The 2026 season is still a long way off, but it is slowly approaching, and there are still several dozens of riders that race at the highest level without a contract. Amongst these are several leaders, veterans and the former World Champion Michal Kwiatkowski, whose time with INEOS Grenadiers may be coming to an end.
At 35 years old, the Polish cyclist is obviously no longer the rider who won the Ponferrada World Championships in 2014, twice the Amstel Gold Race, Milano-Sanremo, twice Strade Bianche, two stages of the Tour de France or general classifications such as those of the Tirreno Adriatico or Tour de Pologne... But he still packs a punch and is hugely valuable or his experience - over a decade of riding at the absolute top level both as a leader and domestique.
Few riders have been as complete as Michal Kwiatkowski who, in addition to being an ace in the classics and generals, has also been and is a great time trialist. A profile like that, who can bring veteran and domestique roles in all types of races and has often done so selflessly, is incredibly valuable for any team. But where will his future be? And which role will he have?
It is easy to forget but Kwiatkowski's two Tour de France wins were taken in the 2020's, and he is a rider that has adapted well to the rise of the new generation in pro cycling. This year he also won the gravel Clàsica Jaen Paraiso Interior race, and ended his season with a third place at the Cro Race. He had been linked to Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team some months ago, but the rumours have faded whilst the Swiss team's signings - such as Sam Bennett, Eddie Dunbar, Chris Harper, Fred Wright and more - could well have drained the financial resources to sign a rider such as Kwiatkowski.
With INEOS Grenadiers still having several empty spots in their roster for 2026, a renewal could also well be in the cards, but it is highly unusual to reach this point in time without a publicly announced contract, hence his stay in the team is not too likely.
Michal Kwiatkowski has not yet signed with any team for 2026. @Sirotti
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
- Who cares what Bruyneel thinks. He and his best mate Lance, the biggest fraud in the history of sport, have no place commenting on anything but how to lie and cheat!whit2pet02-11-2026
- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
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