All of the transfers you need to know about, updated as they come in
All of the transfers you need to know about, updated as they come in
August 1 is the day the transfer window for professional cycling officially opens. From now until the end of the year, big names will swap jerseys for more or less money, bright upstarts will receive their chance to prove themselves at WorldTour level while others wait nervously by the phone to hear if they have a contract for next year. Rumours will continue to fly, as they do all season, and you’ll see riders hell bent on getting a result to improve their stock as places on teams are filled.
Of course, agents, teams and riders will have been talking long before the summer, secretly of course, but August 1 is the official date after which transfers can be stamped and announced.
So who’s off where? Below is a list of all the big moves and who’ll you have to get used to wearing a new strip in 2023.
Alexander Kristoff -> Uno-X
The Stavanger Stallion returns home! As in, to a Norwegian team, signing a three-year deal with ProTeam Uno-X. This will be the 35 year old’s longest contract of his 13-year professional career.
This is more than a “pension contract” the team have said, as they aim to eventually move up to WorldTour level and also participate in Grand Tours with the help of Kristoff’s long stint at the top level.
“It was now or never if I was going to be part of this project with a Norwegian team during my career. It was now that I had the chance,” Kristoff told TV2.
“The team looks very solid from the outside. They have taken it step by step, and now I am looking forward to the last part of my career. Then we’ll see if we get the Tour de France next year. If it doesn’t happen, we at least have a few more years to achieve it.”
Big goals and a chance to cement a legacy.
Leo Hayter -> Ineos Grenadiers
Ineos Grenadiers once again find themselves entering a transfer season on the back of a Tour de France where they’ve been outclassed by UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-Visma. Expect them to be active with high profile comings and goings, and the first through the door is recent baby Giro winner Leo Hayter.
Leo is the younger brother of Ethan, who’s hit the top level running with numerous victories, and about to make his Grand Tour debut at the upcoming Vuelta a España. Leo Hayter arrives from Hagens Berman Axeon and will ride as a stagiaire with Ineos until he turns pro with the British team in January. Having already completed a number of training camps with the WorldTour squad, Hayter has said he feels “really at home” at the squad of the same nationality and the latest British rider to commit to Rod Ellingworth’s team.
Ahead of the announcement, Ineos Grenadiers tweeted an image of the Hayter brothers as children, with Ethan riding a trike with Leo on the back. Don’t expect to see this manoeuvre replicated if they end up on the same start line.
Eddie Dunbar -> BikeExchange-Jayco
Just like Owain Doull last season, Eddie Dunbar will leave Ineos Grenadiers in search of Grand Tour opportunities. With talent stacked at the big teams such as Ineos, gaining a place in the eight-man squads for the Giro, Tour and Vuelta can be hard to come by. Therefore, the Irishman Dunbar has opted to swap for the Australian BikeExchange-Jayco outfit to hopefully build upon his solitary Grand Tour appearance at the 2019 Giro d’Italia.
The 25-year-old recently reminded the peloton of his talents as he won the overall at Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali and Tour of Hungary earlier this year, and has penned a three-year deal with BikeExchange-Jayco.
Mike Teunissen -> Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert
Another rider opting for a more prominent role at a smaller team is Mike Teunissen. The winner of the opening stage of the 2019 Tour de France (and first yellow jersey wearer of that edition) has signed for Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert in order to receive greater chances to aim for personal glory while also assisting 2022’s breakthrough talent Biniam Girmay in both the sprint finishes and Classics finales.
Rui Costa -> Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert
What will be one of the more left-field moves of the transfer season will be former world champion Rui Costa heading to Intermarché to become the first Portuguese rider to ride in the colours (of which there are many) of the Belgian squad. Costa leaves UAE Team Emirates (who before that were Lampre-Merida) after nine seasons with the Italian team. The 35-year-old, who turns 36 in October, has signed a one-year deal.
Amalie Dideriksen -> Uno-X
Just like Kristoff, former world road race champion Amalie Dideriksen moves from Trek-Segafredo to Uno-X.
The Dane has signed a two-year deal and describes a move to a Scandinavian team as a “dream come true”.
Soren Kragh Andersen and Quinten Hermans -> Alpecin Deceuninck
Soren Kragh Anderson announced ahead of the Tour de France that he would not renew with Team DSM, and he didn’t ride the Tour with his old team. He’s been picked up by Alpecin Deceuninck. Quinten Hermans, second in Liège-Batogne-Liège this year, joins from Intermaché-Wanty Gobert Matérieux.
Both are high-profile signings, as Kragh Anderson has won two Tour de France stages, stages at Paris-Nice and the Tour de Suisse, and more. He signs with Alpecin on a two-year deal and Hermans joins on a three-year deal.
Alpecin also announced the signing of a pair of Aussies in Kaden Groves from BikeExchange-Jayco Jensen Plowright from Groupama-FDJ’s development team.
Eight development riders step up at Groupama-FDJ
Eight! Yes eight. Groupama-FDJ just pulled up eight of its development team riders to the WorldTour, and there’s a lot of talent in the group.
The promoted riders are Paul Penhoët, Lorenzo Germani, Romain Grégoire, Lenny Martinez, Enzo Paleni, Laurence Pithie, Reuben Thompson and Sam Watson.
Paleni won the overall inthe three-stage Le Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux, and 2.2 categorized stage race. Martinez and Thompson finished first and second in the five-stage Giro Ciclisto delle Valle d’Aosta.
Last updated: August 3
Read More