CYCLING MARKET - Astana to reinforce classics block; Picnic lose yet another leader

Over the past week a few more interesting rumours have emerged in the peloton. XDS Astana Team and Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team are two outfits who are spending this post-Giro period reinforcing contacts and potentially having agreed to deals with new riders.

With the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes having just ended; the Tour de Suisse ongoing; and with many more riders racing in Slovenia and at the Route d'Occitanie, it is one of the busiest weeks of the year for the World Tour peloton.

During these, agents are making and extending contacts with teams in the peloton and with less than month and a half for the official opening of the transfer window, there will be some urgency for teams to have several signings secured - for their own sake, and for the sake of not doing so too late.

It is notable that ever since the start of the Giro d'Italia, Paul Seixas' future has stopped being discussed. This in no way means conversations are dormant in the Decathlon CMA CGM Team camp.

The Frenchman, whose contract ends at the end of 2027, has been heavily pursued by UAE Team Emirates - XRG, but also contacted by other top teams. However, with the altitude camps and the Tour Auvergne, Seixas' full focus has gone into the Tour de France preparation and other topics have taken the headlines.

Last year, Remco Evenepoel's Tour de France was heavily influenced by the rumours that surrounded his potential move towards Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. To a degree, this discourse affected his focus and preparation; and with the Tour having more exposure than any other race in the calendar, it could be that new stories will come out during this key period of the year.

But before the market officially opens, teams are also looking to secure their riders so they do not get signed elsewhere. Easier said than done, except for those who really find themselves in an ideal position - or have an offer they can't refuse.

Over the past week a few teams have certainly not ignored the young talent they currently have in their teams, and the most notable case is Ramses Debruyne. His contract extension has been announced right after the end of the Tour Auvergne-Rhõne-Alpes.

That is no coincidence, as the Alpecin-Premier Tech rode to second on the opening stage and, in a strong field, was 13th in the overall classification - this is also due to the riders who have overtaken him from the race's many breakaways.

Groupama - FDJ United renewed with Frenchman Tom Donnenwirth, a rider who turned pro last year with the team at age 27. Donnenwirth is a rider who carries potential after moving into pro cycling late, and the French team is looking to extract it as much as possible.

Movistar has also extended the contract of Michel Hessmann for another season. The German rider was signed after his suspension (over a diuretic used during his time at Visma) and has also become a solid domestique in the Spanish team, adapting well to his new role and becoming an important support rider for Cian Uijtdebroeks who also arrived from Visma.

Over on the rumour's section there are a few moves that have been given as certain, developments that have been updated over the past few days. The first also involves Movistar, who are set to lose Lorenzo Milesi to Soudal - Quick-Step in what should be a three-year deal. The Italian recently put in several strong rides during the Giro d'Italia and is a difficult loss for the team.

The second one is Pavel Bittner, currently a leader at Team Picnic PostNL. The Czech sprinter's departure increases the worries over the Dutch team's future, who are set to lose another leader whilst having no new signings on the horizon. Bittner will be joining Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team, as are Tom Crabbe and Tommaso Dati later this fall.

Journalist Daniel Benson has reported on conversations between Iván Sosa and EF Education-EasyPost. The Colombian rider, former Movistar rider, looked to be past the prime of his career but after overcoming a difficult season, this year with Equipo Kern Pharma he has found his rhythm again with second places at the national championships, Tour of Turkey (where he won a mountain stage) and the recent Mercan'Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes.

Lastly XDS Astana Team are also active in the market right now, reinforcing their classics block even further. It has been reported by Ciro Scognamiglio that Andrea Bagioli of Lidl-Trek will be heading towards the Kazakh team, and after his performance on the opening stage of the Tour de Suisse, that will put a big smile on his soon-to-be team's face.

But Bagioli is not the only rider making the move, as it is also possible that Mikkel Honoré will be signing with Astana. The Danish rider is currently recovering from a set of injuries he suffered at the Heistse Pijl, which jeopardize the rest of his season.