Rumours swirl about riders hopping from one team to another long before cycling’s transfer window officially opens at the start of August. Managers and agents have spent the months leading up to this date negotiating salaries and contracts, while riders race hard to gain results and get noticed by teams with the biggest budgets. If a contract is signed and sorted by August 1, riders can count themselves in a good position for the following season: things have been decided early and the rest of their current agreement can be played out with little stress. Others will not be so lucky and it can be a race against the clock to get their signature on paper.
In both the men’s and women’s sides of the sport, we can expect plenty of changes for the 2025 season. Teams like Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have increased budgets for signing big riders thanks to new sponsors, while others like Ineos Grenadiers look to be saying goodbye to some of their bigger stars, focusing on investing in younger talent. On the women’s side, Demi Vollering is rumoured to be leaving SD Worx-Protime (though her destination is yet to be officially announced at the time of writing), as two-time world champion Anna van der Breggen will come out of retirement to race for the Dutch squad again in 2025.
It’s all change again in the world of professional cycling, and here are some of the key moves that have caught our attention so far.
*this page will be updated as more transfers are announced
Jhonatan Narváez - Ineos Grenadiers to UAE Team Emirates
It is not known whether Jhonatan Narváez knew he was outsprinting his future teammate when he beat in Tadej Pogačar to the stage victory on the opening day of the Giro d'Italia in Turin earlier this year, or whether that was what earned him a contract with UAE Team Emirates for the next two seasons. Either way, it’s fair to say that after the season the Ecuadorian rider has had, Ineos Grenadiers’ loss is UAE Team Emirates gain.
Narváez moves to the Emirati team after spending five seasons at Ineos and he’s not the only rider to make this switch in the last couple of years – Adam Yates and Pavel Sivakov also both moved to UAE from the British team. When UAE Team Emirates announced the signing of Narváez, the 27-year-old stated that he was happy to be moving to the “best team in the world” for 2025. This is another signifier of the change in the structure of men’s professional cycling – Ineos Grenadiers (formerly Team Sky) were once at the cutting edge of innovation and widely regarded as the best organisation in the sport. It’s clear now, with their three Tour de France victories, that UAE Team Emirates have taken that position.
Where Narváez will fit into an outfit largely based around supporting Tadej Pogačar to victory in whichever race he pleases is yet to be determined. He has proven himself to be well-suited to tough one-day Classics and adept at fighting for stage wins in Grand Tours, but these ambitions will need to fit into the wider goals of UAE Team Emirates. Despite his winning abilities, Narváez will undoubtedly have duties as a worker for Pogačar when needed, something he will need to monitor to ensure he still gets his own chances for success.
Cat Ferguson - Shibden Apex RT to Movistar Team
British rider Cat Ferguson’s move to Movistar was announced last year, but it is as of August 1 that the 18-year-old is officially a member of the Spanish team. There is no doubt that Ferguson would have had a number of offers from all of the big women’s WorldTeams after her two seasons as a junior rider – she has podiumed in every single race she’s started this season and is the number one ranked female junior rider in the world. A clean sweep of stage wins and the overall recently at Bizkaikoloreak (a tough Nations Cup race in Spain) is proof that Ferguson is a talented climber, but much of the excitement around her potential also comes from her versatility. While she can distance her rivals in the mountains, Ferguson also has no problems excelling on the cobbles, finishing in second place at the junior edition of the Tour of Flanders this season, as well as second at the Lincoln GP while riding in the elite category.
It’s a big win for Movistar to be the team which has secured Ferguson’s signature for this year. With the departure of Annemiek van Vleuten at the end of last season, the Spanish outfit have struggled to find as much success in 2024 without the Dutchwoman at the helm. Ferguson represents an investment from Movistar in building a team for the future, developing and nurturing young talent. However, although Ferguson has proven herself as one of the most exciting up-and-coming riders in the women’s peloton, it will be crucial for her progress in the elite category to be monitored and steady in order to ensure the longevity of her career.
Ben O'Connor - Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale to Team Jayco-AlUla
With Simon Yates set to depart Jayco-Alula at the end of this season, the Australian team was in need of a rider to fit the bill as their lead general classification rider as they target podiums at Grand Tours. Ben O’Connor has shown his potential in three-week stage races in the past, namely in 2021 when he won stage 9 and finished in fourth place overall at the Tour de France. The 28-year-old hasn’t, so far, been able to make it to that elusive podium spot in a Grand Tour, but it seems he believes that Jayco-Alula could help him get there.
O’Connor has spent four years with Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale and it will be a big change for the Australian rider in 2025. Jayco-Alula are slowly building a strong general classification team with home-grown talent including the likes of Luke Plapp, a promising GC rider for the future. O’Connor and Plapp will race alongside Chris Harper and Eddie Dunbar, both of whom have also shown potential in shorter stage races.
In a press release from his future team, O’Connor said: “To be honest, it’s really an idea I’ve always loved; to race as an Aussie and win on an Aussie team. I’m at a point now where I need to deliver, so it’ll be even more special to do it with an Australian set-up. To have the opportunity to race with mates at the top level is rare, and I am just so keen to get stuck in.
"My ambitions are to stay aggressive, consistent, and hopefully one day change these fourth-place overall finishes at Grand Tours into overall podium placings. Victories are just as important, and throwing the hands up in the air as soon as I can is high on the list.
Anna van der Breggen - SD Worx-Protime
Anna van der Breggen’s return to SD Worx-Protime isn’t strictly a transfer, but it has big implications for the shape of the women’s peloton in 2025. During her career, the Dutch rider was regarded as a generational talent, winning La Flèche Wallonne seven times, securing two World Championship titles, an Olympic gold medal and four Giro d’Italia overall victories. The one race that is missing from Van der Breggen’s decorated palmarès, however, is the Tour de France Femmes. The race didn’t exist during the 34-year-old’s career, but is in its third iteration this year. Van der Breggen has been involved in the event as a sports director for SD Worx-Protime, but it seems the temptation of adding a yellow jersey to her collection was enough to entice the Dutchwoman into a comeback for 2025.
It’s a good job for SD Worx, too, as they are set to lose their current general classification rider in Demi Vollering at the end of this year as she heads to pastures new (her next team is still to be officially confirmed.) As Van der Breggen has worked closely with Vollering as a sports director, she will be acutely aware of the power numbers and requirements to win on the biggest stage and will have a clear understanding of Vollering’s mentality. We are set for a fiery battle between the pair at the 2025 Tour de France Femmes.
Simon Yates - Team Jayco-Alula to Visma-Lease a Bike
One of the few riders to have stage wins in all three of cycling’s Grand Tours and a former Vuelta a España winner, it’s no surprise that there is hot competition for Simon Yates’ signature when his contract comes up for renewal. The British rider proved to be crucial to bolstering Jayco-Alula’s climbing contingent this season and he secured the Australian team an important victory at their sponsor race, the Alula Tour. Since then, Yates had a somewhat disappointing Tour de France campaign after losing time on the opening weekend, but he recovered later in the race to get two podium finishes on two different stages and haul himself up to 12th overall.
The 31-year-old’s consistency and experience makes him a valuable player in any team, however, and Yates is expected to fit well into the structure at Visma-Lease a Bike. He will play an integral part in Jonas Vingegaard’s attempt to reclaim the yellow jersey in 2025, and we should also see him get the chance to go for his own results in other Grand Tours and shorter stage races.
"We are very pleased to have convinced someone with such a track record to choose our team," Visma-Lease a Bike’s sports director Grischa Niermann commented in a press release. "He is an excellent climber and a significant boost for our 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. We believe that with our way of working, he can reach an even higher level"
Bob Jungels - Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe to Ineos Grenadiers
While the Ineos Grenadiers have historically taken the approach of developing and investing in younger talent, their signing of Bob Jungels shows that the British outfit are aware of the need for an experienced road captain in their ranks. Jungels has been a professional for over a decade and has victories in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and a Tour de France stage win. In his last two years with Bora-Hansgrohe, Jungels has proved himself to be an invaluable asset in Grand Tour teams, able to do important jobs on a range of terrain. He also isn’t afraid to go for his own results in tough one-day races, something that Ineos have shown to be a priority for them in recent seasons.
"I'm thrilled to be joining the Ineos Grenadiers. This is a team that I've always admired, and this opportunity has come along at the perfect time," Jungels said in a press release. "I truly believe that within this environment I’ll be able to take my performance to the next level, while at the same time sharing my experience within the group. The team’s ambition, approach and attention to detail is impressive, and I truly believe that the future here is very bright. I’m really looking forward to being a part of that."
It’s certainly a transitional period for the Ineos Grenadiers at the moment, and the team will hope that Jungels can be crucial in being a mentor figure to the younger riders in the team. His attitude, approach and mentality seems to be as important to the team as his physical capabilities are, so it will be interesting to see the impact that he has over the next two years.
Juliette Labous - Team dsm-firmenich-PostNL to FDJ-Suez
Juliette Labous is one of France’s current biggest hopes to win a yellow jersey, so it’s understandable that the country’s number one WorldTour team have been keen to secure her signature for some time now. The 25-year-old has finished in the top five of the three major tours: 4th in the Tour de France Femmes in 2022, 2nd in the Giro d'Italia Donne 2023, 4th in the Vuelta España Femenina in 2024. Labous is one of the most exciting climbing talents of her generation and will form part of a serious Grand Tour team for FDJ-Suez in 2025. Credit should be given to Team dsm-firmenich-PostNL for their clever and steady development of the Frenchwoman – they have ensured that Labous has raced a balanced calendar throughout her seven years with the French squad.
“It is with immense pride and pleasure that we welcome Juliette into the FDJ-Suez family. French Champion and top five in the last two Tours de France, Juliette is a remarkable athlete and, undeniably, one of the best climbers in the professional peloton. We are also honoured by the confidence that Juliette places in our project and our vision. Her arrival is one more step towards the realisation of our sporting ambitions,” Stephen Delcourt, FDJ-Suez’s General Manager commented in a press release from the team.
Lenny Martinez - Groupama FDJ to Bahrain Victorious
While he might have ridden a lacklustre Tour de France this year after being called up to race at the last minute by Groupama FDJ, Lenny Martinez still believes he is capable of winning yellow one day. Bahrain Victorious thinks that they are the right team to help him get there, signing the young Frenchman for the next three seasons with the ambition of helping Martinez to victory on the sport’s biggest stage. The 21-year-old is already viewed as one of the most exciting climbers in the current WorldTour peloton with six race wins so far in his career. Martinez also made history last year when he became the youngest ever leader of the Vuelta a España after a strong first week.
Milan Erzen, Bahrain Victorious team manager said: “When we started this project in 2017, we dreamed of achieving a podium at the Tour de France with a French rider from our team. We believe Lenny gives us that chance. His talent, dedication, and spirit align perfectly with our team’s vision.”
Martinez’s performances so far in his career present him as a rider who has all of the ingredients to be a future Grand Tour winner. He has shown his versatility with an eighth place on the tricky and technical white roads of Strade Bianche and he finished second behind Jonas Vingegaard in the O Gran Camiño stage race.
“I am extremely happy to join Team Bahrain Victorious for the next three seasons. The solid project around the team and myself convinced me. Together, we have great ambitions, and I am convinced we will achieve great things," Martinez said.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot - Ineos Grenadiers to Visma-Lease a Bike
It’s all change in the women’s peloton next season and we can expect some incredibly competitive racing as a result. Alongside Anna van der Breggen coming out of retirement, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot has announced her return to road racing after a period where she focused solely on mountain biking and cyclo-cross with the Ineos Grenadiers. Ferrand-Prévot has chosen the Dutch Visma-Lease a Bike squad as the team she will ride for in her highly-anticipated road season next year, agreeing a three-year deal riding in yellow and black.
While she has been absent from the road scene for a few years, Ferrand-Prévot already has some formidable results on the tarmac – she became world champion on the road in Ponferrada in 2014, having already won La Flèche Wallonne and placed second overall at the Giro Rosa that season. The Frenchwoman also recently achieved her career-goal of a gold medal in her home Olympics in Paris, proving that, even if she’s a little rusty in road racing, she won’t have any issues when it comes to her physical ability.
In the announcement of Ferrand-Prévot’s arrival, Visma-Lease a Bike were clear with their ambitions for the 32-year-old. Team manager Rutger Tijssen commented: "Pauline is an exceptionally talented athlete who decided to devote herself entirely to mountain biking a few years ago. With her Olympic gold medal, she has now completed mountain biking. I admire that she has taken the bold decision to return to the road with a clear objective: to win the Tour de France Femmes."
This page will be updated as more transfers are announced. See below for a full list of the confirmed 2025 transfers
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
