Team Jayco AlUla confirms signing of two more riders and completes 2026 team including returning Australian rider

Team Jayco AlUla have completed their 2026 team. After financial issues delayed their decision-making this winter, the team was a late hitter in the market. Today it has confirmed its final two signings in Rudy Porter who returns to the team, and Dries de Pooter who had already been confirmed to be part of the team earlier this week but was only now made public.

“We’re pleased to welcome both Rudy and Dries into the team for next season. One of our focusses for 2026 was rebuilding our Classic group and Dries is someone who fits the profile of what we are looking for," team sporting manager Gene Bates said in a press release. De Pooter comes over from the demise of the Intermarché - Wanty team as a solid classics rider, who recently took his first pro win at the Tour de Kyushu - one of the Belgian team's four wins out of the entire year. He had already been spotted at the training camp earlier this week of the Australian team, but is only publicly announced to be part of it now.

"He is still young with lots of potential and paired alongside some of the more experienced riders in the Classics group, we believe he can develop and learn a lot from them. He’s already been racing at the top level for a few years now and has done two Grand Tours which is a big plus for a young rider".

The second signing is Rudy Porter, an interesting one since the 24-year already having spent two years with Jayco and not being renewed into 2025, where he raced in the amateur ranks. He rode to 16th at the Tour Down Under - 11th at Old Willunga Hill and 26th at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, both World Tour events, racing for the Australian national team. Now he has been signed again to the team.

"For Rudy, it will be his second time with GreenEDGE Cycling. It is great to see him come back after a season away from the WorldTour. He is a rider with plenty of talent, but injury has prevented him from really exploring his strengths as a rider. He has had a season to recover and reset, and we hope that with this opportunity that Rudy is able to show what he is capable of.”

“I’m feeling super excited about joining this team," de Pooter added. "I grew up watching them rocking the TTTs back in the day and now to be part of this team with such a great history makes me super happy. I’m most looking forward to being part of the classics squad for next year and to giving it a shot at trying to win races together because that’s what makes us all start racing bikes in the end.”

As for the Australian, he said the following: “I’m really excited to be coming back to GreenEDGE. Returning after the long injury I dealt with in 2024 feels especially meaningful. I’ve put in a huge amount of work to get back to full strength, and that period taught me a lot. It’ll be great to reconnect with familiar faces, meet the new ones and collectively work towards a successful year as a team.”