OFFICIAL: Cian Uijtdebroeks breaks contract with BORA - hansgrohe and joins Jumbo-Visma with immediate effect - "When the opportunity arose to sign Cian as of December 1st, we didn't hesitate"

The news are sudden but official. Cian Uijtdebroeks will join Jumbo-Visma with immediate effect and in the blink of an eye has broken his contract with BORA - hansgrohe.

Uijtdebroeks shared his thoughts on the career-changing move: "I am delighted to be joining Team Visma | Lease a Bike. It has proven to be a leading team in recent years. And it was absolutely outstanding in 2023, winning the three Grand Tours. It is an honour to learn from guys like Jonas, Wout and Sepp. I am looking forward to start with Team Visma | Lease a Bike." The relationships between the Belgian and BORA - hansgrohe was not the best but the transfers comes as a shock. His contract ends with the German team immediately, and he signs a four-year contract with the Dutch team, bolstering it even further.

Uijtdebroeks is only 20 years old, he is the winner of the 2022 Tour de l'Avenir but this season has already had strong performances on the road, scoring several Top10 results in World Tour stage-races and thriving in his debut Grand Tour at the Vuelta a Espana where he finished eighth in the overall classification. He was in contacts with INEOS Grenadiers and Lidl-Trek, but the assumptions were that he'd be free after the 2024 season. That will not be the case.

"We have been following Cian since his junior days. When the opportunity arose to sign Cian as of December 1st, we didn't hesitate. Cian is a perfect fit for our team. He wants to develop in all areas," team DS Merijn Zeeman said in a press release. "We are happy that he has chosen us and our approach. In the coming years, the focus will be on improvement and growth. He can learn from our top riders like Jonas Vingegaard, Wout van Aert and Sepp Kuss. We see Cian as a future leader of our team".

However nothing would predict the reaction from BORA - hansgrohe that quickly followed. The German put out a statement in which they claim Uijtdebroeks will no race with the Dutch team this coming season: ""Cian is and will remain a member of BORA - hansgrohe, also in the coming 2024 season. He is contractually bound with us until 31 December 2024."