50 days to 2025 - 48 World Tour riders remain without a contract including Nairo Quintana, Elia Viviani and bright British talent

There are 50 days left for the start of the 2025 season and currently, 48 World Tour riders are still in search of contracts. This includes a lot of veterans, young talents, but also high-level names who on paper wouldn't ordinarily struggle to find a team at the highest level of the sport.

This list does not the include the 19 names that raced in the World Tour this year and will be abandoning their plans of continuing competition in road cycling specifically. This list includes very reputable riders such as Mark Cavendish and Rigoberto Urán; absolute veterans such as Michael Morkov and Dario Cataldo; and even fresh faces at the highest level such as Jason Osborne who returned to E-racing.

We have 50 riders from the sport's top division who are not yet officially announced to race in 2025. This does not mean they do not have a contract, but those who do have not been announced yet - whilst the majority is still on the hunt, with month and a half left on the clock. This is according to ProCyclingStats.

The Colombian tested positive for Tramadol at the 2022 Tour de France and was released from his contract at the time with Arkéa - B&B Hotels. In 2023 he was sidelined from the peloton but this season he returned to Movistar Team, where he had the best results of his career in the past. Whilst during most of the year he had a domestique role and didn't capture results as in the past, at the Giro d'Italia he gave glimpses of his absolute best level, specially on stage 15 where he thrived in the high mountains and altitude, racing from the breakaway and as fast as the GC group, but having the bad luck of having a world-class Tadej Pogacar catch up with him and take the stage win.

The first half of his season was riddled with a Covid-19 infection and several injuries that prevented him from racing for the GC at the Giro as initially planned. He found a solid level at the Vuelta a España and Italian Autumn classics which included a 16th place in Il Lombardia as well... It is highly likely that he will sign another one-year contract with Movistar seeing his performances this year and his role as a team captain and experienced voice. The team has only very recently renewed with it's other Colombian leader Fernando Gaviria, so the 34-year is expected to be next in line, according to several sources including Daniel Benson.

The Italian sprinter is one of the most open situations at the moment. CyclingPro.net reported that the Italian was set for retirement at the end of this season, but this was dismissed by Viviani himself shortly after. The truth is, Viviani has a contract with INEOS Grenadiers until the end of 2024 and this will certainly not be prolonged as the team already features 30 riders on it's 2025 lineup and already had a full meeting in England this past week. The team is full and decided, and Viviani is not part of the plans - unsurprisingly, as the sprinter did not manage to obtain results as he has in the past and Viviani did not win this year despite being the main sprinter.

“I’m returning to road cycling... I dream of returning to the Giro d’Italia," the veteran told SportFace recently. He continues to be a leading figure in track cycling and is also considering a management role in the Italian national team, but he can still give a lot as a rider. It is uncertain whether he will find another team for the 2025 season, but there is also a very realistic chance of him seeking a contract to have some road racing whilst prioritizing the track. This could be to an Italian ProTeam such as Bardiani or Polti Kometa where he should be able to race the Giro d'Italia on a wildcard and have a leading role on the road.

Taco van der Hoorn is one of the riders who has been affected the most by injuries in recent times. A crash at the 2023 Tour of Flanders saw him suffer a concussion but it's effects kept the Belgian in the sidelines for a whole 16 months... Intermarché - Wanty, a team struggling with budget, has not renewed with the Dutchman at the time being.

Van der Hoorn recently admit that he feared retirement after he struggled to improve from the head injuries he suffered and that the situation was 'hopeless' in January. Only seven months after did he return to competition but amazingly, he has won once again. At the Betcity Elfstedenrace he took his first triumph in over two years, with a strong solo move - his traditional style - in a pan-flat race destroyed by the wind.

The Briton is one of the most complicated cases to analyse. A winner of races such as the under-23 Giro d'Italia and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, he was one of the brightest rising talents in the sport and INEOS Grenadiers signed him with a large priority - connecting him to brother Ethan as well. Both are leaving the team this season, but Leo's case is unique, as he has put his career on hold as he battles through depression.  

"I broke down this year and have not been training/racing for some time now. It's unlikely I will return to professional cycling this year. For this same reason it's also not realistic to continue with Team INEOS," he wrote in a statement released in August. It is not possible to assess whether he will make a return to the sport or not at this time, but it is undeniable that the 23-year old's potential remains very high.

The list also includes riders such as Esteban Chaves who is highly rumoured to have also renewed with EF Education-EasyPost, only the American team is delaying the announcement; Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe's Matteo Sobrero who was a key domestique for Primoz Roglic this year; Strong young talents such as David Jesus Peña; Riders currently or in the past involved in doping controversies such as Michel Hessmann and even Andrea Piccolo who has turned to OnlyFans after being caught in a doping scandal.

You can see the full list of names below: