Alpecin-Deceuninck rider with Visma training says goodbye to the WorldTour: "Not the path I want to follow"

Alpecin-Deceuninck will go into the next season with two German riders, instead of the four the team had in 2024. After Jason Osborne — who is returning to e-cycling — Maurice Ballerstedt has also decided to leave the WorldTour, despite a few strong years with the team of the Roodhooft brothers.

The Berlin-born Ballerstedt received his training with the Jumbo-Visma development team in 2020 and 2021, where he caught the attention of Alpecin-Deceuninck. In 2019, he impressively finished second in the Peace Race and took second place at the European Junior Championships, while a stage win and overall victory in the Tour du Pays Montbéliard were his best results in his final year as a U23 rider with the Dutch team.

At Alpecin-Deceuninck, he became an important part of the sprint train for Kaden Groves over his three seasons there, although he still managed to achieve some individual results. For example, he participated in the Vuelta the past two years, where he finished sixth in a stage in 2023. This season, he also placed second in the bunch sprint at the Tour of Limburg, finishing between top sprinters Dylan Groenewegen and Arnaud De Lie.

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WorldTour not the path Ballerstedt wants to follow

Despite this, Ballerstedt decided to leave the WorldTour. "After much consideration, I decided for myself that the WorldTour is not the path I would like to follow," the 23-year-old German announced on social media. "Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this amazing journey. Starting in 2025, I will be taking on a new chapter in cycling, racing, and bringing you along on the journey," said Ballerstedt, who has not yet revealed what he will do next.

He rode his last race kilometers for the Belgian team in the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro on October 3, a few weeks after completing his second Vuelta.

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