Being a professional cyclist at the highest level and racing some of the biggest races in the world is a dream for many. For the lucky few who ride for WorldTour squads that we get to enjoy watching every year, this dream is a reality.
Riders race their bikes, deliver results or work hard for their teammates, get noticed by teams, and sign on the dotted line to ply their trade in any given squad for a few years. But what happens when that contract reaches its end and you haven’t been re-signed? What’s it like to be a pro cyclist without a contract? What happens to your bike and equipment? How do you earn money? Do you stop racing altogether or fight to keep the dream alive?
In search of uncovering the reality for riders who are left without a team, I spoke to Sweden’s Julia Borgström, who rode professionally for AG Insurance-Soudal from 2020 to 2025 – joining straight out of the junior ranks and staying there until she was 24. She competed at races like Paris-Roubaix, the World Championships, and the Tour de France Femmes, where she was a contender for the white jersey in 2022, and her career looked promising.
But in the spring…
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