The transfer window is no officially open in the cycling world and the rumour mill, already in overdrive over the past few weeks, has now reached fever pitch. One man who knows more than most about the transfer drama, is super-agent Alex Carera.
“ The transfer market for riders this year is a growing market , which is positive for everyone,” Carera tells Cycling News. “Some big multinational brands have entered the sport, such as Red Bull, Decathlon, Lidl and Tudor, which is part of the Rolex group. Intermarche will also invest more in cycling through Intermarche France, which is a significant boost for the team. It is a positive moment for cyclists , but also complex, because there are only 18 months left until the UCI awards new licenses for World Tour teams for the period 2026-2028, based on the teams’ balance sheets and the points obtained so far.”
In terms of the big name riders in the peloton, Remco Evenepoel is the name that keep coming up when talk of transfers are mentioned. Despite Soudal - Quick-Step continuing to strengthen their climbing block support around the Belgian, rumours continue to persist of an imminent move to pastures new for the newly crowned Olympic time-trial champion.
“If there is some clause in Remco’s contract, then maybe he could change teams for 2025 or 2026, but only the people involved, who signed the contract, know all the details,” Carera points out. “This is a question for Remco’s father, who is his agent, and for Patrick Lefevere. If Remco leaves Soudal-Quick Step, Red Bull would be the perfect destination because they have Specialized as a bike sponsor. Apparently, Remco has a personal agreement with Specialized, like other riders in the past, and the American brand is naturally very interested in working with Red Bull in the long term.”
Tom Pidcock is another Olympic champion who could reportedly be soon switching teams. “If Pidcock doesn’t have an exit clause, it’s very difficult for him to leave INEOS Grenadiers. Cian Uijtdebroeks managed to make a three-way deal to leave Bora for Visma | Lease a Bike, but that was because he was on a low salary and therefore a Belgian court would have allowed a low buyout payment under employment law if an agreement wasn’t reached," Carera concludes. "Pidcock’s situation is very different and I’m sure INEOS doesn’t want to let him go . However, the British team needs to decide on a clear rider strategy and act ahead of its biggest rivals if it wants to stay competitive.”
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