A hundred riders still haven't secured contracts for 2025: "It's tough, no one else is helping you find a job"

The cycling world is a tough one. A single crash can turn a career upside down or even end it, but mentally, cycling is also challenging. Currently, there are about a hundred riders without a contract for the coming year, which makes for some mentally tough times, according to Simon Clarke. He was in that situation three years ago, but his saving grace was Israel-Premier Tech, the team that offered him a one-year contract. He shared this difficult period with Rouleur.

"It’s a horrible situation to be in," begins the 38-year-old Clarke, who himself has a contract in place until the end of 2025. "There are a few people in my team with undecided futures and I feel for them because I can genuinely say I’ve been there before." Clarke found himself without a contract at the end of 2021. That period dragged on and on until Israel-Premier Tech eventually offered the Australian a contract over the Christmas holidays.

Although teams are only allowed to officially announce transfers from August 1, negotiations between teams and riders start much earlier. "The big transfer window starts at the Tour de France, and the absolute latest it finishes is the Worlds. If you’ve not got a solution after the Worlds, it’s probably not looking good. Even now, there’ll be riders who just don’t know," Clarke explains the element of uncertainty that is part of the cycling world.

Most riders who don’t have a contract for next season are those nearing the end of their careers. According to Clarke, it’s especially tough for riders who haven’t yet achieved everything they wanted. "If you’re under 35 and feel like you’ve got a lot more to give to the sport, it’s definitely a tough moment." Clarke is now 38, so what would he do if he were without a contract now? "I’d have a much different reaction because now I’m satisfied with what I’ve achieved," the Australian says, reflecting contentedly on his career. He has won a stage in the Tour and two stages in the Vuelta, among other achievements.

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Clarke won the fifth stage of the Tour de France in 2022, the highlight of his career

"No one else is looking for work for you," says veteran Clarke

The struggle to secure a contract is grueling for a cyclist, that much is clear, especially if you’ve had an 'okay' season, as Clarke explains. "When you’ve ridden badly, the team tells you early that they’re not interested in renewing you, and you actively go out and find a different solution – and often there is a solution. But when you’ve done just okay, teams like to keep their options open. They don’t say no to you, but they don’t give assurances. It keeps your hopes high that there’s still opportunities with the team, but then later on in the year you might find out that they did find someone to fill your spot."

As difficult as it is for riders, they often get help from their agents. Still, riders sometimes call teams themselves, which doesn’t always help, according to Clarke. "Any team in the WorldTour already knows a big percentage of the peloton. Once you give the team access to your training data, and they crunch the numbers themselves to see if you’re already at your max potential or if you’ve still got space to improve." For all riders who currently don’t have a contract, the experienced rider has some advice. "You just have to keep believing and hoping and trusting in your agent. Because no one else is out there helping you find a job."

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