Leo Hayter is BACK to pro cycling with continental team - "It is a great honor for us to have a rider with WorldTour experience"

Leo Hayter was a few years ago one of Great Britain's brightest prospects, having won the under-23 Giro d'Italia and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, something that caught the attention of INEOS Grenadiers who signed him. However his first years as an elite rider didn't go to plan and a set of psychological challenges made it impossible for the Briton to keep up with the level required in the World Tour. After a year over a team, he is now going to be racing for the Polish Voster ATS Team.

Hayter had a very difficult year, and in August 2024 he announced his departure from INEOS: "Without going into too much detail, I have been struggling for some years now. Last May I was diagnosed with depression and although those symptoms at first improved, I have found myself in that same place again. I broke down this year and have not been training/racing for some time now. It's unlikely I will return to professional cycling this year. For this same reason it's also not realistic to continue with Team INEOS". 

After the winter months and a challenging 2025 in which he pushed through and worked on his mental struggles, the Briton announced that he wanted to make a return to pro cycling last month. I’m confident that I am in a place mentally that will allow that to be successful," he argued at the time. "Is everything perfect? No. But part of this process has been being at peace with the fact that it probably never will be".

He made the Chrono des Nations, right at the end of the season, a race that he wanted to aim for to make a comeback and only asked for a jersey and a team whom he could represent since it is a professional event. Although he has gained a lot of weight and likely does not carry the same level as he had a few years back, at 24 years of age he still carries a lot of potential - and for the Polish team, valuable advertising and exposure which in itself is important.

“I’m really happy to be joining Voster ATS for the rest of the season. For a team at continental level, they have a very professional setup and it felt natural to join them," Hayter said in a press release. "Of course the main goal comes in October at the Chrono des Nations, but perhaps an opportunity will arise beforehand. I’m really thankful for the opportunity to prove myself again at this level".

“Leo Hayter’s story and his determination to return to racing at the highest level are truly inspiring, and I am proud that as Voster ATS Team we can play a part in it," team DS Mariusz Witecki added. "We will support Leo as best we can in his preparation and at the Chrono des Nations, where I hope that he will compete for the the very good position against the best time trialists in the world in the colors of Voster ATS Team".

"It is a great honor for us to have a rider with WorldTour experience and such results as victory at the Giro d’Italia U23, Liège-Bastogne-Liège U23, and a World Championship bronze medal represent our team. I hope we can contribute, even in a small way, to his return to the top level”.