, another stage winner at the Vuelta, is also on the transfer market. It is likely that he could leave Kern Pharma as well.

Rumour: Remco Evenepoel targeted by Red Bull

The rumour mill has been churning away at the possibility of an Evenepoel exit from QuickStep for some time now. Links emerged between Ineos Grenadiers, Israel-Premier Tech and Evenepoel last year, however, Red Bull-Bora-Hangrohe seem to be targeting the Belgian’s big-money contract.

This was first reported during the Tour de France by Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws, saying that a ‘deal was imminent’ back in July. The plot has thickened to some extent. Ralf Denk’s squad is still targeting Evenepoel’s signature in 2025. However, they are against the clock to get the move done in time. It’s also believed that Specialized – who sponsor both Soudal-QuickStep and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe – could be a key stakeholder in this deal.

We take these rumours with a pinch of salt. QuickStep have built a team around Evenepoel and team boss Patrick Lefevere seems to be supportive of his grand ambitions. He would also need to sever his current contract with Soudal-QuickStep in order to move over to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. That said, the German team has increased funds, and a much bigger budget than Evenepoel’s current squad.

Rumour: Caleb Ewan to Astana

Surprisingly, Astana Qazastan have been one of the more active teams in this year’s transfer market. Maybe this isn’t so surprising given the cash injection from the aforementioned Chinese investment secured by XDS.

In the hunt for a new blue ribbon sprinter, Astana are setting their sights on signing Caleb Ewan. The Australian is currently signed onto a Jayco-AlUla contract through to the end of 2025. Astana would, therefore, need to buy him out of the contract if he were to move to the Kazakh team. All parties – Astana, Jayco and Ewan himself – would also need to come to an agreement on the matter. If the deal does go through, this will provide some legacy for Mark Cavendish’s old sprint train.

Rumour: Demi Vollering and Elisa Longo Borghini expecting moves

Two of the top riders in women’s cycling look set for big transfers at the end of this season. Neither has been confirmed yet, but strong rumours are circling.

A staple of Lidl-Trek’s success in the women’s peloton, Elisa Longo Borghini is set to leave the American squad at the end of 2024. This will see the end of a five-year-long stint with the team that has carried her to Paris-Roubaix and Ronde van Vlaanderen glory.

The Italian’s departure was confirmed after the Vuelta Femenina by Lidl-Trek team manager Luca Guercilena in Italian newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport. Guercilena also confirmed that Lidl-Trek tried to extend the contract of the Italian national champion, but she has decided that her future lies elsewhere. The destination has emerged to be UAE Team ADQ, although this news awaits official confirmation.

In March, news broke that Demi Vollering will be leaving SD Worx-Protime at the end of 2024. After a partnership that has resulted in Classics victories and a Tour de France Femmes title, the Dutch champion will seemingly go elsewhere for 2025.

Although it’s perhaps not a surprise given the increasing powers of Lotte Kopecky and return of Anna van der Breggen next season, Vollering is the biggest name in the women’s market this year and there is a fierce and exclusive battle for her signature. 

Rumours were that Vollering’s agent was in serious talks with Lidl-Trek up until the Tour of Flanders when the American team pulled back their interest in support of their current roster’s future objectives. FDJ-Suez remain a strong contender, but the viability of this rumour is up in the air as the team lays eyes on other objectives. Elsewhere, UAE Team ADQ have fallen out of the mix.

Other men’s rumours and confirmations

There are plenty of rumours awaiting confirmation within the men’s peloton.

Mick van Dijke and his brother Tim van Dijke have signed for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. The Dutch twins will bolster the ever-growing Classics ambitions of the German team. Laurence Pithie and Finn Fisher-Black bring two Kiwis into Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

Elsewhere, Simon Carr, Emanuel Buchmann and Alex Aranburu have signed for Cofidis and the duo of Jonathan Narváez and Florian Vermeersch have signed contracts for 2025 with UAE Team Emirates. Andreas Kron, a stage winner on last year’s Vuelta, has signed for Uno-X Mobility. Dries van Gestel has also filled another spot at Soudal-QuickStep having declared his departure from TotalEnergies. Victor Campanaerts’ move to Visma-Lease a Bike was finally revealed while the Belgian was at the Vuelta. This has been long expected, with rumours of the move starting in June.

Soudal-QuickStep have also announced the signing of Max Schachmann, Ethan Hayter and Pascal Eenkhoorn. Schachmann, a two-time winner of Paris-Nice, will return to the team he started his pro career. For Eenkhoorn, this will mark the end of a short stint at Lotto-Dstny, and Hayter will carry the British national champion’s jersey to the Belgian team.

Other women’s rumours

For the women, Lotte Kopecky and Lorena Wiebes have penned hefty contract extensions until 2028. They are no longer available for 2025.

There are big changes expected at Canyon-SRAM. Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig looks set to make the jump from FDJ-Suez to Canyon-SRAM for 2025. The potential arrival of Demi Vollering and the current rise of French climber Évita Muzic threaten Uttrup Ludwig’s niche within the team. Chiara Consonni, already a stage winner at the Giro d’Italia Women, is also linked to Canyon-SRAM. This means that Consonni will exit UAE Team ADQ before the rumoured signing of Elisa Longo Borghini comes into effect.

Austrian Kathrin Schweinberger has revealed her new home for 2025. She will leave Ceratizit in favour of the American team Human Powered Health. Ingvild Gåskjenn, a breakout star from the spring Classics, has penned a contract with Uno-X Mobility. Former world champion Amelie Dideriksen, however, is on her way out of UnoX. She will move to Cofidis in 2025.

Curious where the money for these big contracts comes from? Brush up our breakdown of all the WorldTour team sponsors