The cycling transfer window officially opens on Monday August 1, with a number of signings for 2023 expected to be revealed as teams and riders unveil their plans for the future.
Under UCI rules, riders can change teams mid-season between August 1-15, while a change of teams for the following year can be announced between August 1 and December 31.
In reality, many of the big-name rider deals have already been done secretly in the last few months, with rider agents meeting different team managers at race hotels throughout the spring and the summer to thrash out agreements.
Contracts will have been checked by lawyers and, in some cases, signed. Now, from August 1, they can be announced publicly.
Some teams prefer to wait for strategic moments to make their announcements and a few try to stop their riders revealing their futures immediately but the peloton will be awash with rumours and news of team changes.
At Cyclingnews we’re expecting to see a flurry of activity, with a raft of done deals that can now be announced, followed by more negotiations for the remaining riders on the market as teams plan for the next phase of WorldTour licences that run from 2023-2025.
The rapid growth in women’s racing and the addition of further WorldTour teams in 2023 means the women’s transfer market is also growing. Lorena Wiebes is set to leave Team DSM for SD Worx, finding a way out of her contract to make the most of a better deal at the powerful Dutch team. Meanwhile, AG Insurance-NXTG Team are preparing to step up to WorldTour level and will want to strengthen.
However, the biggest women’s announcements are likely to come later in the year, once the results, the value and impact of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has been measured.
On the men’s side, Richard Carapaz is expected to leave Ineos Grenadiers for EF Education-EasyPost in what is the marquee move as far as Grand Tour contenders are concerned. Almost all other realistic three-week podium finishers are staying put, with the likes of Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, Primož Roglič, Jai Hindley, Geraint Thomas, Egan Bernal, Simon Yates, Remco Evenepoel, Romain Bardet, David Gaudu, Enric Mas, Mikel Landa, and Joao Almeida all under contract at their current teams for 2023.
Ineos are set to say goodbye to Carapaz after three years and podiums at all three Grand Tours, as the British team continue their recent focus on developing young riders. In that respect, Tom Pidcock has been handed a new…
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