"Some riders are simply overpriced" - Alpecin manager admits failed negotiation efforts over Arnaud De Lie
Cycling
Alpecin-Premier Tech may not always strike as an overly active team on the transfer market but that's not the case this year. With the departure of their second sprinter Kaden Groves, the Belgian team was in need of replacing this void in their plans. But without the financial power, they rather placed a bet on trio Iván García Cortina, Madis Mihkels and Casper van Uden. Arnaud De Lie was also on their radar, but ultimately signed elsewhere.
It's not quite the one-for-one replacement, but one of the team managers Philip Roodhooft explains that they have been able to satisfy their expectations for Groves replacement and their budget, and thus did not have to mourn Groves' departure with leaders Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen still the cornerstone of Alpecin's strike team.
The departure of Groves to Tudor Pro Cycling was therefore covered for: "We had profiles for what we needed in the event that we were to lose riders somewhere," Roodhooft tells Daniel Benson.
Classics in center of attention
Instead of bringing another sprinter with potential to win a green jersey at a Grand Tour - like Groves managed to at the 2023 and 2024 Vuelta a Espana - Roodhoofts chose to invest their resources towards the team's other focus; cobbled races.
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The arrival of García Cortina and, to a slightly lesser extent, Mihkels should be therefore seen primarily in the light of supporting Van der Poel.
"We felt we were missing a rider who could compete in the finales and support Van der Poel. We needed to fill a gap with Cortina, and if you can also bring in someone like Mihkels, you shouldn't hesitate."
Madis Mihkels in 2026
Despite his youth (23 years of age), Mihkels is already a seasoned professional who has built a reputation for himself both at the Classics and in sprints. The Estonian debuted with Intermarché-Wanty in 2022, but transferred to EF Education-EasyPost two years ago.
During that period, he made three Grand Tour appearances and finished top-5 in a sprint four times. He also rode Paris-Roubaix four times with 10th place in 2024 and 14th last season. Therefore it's not hard to see why Alpecin have great expectations of the Estonian as new right-hand man of Van der Poel.
Although his main attention should be on the bunch sprints: "Mihkels has already sprinted into the top five a few times in the Giro, without really having any support. We think we can provide him with that lead-out."
Other options
The most polarizing is then the acquisition of Casper van Uden. The Dutch sprinter managed to win a stage at the 2025 Giro d'Italia but, since then, has struggled to really find his pace in bunch finishes. This season, despite a number of opportunities, the 25-year-old secured only three top-10 results of which only the stage win at Tour of Turkiye is worth a mention.
Belgian sprinter Arnaud De Lie was also on the wish list. However Roodhooft admits that the Lotto-Intermarché - which should join up with Groves at Tudor Pro Cycling next year - was simply unaffordable from financial standpoint.
"Some riders are overpriced. That is nice for them, but we don't follow that. If it were easy, anyone could do it. We believe that there are more good riders on the market and what we have to offer as a team," he concluded.
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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