2026 starts within a week and there are still over 60 World Tour and ProTeam riders without a contract for the next season. This includes some pretty big names, whose future remains in the unknown. The likes of Derek Gee, Chris Froome, Hugh Carthy and Oier Lazkano are some of the most sounding names on this list.
In the World Tour there are 30 riders who are still without a contract. There are many different reasons as to why this is. Several riders are certain to retire, perhaps most on the list even. Figures such as Hugh Carthy, Ruben Guerreiro and Michael Hepburn, names with a lot of success in the past, are not rumoured to be heading to any team and might see a premature end to their career.
Louis Barré of Intermarché – Wanty has been strongly rumoured to be joining Team Visma | Lease a Bike and has trained with the team too in Spain throughout December, but his signing has not yet been made official. The same can be said of Derek Gee (not World Tour, but similar situation) who was reported to have travelled to Spain to join the Lidl-Trek camp, but on site CyclingUpToDate wasn’t able to confirm this.
Oier Lazkano, on paper, is also part of this list. The Spaniard was provisionally suspended due to his biological passport anomalies, but the truth is he is free to be signed and although unlikely, he can potentially be allowed to race next year.
There’s been lots of speculation over Derek Gee’s future in recent months, but his future is not yet secured. @Sirotti
The British Matthew Walls and Jack Rootkin-Gray are on this list, as is the case with off-road specialists such as Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Gerben Kuypers (Intermarché – Wanty) who used the road to complement their MTB and cyclocross schedules. Red Bull athlete Anton Palzer of Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe is also without a contract, after not fulfilling the potential that the German team hoped of him.
In the ProTeam ranks there is the obvious case of Chris Froome right at the top, who has not confirmed he will retire from the sport, but the announcement appears imminent. The four-time Tour de France winner has not performed at a high level for several years and his contract with Israel – Premier Tech has now ended. With major injuries suffered in a crash months ago, any chances of continuing in the pro peloton have diminished.
Iván Sosa of Equipo Kern Pharma is a relative surprise on this list, however perhaps justified by his diagnosis of endofibrosis in July. This summer, he finished third to Cristián Rodríguez and José Felix Parra, showcasing his climbing talent is still present. The likes of sprinters Job Aberasturi, Attilio Viviani, Daniel Babor and Davide Bomboi and Sasha Weemaes; and Uno-X Mobility riders Amund Jansen and Magnus Kulset are also still looking for a contract.
World Tour riders without contract for 2026RiderTeamAge1 PASQUALON AndreaBahrain – Victorious372 CARTHY HughEF Education – EasyPost313 GUERREIRO RubenMovistar Team314 SMITH DionIntermarché – Wanty325 VERMOTE JulienTeam Visma | Lease a Bike366 HEPBURN MichaelTeam Jayco AlUla347 PEDRERO AntonioMovistar Team348 LAZKANO OierRed Bull – BORA – hansgrohe269 COMBAUD RomainTeam Picnic PostNL3410 BARRÉ LouisIntermarché – Wanty2511 VAN HOECKE GijsIntermarché – Wanty3412 EDMONDSON AlexTeam Picnic PostNL3213 GOOSSENS KobeIntermarché – Wanty2914 SCOTSON MilesArkéa – B&B Hotels3115 WALLS MatthewGroupama – FDJ2716 MACIEJUK FilipRed Bull – BORA – hansgrohe2617 COLLEONI KevinIntermarché – Wanty2618 RIES MichelArkéa – B&B Hotels2719 HOLLMANN JuriAlpecin – Deceuninck2620 HUBY AntoineSoudal Quick-Step2421 BERHE Welay HagosTeam Jayco AlUla2422 STEWART CampbellTeam Jayco AlUla2723 DAVY ClémentGroupama – FDJ2724 ROOTKIN-GRAY JackEF Education – EasyPost2325 PALZER AntonRed Bull – BORA – hansgrohe3226 EPIS GiosuèArkéa – B&B Hotels2327 LE HUITOUZE EddyGroupama – FDJ2228 EDDY PatrickTeam Picnic PostNL2329 GAZE SamuelAlpecin – Deceuninck3030 KUYPERS GerbenIntermarché – Wanty25ProTeam riders without contract for 2026 RiderTeamAge1 FROOME ChrisIsrael – Premier Tech402 SOSA Iván RamiroEquipo Kern Pharma283 ABERASTURI JonEuskaltel – Euskadi364 GEE-WEST DerekIsrael – Premier Tech285 JANSEN Amund GrøndahlUno-X Mobility316 TIZZA MarcoWagner Bazin WB337 DE TIER FlorisWagner Bazin WB338 VAN ROOY KennethWagner Bazin WB329 CARBONI GiovanniUnibet Tietema Rockets3010 SCHWARZMANN MichaelIsrael – Premier Tech3411 ERIKSSON LucasTudor Pro Cycling Team2912 WEEMAES SashaWagner Bazin WB2713 TSARENKO KyryloTeam Solution Tech – Vini Fantini2514 VAN DE PAAR JarneLotto2515 CURRIE LoganLotto2416 JACKSON GeorgeBurgos Burpellet BH2517 VIVIANI AttilioTeam Solution Tech – Vini Fantini2918 REYNDERS JensWagner Bazin WB2719 VAN POUCKE AaronTeam Flanders – Baloise2720 BABOR DanielCaja Rural – Seguros RGA2621 BOMBOI DavideUnibet Tietema Rockets2522 ANGULO AntonioBurgos Burpellet BH3323 FERNÁNDEZ Miguel ÁngelEquipo Kern Pharma2824 SCALCO MatteoVF Group – Bardiani CSF – Faizanè2125 INKELAAR KevinUnibet Tietema Rockets2826 VILLA GiacomoWagner Bazin WB2327 CLYNHENS ToonTeam Flanders – Baloise2428 BIAGINI FedericoVF Group – Bardiani CSF – Faizanè2229 MATTHYS LoukaWagner Bazin WB2530 AZPARREN EnekoitzQ36.5 Pro Cycling Team2331 DELGADO DavidBurgos Burpellet BH2532 KULSET MagnusUno-X Mobility2533 PERCRULE DoriandTeam Novo Nordisk2634 PHIPPEN LoganTeam Novo Nordisk33