"We can be a major player in every one-day World Tour race" - Ambitious Tudor expecting big things in 2025 as Alaphilippe & Hirschi arrive
Cycling
The Swiss-based Tudor Pro Cycling Team, run by legendary Fabian Cancellara, are making big moves in the transfer window as they prepare for the 2025 campaign. Among others, the superstar one-day duo of Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi have arrived and as such, expectations are high for next season.
“The plan for us in 2025 is to be competitive in any prestigious race in the world,” Tudor Pro Cycling performance guru James Spragg says excitedly in conversation with Velo. “I think we can be a major player in every one-day World Tour race with Marc, Julian, and the others we’re bringing in. We can really change our ambitions next year.”
Although the Tudor Pro Cycling Team are still at a continental level, the signing of these two superstars is surely set to benefit future ambitions for Grand Tour wildcards, having made their debut at one of the sport's three-week stage races earlier this year at the Giro d'Italia. “Our goal by the end of 2025 is to be a top-ranked ProTeam ahead of the next points cycle,” Spragg explains, eyeing a World Tour promotion. “That will mean we have a guaranteed race program for 2026 and beyond. We’ll be able to do all three grand tours and all the classics. We won’t have to rely on wild card race invites like we have before.”
“Getting access to more World Tour races from 2026 will allow us to take the next step for the cycle after that,” Spragg continues. “The goal for 2029? Of course, that’s being promoted into the WorldTour.”
Alongside Alaphilippe and Hirschi, the likes of Larry Warbasse, Marco Haller and Fabian Lienhard have also joined, bolstering the strength in depth of the squad. “With the new riders, with the current riders developing well, and with an increased number of races in 2025, we believe getting top ProTeam status is possible,” team CEO Raphael Meyer adds to Velo. “We are working very hard towards this goal.”
“If we’re bringing in the best riders in the world, we need to give them the best support in the world. That will bring out their full potential, but will also raise the level of the whole team," Spragg concludes. “The innovations team is the first real big step toward us enhancing that support structure and building toward the WorldTour.”
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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