Huge transfer twist rumoured! Ben O'Connor reportedly set to end Aussie homecoming early and leave Team Jayco AlUla for WorldTour rival
Cycling
Ben O'Connor's return to Australian cycling may already be heading towards an early end. According to L'Equipe, the 30-year-old is set to leave Team Jayco AlUla at the end of 2026 and return to Decathlon CMA CGM Team from 2027.
It would be a major twist just two seasons after O'Connor joined Jayco in what looked like one of the most natural transfers of the 2025 market. After four years with the French setup, then known as Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, the Australian moved home to become the Grand Tour leader of his country's leading WorldTour team.
Now, if the French report proves correct, O'Connor could be heading straight back to the structure where he became a Tour de France contender in the first place.
L'Equipe reports that he is expected to replace Felix Gall, whose own future has become one of the major subplots of the 2027 transfer market.
From Decathlon leader to Jayco homecoming
O'Connor's first spell with the French team produced some of the biggest results of his career. His stage win in Tignes at the 2021 Tour de France, followed by fourth overall in Paris, turned him into a genuine Grand Tour name and gave Decathlon one of their best Tour results of the modern era.
That reputation has only grown since. O'Connor has won stages at all three Grand Tours, finished second overall at the 2024 Vuelta a Espana and added another Tour de France stage victory with Team Jayco AlUla in 2025, when he conquered the Col de la Loze.
His move to Jayco was supposed to open the next chapter: an Australian GC rider leading an Australian WorldTour team at the biggest races in the sport. Instead, the latest report suggests the partnership may not go beyond its initial two-year cycle.
O'Connor finished 2nd at La Vuelta during his time at Decathlon
Decathlon eye familiar answer as Gall exit looms
The Decathlon link becomes far more significant because of Gall. The Austrian has developed into one of the team's key climbing leaders in recent seasons, with his Tour de France stage win in 2023 and recent 2nd overall at the 2026 Giro d'Italia the standout moments of his rise.
Gall has been repeatedly linked with a move away from Decathlon, with Lidl-Trek mentioned as a possible destination. Should he leave, Decathlon would lose one of their most established Grand Tour climbers at a time when the team is trying to build a deeper stage-racing block around Paul Seixas.
O'Connor would bring experience, familiarity and proven Grand Tour pedigree. He would also arrive as a rider Decathlon already know well, rather than a gamble from outside the system.
Awkward timing for Jayco
For Team Jayco AlUla, the rumour is awkward because of how recently O'Connor arrived and how clearly his move was framed around homecoming. He was not signed as a short-term stopgap, but as a headline GC leader and one of the symbolic faces of the team's Australian identity.
He has already delivered a major Tour de France moment in Jayco colours, but a departure at the end of 2026 would still make his spell with the team far shorter than many expected when the deal was first announced. Jayco brought him in as their Australian Grand Tour figurehead. Decathlon may now be preparing to take him back before that story has properly settled.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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