In this cycling news roundup, we dive deep into the 2026 plans for one of our favorite riders, Wout van Aert. And with no races to cover until this weekend’s ‘cross, we cast a wide net over transfers, signings, and even — *sigh* — a doping suspension. Plus: Thibau Nys’ IG suggests no shortage of confidence.
TOP STORY:
Wout on 2026: Classics and the Tour Over Cross
RIDER & TEAM NEWS
American Lamperti Joins EF
You Can Own a Pro Rider’s Bike — Thanks to EF’s End-of-Season Sale
Lafay to Continue Career with Unibet Rose Rockets
Novo Nordisk Announced 2026 Roster
Another UCI Suspension
What Can We Learn from…Thibau Nys’ Instagram?
Wout on 2026: Classics and the Tour Over Cross
Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad last weekend, Wout Van Aert dished — a bit — on his plans for 2026, both cyclocross and road.
“It was a really nice holiday…It was really necessary to take a proper break to spend time with my family and not thinking about training did me a lot of good.
“I’ve started training gently over the past few weeks, but the real preparation will begin in about ten days. I want to see how my body reacts before setting a concrete plan.
The plan was originally to start the cross season a bit earlier. Now I have to see what’s realistic because there are several factors to consider. As much as I love cyclocross, I’m still super ambitious for the Classics…That means my cross career has to take a bit of a back seat.
We’re hoping 2026 doesn’t do more damage to WVA’s knee.
“There are some stages at the 2026 Tour de France that might be good for a breakaway, but that’s never a guarantee…It’s not completely a course for me, but my goal is to be back at my top level next year. Then I can make a difference on any terrain. The Vuelta remains a possibility, but the Tour is still the most important and the biggest race.”
The launch of his season notwithstanding, WVA seems to be doing more traveling and sponsor relations than training in recent weeks. He was spotted at the Cervelo HQ with Visma | Lease a Bike teammates — and also has logged a few runs in Southern California, including this gem — which any work-traveling amateur athlete can relate to:
Solid pace, though!
TEAM & RIDER NEWS
American Lamperti Joins EF
Rising American rider Luke Lamperti will join compatriot team EF Education-EasyPost in 2026.
The 22-year-old from Santa Rosa, California, packs a fast sprint and a classics racer’s toughness. Going into his third year in the WorldTour, he already has six wins to his name, including a stage victory this summer at the Czech Tour.
“I am really excited to join the team,” Luke says. “I already know quite a lot of the guys and am looking forward to joining a nice group and seeing what the next years bring. It feels like I am coming home.”
Luke raced motocross bikes before he switched to pedal power. As a kid, he started cycling to get stronger for dirt bike races and was thrilled by the freedom he discovered exploring his home roads.
“Where I grew up, in Sonoma County, there is just amazing riding,” Luke says. “I fell in love with riding there, being out and always striving to be better. Having goals drove me forward. It went quite fast, and I ended up where I’m at now.”
EF has also announced the signing of Michael Leonard, who will transfer from INEOS Grenadiers.
eTrashMike sez: My son raced in the NorCal High School Mountain Bike League, typically placing on the podium. He seemed poised for a victory when two brothers — the Lampertis — showed up and left him and the rest of the field many minutes behind. They’d evidently recently returned from racing in Europe…My son says he feels better seeing Luke reaching cycling’s highest level!
You Can Own a Pro Rider’s Bike — Thanks to EF’s End-of-Season Sale
Once again this year, EF is offering team bikes to the public, via an end-of-season sale. These are 2024 and 2025 road and TT bikes by Cannondale. Check them out at https://www.efbike.com/.
Lafay to Continue Career with Unibet Rose Rockets
2023 Tour de France stage winner Victor Lafay is the latest high-profile signing for up-and-coming UCI pro team Unibet Rose Rockets.
Since the career-crowning stage victory, which Lafay won over Wout van Aert, the Frenchman has suffered from a knee injury, and has failed to return to form. In the video announcing the signing, he indicated he even considered retiring from cycling — injecting his characteristic humor: “In the WorldTour, you have to fit into a box, and I don’t think I quite fit in there. I wanted to sell cheese in Japan, have a food truck, and then make croque monsieurs.”
Unibet Rose Rockets, however, lured him back to the peloton. Lafay indicated that the team’s offer was attractive enough that he turned down offers from World Tour teams.
Novo Nordisk Announces 2026 Roster
We count three new signings, seven different countries and 17 familiar faces for Team Novo Nordisk in 2026.
Frenchmen Louis-Marie Posnic and Lucas Terrier make the step up from the Development team alongside young and exciting Spanish talent Juan Jose Lopez while key renewals include team captain Andrea Peron and experienced climber David Lozano.
“We’ve acknowledged many times in the past how important our development pipeline is, and I am pleased to be here announcing another three young talents progressing to the senior pro team,” said General Manager Vassili Davidenko.
Italian rouleur Filippo Ridolfo remains and heads up the cast of talented young riders looking to build on the strong performances from 2025 that also includes compatriots Anotonio Polga and Alessandro Perracchione.
“Equally as important is keeping the core foundation of the team, that is a key factor in providing stability,” continued Davidenko. “It is important for us to ensure that our experienced riders remain motivated, and our young talent is on the right path to keep developing. Retaining Andrea, Filippo, David et al gives us stability and with their combined experience they have the tools to help our new riders immediately.”
Said Louis-Marie Posnic: “I am very happy and proud to be joining the Team Novo Nordisk pro team next year. I am realising one of my biggest childhood dreams by becoming a professional, so I can’t wait to start the 2026 season.”
Lucas Terrier described his excitement at joining the team: “Turning pro with Team Novo Nordisk for 2026 is something special. I have been dreaming about becoming a professional cyclist for so many years, I remember myself as a kid watching my idols on TV and now having the chance to race against them at 19 gives me goosebumps. Even more so that I’ll be doing it as part of an incredible team like TNN that has been inspiring me since my diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes.”
Team Novo Nordisk for 2026
Hamish Armitt (GBR)
Hamish Beadle (NZL)
Sam Brand (GBR)
Jacopo Colladon (ITA)
Lucas Dauge (FRA)
Quinten De Graeve (BEL)
Declan Irvine (AUS)
Juan Jose Lopez (ESP)
David Lozano (ESP)
Bailey McDonald (AUS)
Anton Muller (FRA)
Andrea Peron (ITA)
Alessandro Perracchione (ITA)
Antonio Polga (ITA)
Umberto Poli (ITA)
Louis-Marie Posnic (FRA)
Filippo Ridolfo (ITA)
Nathan Smith (GBR)
Lucas Terrier (FRA)
Celestin Wattelle (FRA)
Another UCI Suspension
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has announced that Portuguese rider António Carvalho Ferreira has been provisionally suspended in accordance with the UCI Anti-Doping Rules, due to unexplained abnormalities in his Athlete Biological Passport (*) in 2018, 2023 and 2024.
Ferreira’s suspension comes on the heels of last week’s higher-profile case of Spanish rider Oier Lazkano Lopez.
The UCI will not comment further while the proceedings are ongoing.
eTrashMike sez: I haven’t been doing this long enough to know whether this is a typical fall routine — the UCI announcing suspensions, based on Biological Passport irregularities or failure to appear for tests. Alas, though…here’s another one. I suppose this is good news — that anti-doping measures are working —? Though three abnormalities over six years, and the suspension coming a year after the most recent one…Seems like WADA and the UCI still have work to do.
What Can We Learn from…Thibau Nys’ Instagram?
Coming off of last Sunday’s disappointing cyclocross race at Rapenberg, we might have expected Thibau Nys’ sails to have been trimmed a bit.
Judging from his Instagram account, far from it.
This guy’s social media screams “confidence.” Most recently, a shot of Nys winning last Saturday’s Koppenbergcross, with a bird-like pose that’s van Aert-esque. A shirtless photo, featuring a tattoo that reads (in French) “The Head and the Legs.” The requisite cute-guy-with-dog photo, as well as a picture of him wearing a goofy pink and blue sweatshirt that demands confidence.
We’ll say it again: Nys has the best shot at unseating van der Poel from the ‘cross throne. At least, he seems to think so.
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