The 2026 campaign is getting ready little by little. Although the off-season has only just begun, the days are passing, and in the blink of an eye the World Tour teams will once again be competing on the road for the best victories on the calendar. And, as every year, many spotlights will be on the youngest promises of the peloton. Watch out for Mattia Agostinacchio.
The Italian rider, world junior cyclo-cross champion, recently signed for EF Education-EasyPost. Several teams wanted his services, but the American team was finally victorious. As of January 1, 2026, Agostinacchio will officially become the youngest rider in the entire World Tour, surpassing Paul Seixas.
Much has been said about Paul Seixas, and rightly so. The Frenchman has fully exploited his talent this year, and at just 19 years old, he is said to be the next star of the Tour de France. His bronze at the European Championships was serious stuff, coming in behind only Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel.
But at least he will no longer be the youngest rider with Agostinacchio around. Hailing from Aosta, Mattia Agostinacchio was born in September 2007, that is, almost a year later than Paul Seixas. With EF Educations-EasyPost's new cyclocross team, he has already debuted in the pink jersey in field, becoming the youngest cyclist ever to do so.
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The other great talent that stands out in this list is Albert Philipsen. The very young Lidl-Trek rider finished last season at a very high level: 2nd in Tre Valli Varesine behind Tadej Pogacar and 3rd in Paris-Tours. He also has everything to be a big star in a peloton in which he will be, in 2026, the third youngest cyclist of all.
Paul Seixas will no longer be the youngest rider in the World Tour
The 10 youngest World Tour players in 2026
* Age as of November 7, 2025
| Order | Cyclist | Team | Age |
| 1º | Mattia Agostinacchio | EF Education-EasyPost | 18 years and 111 days |
| 2º | Paul Seixas | Decathlon CMA CGM | 19 years and 100 days |
| 3º | Albert Philipsen | Lidl-Trek | 19 years and 121 days |
| 4º | Camille Charret | Cofidis (relegation) | 19 years and 183 days |
| 5º | Adrià Pericas | UAE Team Emirates - XRG | 19 years and 221 days |
| 6º | Jakob Omrzel | Bahrain - Victorious | 19 years and 287 days |
| 7º | Wil Holmes | Jayco AlUla | 19 years and 316 days |
| 8º | Senna Remijn | Alpecin-Deceuninck | 19 years and 345 days |
| 9º | Matthias Schwarzbacher | EF Education-EasyPost | 20 years and 11 days |
| 10º | Pablo Torres | UAE Team Emirates - XRG | 20 years and 53 days |
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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