Plan Pogacar, WorldTour attack and Dutchmen with free role: a peek at 2025 with the biggest transfers in cycling

The last spots are slowly filling, and the cycling transfers for the year 2025 are almost finalized. There were many of them: from Jan Maas to Jan Tratnik and Julian Alaphilippe to Pablo Castrillo. They went to new teams, seeking new energy and challenges. What do the most prominent transfers mean for cycling in 2025?

As of August 1, they all started rolling in. This was an absolute relief for those who already saw their names frequently circulating in the media. For those who did not yet have a new employer for 2025, this was a day to start stressing. Some waited a long time, like Demi Vollering, to announce the new team. Below, we discuss four interesting shifts in cycling.

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Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe goes into 2025 with focused tactics

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe strengthens group around Roglic, but also sets sights on spring with arrival of revelations

As the 2023 page turned to the 2024 chapter, Primoz Roglic's transfer was by far the most controversial of the fall. Winning the Tour became the year's goal for the BORA-hansgrohe team, which ultimately did not succeed after a turbulent preparation and crash of the Slovenian. Roglic is getting older, and with Red Bull stepping in as a new sponsor, the German team has started to change course somewhat, as demonstrated by the names joining the team in 2025.

Those who zoom in on the incoming transfers will see a new spring squad emerging. Mick van Dijke and his twin brother Tim van Dijke developed strongly at Visma | Lease a Bike in the spring of 2024, and they are not the only newcomers. What about Gianni Moscon and Jan Tratnik? These two experienced men have earned their spots in the spring. Moscon was a regular in the final of Paris-Roubaix for years, while Tratnik won the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in Belgium in February.

In addition, the arrival of Oier Lazkano and Laurence Pithie and a brilliant group of riders arises for the spring start lists. Pithie is the fast man on duty, and Lazkano is the opportunistic adventurer for the Belgian races. Both men broke through in 2024. The six names above would likewise be valuable forces as road captains or uphill domestiques for Roglic, in the Tour, which has many brutal stages, or in the Giro. Red Bull has done its homework and done a great job of strengthening the team.

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Surely one of the biggest transfers of the year: Simon Yates to Visma | Lease a Bike.

Genius move Visma | Lease a Bike: arrival of Yates should bring Tour team Vingegaard back to 2023 level

When brothers Adam and Simon Yates separated, the British twins' careers developed quite differently. Both climbers proved to be quite erratic GC riders—great one year, fail the next. Adam opted for INEOS Grenadiers at first and later UAE Team Emirates, where Simon stayed with Jayco AlUla.

And to be honest, carrying less pressure on his shoulders did Adam Yates well: he finished on the podium of the 2023 Tour as Tadej Pogacar's right-hand man. The climber has been racing to outstanding results in less grueling races, especially this season. Simon Yates must have thought: "He's doing well, my little brother." His move to Visma | Lease a Bike seemed strange, but it would be pretty understandable if we looked closely at the rider and team.

After all, Visma | Lease a Bike lacks the power it used to have as a team. Putting together multiple GC riders in grand tours has proven to be a recipe for success in recent years. And while the pressure next summer will be entirely on the shoulders of two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard, Simon Yates can potentially ride his own GC in the background.

The arrival of the Brit provides extra muscle uphill, and the Dutch team simply needs it. The team has been missing a true second GC man since Roglic's departure at the end of 2023. With Matteo Jorgenson, Sepp Kuss, and Simon Yates, the team can put together a nice climbing train in July with men who will not feel the pressure of a pure leader. It remains to be seen if Yates will perform better. Judging by the impact of Adam's transfer to UAE, that chance seems pretty good.

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After ten years in the service of Soudal Quick-Step, it remains to be seen what Julian Alaphilippe will do for Tudor.

Tudor wants to attack WorldTour with full force: Alaphilippe and Hirschi new gems development team

Tudor Pro Cycling struck twice in late summer in clear-cut fashion. Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi were brought in. These two versatile riders are starting a fresh chapter in their careers in Swiss service, and as new faces of Tudor, they should accelerate the team's growth. The puzzle pieces between the team and riders seem to fit exactly, and expectations will be high from the start.

Hirschi finds himself in a well-established role at Tudor. He was already riding a full schedule as one of the few at UAE Team Emirates, but that was often in the smaller races. He is part of a team where he will be given complete freedom; it seems like the environment will continue growing to the brilliant level tapped by the Swiss in the coronavirus year 2020. That year, Hirschi raced alongside Roglic, Pogacar, and Alaphilippe in the biggest races.

And let the latter now move to Tudor along with Hirschi. Alaphilippe enjoyed a renaissance in 2024, including a fine stage victory in the Giro. A new environment not managed by Patrick Lefevere will give the quirky Frenchman a growing ground to excel. After all, we saw last season that the now 32-year-old Loulou can still do just that. The Hirschi-Alaphilippe tandem may well compete in the finals of the biggest classics. Moreover, with these two names, Tudor's road to the Tour is wide open—a fine example of scouting by the Swiss.

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Koen Bouwman will finally be released from the Visma | Lease a Bike straitjacket at Jayco AlUla.

Poels, Teunissen and Bouwman: Liberated Dutchmen looking for success in 2025

From a Dutch perspective, three men are freed from their previous roles. Undoubtedly, the most striking transfer was that of Koen Bouwman. In 2022, he showed he could reach great heights in a free role. However, he was not free at Visma | Lease a Bike and opted for a courageous departure. Bouwman gets what he wants at Jayco AlUla and will have a free role in advance for the first time in his career, perhaps in the Tour de France. Then it will become immediately apparent how the little blond climber will thrive without the security of a domestique role.

At Astana Qazaqstan, the same scenario applies to Mike Teunissen and Wout Poels. The former seemed destined to become Olav Kooij's new sprint breaker but will recover his once-desired freedom precisely at the Kazakh team. He can play a significant role in the blue shirts in the spring classics. One goal remains for Poels: to win a stage in the Giro. At 37 years of age, the Belgian is not yet exhausted, and at Astana, that mission is unlikely to be thwarted, as it already was at Bahrain Victorious. Mark Poels down in advance for the many breakaway stages in La Corsa Rosa.

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The arrival of Dan McLay at Visma | Lease a Bike was surely a resounding surprise.

Honorable mentions: Martinez, Higuita, Asgreen and Narváez

Leaving aside the abovementioned transfers, more top riders left for other teams. Perhaps the most notable is Jhonatan Narváez, who left INEOS Grenadiers for UAE Team Emirates. The question is how much freedom the Ecuadorian will get in Pogacar's squad. At least Sergio Higuita seems to get that with Astana. The Colombian has played a minor role at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe since Roglic's arrival.

And what about Lenny Martinez? The newly 20-year-old Frenchman cashed in on his top year at Groupama-FDJ with a move to Bahrain Victorious, and expectations there will be high. Kasper Asgreen, as a familiar Lefevere-poulain, then left Soudal Quick-Step again. He went to EF Education-EasyPost, a team that suits the Dane well. And finally, Dan McLay, the guy who should drop Kooij at Visma | Lease a Bike for his sprint victories. The British's arrival proves that the Dutch top team dares to take a risk. Considering the past with the arrival of Bart Lemmen, McLay's arrival could also work out perfectly.

A lot to look forward to as the 2024 season draws to a close. For all the transfers for 2025, here is an overview!

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