The last few years have seen extra-long contracts dished out to cycling’s top superstars, with some even lasting lifetimes, but are those kind of commitments worth it? How does a team and a rider justify an indefinite partnership?
Robyn has had a look at 12 of the longest current WorldTour contracts to see how they’ve paid off so far and what more needs to be done to justify the deals.
The lifetime contracts
A.S.O./Thomas Maheux
A trio of riders have so far been handed incredible lifetime deals. Wout van Aert and Marianne Vos for Visma-Lease a Bike and Mads Pedersen with Lidl-Trek.
Wout van Aert
A dedicated team player and master of all trades, Van Aert is no stranger to seizing opportunities when they’re presented, boasting stage victories at all three Grand Tours, a points classification jersey at the Tour de France and a Monument. All are worth their weight in spades.
Van Aert is always a prominent figure in the peloton. Whether it be leading the bees in the Classics, eyeing stages in Grand Tours or helping teammates like Simon Yates and Jonas Vingegaard to priceless Grand Tour victories, he is indispensable.
However for all his fanfare in one-day races, the Belgian has only won a single Monument – Milan-San Remo in 2020. The five years since has seen podiums in Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but he only managed fourth at Flanders and Roubaix in 2025 and has fallen behind Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar in the pecking order. Visma-Lease a Bike were presumably expecting more when the deal was signed in 2024.
Visma-Lease a Bike described Van Aert as a ‘culture carrier’, and even prior to his lifetime deal a move elsewhere seemed improbable. They fit together like pieces of a puzzle, with Van Aert’s pedigree allowing him to aim for his own goals in both road and cyclocross, while being a key cog in helping teammates achieve theirs too. Sure, he might have only managed three road wins since penning the lifetime deal but the spectacle of his Paris stage win at last year’s Tour de France and strade bianche win at the Giro prove that he can still win the biggest races in cycling. He’s one of the best leaders to learn from too, which will be massive for the development of Matthew Brennan, who looks suited for a Van Aert-esque role on the squad in the years to come.
While he enters this year already recovering from an injury suffered in the cyclocross season, the 31-year-old could make his season debut at Omloop Nieuwsblad against Mathieu van der Poel, and it set to return to Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo, two races he has not taken part in since 2021 and 2023 respectively. He’ll head to the white gravel roads with a new confidence after his victory in the Giro last year. And we all know anything can happen in Paris-Roubaix
He’s set to race at both the Tour and the Vuelta too, the latter with which he has some unfinished business after crashing out while holding both the points and mountains jerseys in 2024. If a Monument win is too much this season, some form of Grand Tour jersey should be on the cards.
He doesn’t need them to justify his lifetime deal though, for return on investment it’s still a no-brainer for Visma, Wout van Aert is a star.
2026 goals: Monument win, Grand Tour jersey, working with Brennan
Marianne Vos
A lifetime contract should be happy it has Marianne Vos, not the other way around. As one of, if not the greatest cyclist of all time, it was only befitting that she receive a lifetime contract last April. World Championships in cyclocross, gravel and road, Classics galore, and an Olympic gold medal are just a slither of her extensive palmarès of over 250 victories. Any team would offer the 38-year-old a lifetime contract without hesitation, she brings immeasurable valuable to her squad and whose knowledge should be soaked up like a sponge.
Vos has been front and centre in the growth of women’s cycling throughout the years. She’s always calm, level-headed and gets the job done – a natural born winner if there ever was one. She has been a constant figure at Visma-Lease a Bike since joining in 2021, winning Grand Tour stages across La Vuelta Femenina, the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France Femmes in addition to being a fierce Classics contender, winning Omloop Nieuwsblad, Dwars door Vlaanderen, the Amstel Gold Race and World Championships in both cyclocross and gravel, and she is yet to show any signs of slowing down.
While there is not much left for her to win, this season Vos has circled Strade Bianche, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix on her calendar. She has somehow never won Strade Bianche, her best result came in 2020 with a sixth place. As for the other two, she last won at Flanders over a decade ago in 2013 and finished just off the podium in 2024, and was denied victory at the inaugural Paris-Roubaix Femmes by Lizzie Deignan’s epic solo attack and has a pair of fourth-place finishes in the last two seasons.
2026 goals: Strade Bianche or Paris-Roubaix
Mads Pedersen
Former World Champion Mads Pedersen and Lidl-Trek are a match made in heaven. He is the team’s figurehead in the Classics, and one of the peloton’s most formidable riders in one-day races. His most successful Classic has been Gent-Wevelgem, with three wins to his name including back-to-back victories in 2024 and 2025. Later in the season he’s made a habit of winning points jersey, taking home the top sprinters’ prize at both the Giro and Vuelta last year while teammate Jonathan Milan did the same at the Tour. They’re set to swap jobs this year, with the Tour’s famous green jersey one of his main aims this season.
However when it comes to his biggest target, the Monuments, the Dane can’t crack the top step. He’s come closest at the Tour of Flanders with second places in 2018 and 2025, with several daring moves just sniffed out, and he’s finished third twice at Paris-Roubaix in 2024 and 2025, never able to hold onto Mathieu van der Poel’s explosive attacks.
So, where does he go from here? Milan-San Remo seems like a race built for a versatile sprinter like Pedersen, but with the way Pogačar lights the race up it’s a tough ask. He understandably couldn’t stay with the winning move last year and in 2024 he raced to a best place of fourth in a group sprint. Winning here isn’t in the realm of impossibility, but he seems more set on the cobbles of Flanders and Roubaix. He’s capable of outsprinting just about anybody should he come to the line with the lead group, so it should be within his grasp. However his 2026 hasn’t started how he’d have hoped, suffering a fractured wrist and collarbone at the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana.
His palmarès needs an extra push for this deal to prove successful, a green jersey would help that but a Monument win would certainly pay back Lidl-Trek’s trust.
2026 goals: Monument win, Tour de France green jersey
Contracts through 2030
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Buckle up, because almost all this entire section is dedicated to UAE Team Emirates XRG. Something the team seems to be handling well is balancing the future with current success – and even combining both with Isaac del Toro who is contracted through 2028. Currently four UAE riders have put ben to paper through 2030 in Tadej Pogačar, Pablo Torres, Jan Christen and Adrià Pericas.
Tadej Pogačar
Five-time Il Lombardia champion, four-time Tour victor, two-time World Champion and just about everything else under the sun, Tadej Pogačar is already being touted at the greatest cyclist of all time, and, notably, at only 27 years of age he has what feels like a fair few years left until his peak dips. The only surprising aspect of this contract is that it is not a lifetime deal – it should be. The Slovenian has been at UAE Team Emirates for his entire WorldTour career and if anyone deserves a lifetime commitment, it’s him. Although with the talent the team is developing, they may be thinking very strategically, lest they end up in a Chris Froome situation.
Pablo Torres
When Pablo Torres was at UAE’s development squad in 2024, he piqued interest with second places at both the Giro d’Italia Next Gen and Tour de l’Avenir. Not many can claim a stage win on the Colle delle Finestre, but that’s exactly what the young Spaniard did in the latter as he won the day by over three and a half minutes. His best result in his first pro year in 2025 was a podium at the Giro d’Abruzzo, but his standout performance came at the Tour Down Under, where on the queen stage to Willunga Hill he made the early breakaway and tested his legs by jumping away with Juan Pedro López of Lidl-Trek. Before they were reeled back in he enjoyed some time out in front and claimed mountains points in the process. He’s one to watch for a potential big step forward this season.
Jan Christen
21-year-old Jan Christen made headlines for his unusual behaviour at the AlUla Tour last month, but his talent shone through regardless. On the final day, a GC-deciding trip up Harrat Uwayrid, he launched a 6km solo attack for victory and rose to the top of the overall standings to take the first stage race win of his pro career. With Juan Ayuso’s departure, expect Christen to take on a role similar to Del Toro last season as the Mexican steps up even more.
Adrià Pericas
Former junior National ITT Champion Adrià Pericas was circled as having qualities suitable to UAE’s long-term project while on their development squad, proven by a sixth place at the U23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège and seventh place at the Giro Next Gen. That versatility is exactly what this team looks for. He’s only 19 still, so 2030 isn’t too much of a commitment should he not meet expectations.
This is UAE’s production line strategy. While they don’t need Torres, Christen or Pericas to become the next Pogačar while the real one is still firing, they’re mopping up some of the world’s most exciting talents just in case they strike gold. It’s the same strategy that has borne fruit with Del Toro, but also can create problems like we saw with Ayuso. Speaking of…
2026 goals for UAE: Not letting the ball on development drop while Pogačar keeps winning
Juan Ayuso
Juan Ayuso unceremoniously departed UAE Team Emirates early after breaking his contract, which was set to end in 2028, even calling the team a dictatorship before jumping ship to Lidl-Trek. Lidl-Trek do not have Grand Tour pedigree, but they have budget and this is clearly an avenue they want to go down considering the signing of Derek Gee-West too.
Ayuso is a fascinating prospect. In the last season alone, the 23-year-old triumphed on stages at both the Giro and the Vuelta in addition to winning Tirreno-Adriatico and finishing second at the Volta a Catalunya. He also blew up at the Vuelta though, unable to help leader João Almeida in key moments. When he’s good, he’s great, but Lidl-Trek might need to know how to manage the moments when he isn’t. On paper Ayuso’s talents make it a no-brainer, but the length of this contract is a risk considering the red flags at UAE.
At the end of the day though, maybe this change is exactly what’s needed. For it to work out, Lidl-Trek will want to see Ayuso take them to new heights in the GC department. A Grand Tour podium in the next two years must happen.
Should aim for: Grand Tour podium and developing teamwork
Through 2029
A.S.O./Billy Ceusters
Ben Healy
Duracell bunny Ben Healy extended his contract with EF Education-EasyPost to run through 2029 in a marriage that makes total sense. The team is a perfect environment for Healy’s strength in prioritising explosive breakaways, one-day triumphs and stage victories over Grand Tour podiums.
Healy has been in pink since his days as a rookie and has shown enormous growth, with 2025 his best year so far including a brief stint in the maillot jaune at last year’s Tour, and thankfully he wants to continue focussing on stage wins and Monuments for as long as possible.
He’s performed well in the Ardennes, taking a second place at Amstel Gold in 2023 and managing a third and fourth over Liège-Bastogne-Liège’s placing fourth and third over its hilly parcours, but on this contract it’s time to take the step up to winning a major Classic or a Monument. Keep an eye out for more stage wins in Grand Tours too. Who else is going 50km out apart from Pogačar and Evenepoel?
2026 goals: Major Classic win
Paul Magnier
The departure of Remco Evenepoel has freed up Soudal-QuickStep to revert to their bread and butter: sprints and Classics. Paul Magnier is only 21 years of age but is already making waves in both of those disciplines. He racked up 19 wins last season, dominating the sprints at the 2.1 stage races like the Okolo Slovenska and Cro Race before winning five out of six stages at the Tour of Guangxi, while he also managed second at both Omloop Nieuwsblad and Le Samyn.
Give him some more time and he should become the star name for this squad by the time his contract is up.
Should aim for: Further development and experience in the Classics
Through 2028
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SD Worx-Protime have two of the longest contracted riders in the Women’s WorldTour, who are also two of the best in their fields with Lorena Wiebes and Lotte Kopecky. Honestly they’re due contract extensions at this point.
No one is able to beat Wiebes in a sprint finish. With 23 victories to her name last season including the return edition of the women’s Milan-San Remo in addition to a national title, a general classification triumph at the Simac Ladies Tour and even the Gravel World Championship, she is simply unstoppable.
Wiebes’ palmarès alone makes up the bulk of wins for SD Worx-Protime.
Kopecky is aiming to turn her fortunes around after a less-than-prosperous 2025, which only saw three wins for the Belgian. The good news is that this absence of wins is an anomaly, if she can get things clicking again and avoid injury, she will be a force to be reckoned with throughout the Classics, into the stage races and potentially into Worlds.
Anyone would be fortunate to have Kopecky on their squad, she was instrumental in Wiebes’ Milan-San Remo win, won the Tour of Flanders, gave her all at Paris-Roubaix and rode to a strong fifth in Liège in her ‘down season’. It could be a lot worse.
She hasn’t quite hit the level she wanted in her search to be a GC contender, but even with that considered a serial Monument winner, stage winner and World Champion is worthy of a big contract.
Should aim for: Continuing their two-pronged attack throughout the Classics
