Jayco-AlUla sign Pascal Ackermann to replace Dylan Groenewegen in 2026 sprint lineup

Following the departure of Dylan Groenewegen to Unibet Rose Rockets for 2026, Jayco-AlUla have re-strengthened their sprinting lineup with the signing of Pascal Ackermann, who joins on a two-year deal.

The German sprinter has won 45 races during a professional racing career which stretches back to 2013, including three stages at the Giro d’Italia and two at the Vuelta a España.

He’ll join the likes of Luka Mezgec, Jasha Sütterlin, and Michael Matthews among the team’s sprint lineup next season.

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Former German champion Ackermann, who turns 32 in January, also has three stages of the Tour de Pologne, the 2019 Eschborn-Frankfurt, and the 2019 Giro points classification on his palmarès. In 2025, he won the Classique Dunkerque in May and twice finished in the top 10 on Tour de France sprint stages.

“Team Jayco-AlUla is a team with a great history, and one that I was already looking up to when I was younger,” Ackermann said upon signing with the Australian squad.

“It has always been a dream to join the team, so I am excited for this opportunity! For me, it’s definitely the best team to continue to chase my dream of winning races! Let’s get into 2026 and get back to the top.”

The team will resume in cycling’s top division, the WorldTour, next season after initially missing the deadlines for UCI registration last month.

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Last week, the team told Cyclingnews that “paperwork issues had been resolved and relevant documents have been submitted to the UCI”, enabling both the men’s and women’s squads to retain WorldTour and Women’s WorldTour status.

Ackermann’s addition is far from the only incoming transfer for Jayco-AlUla in 2026, with the team taking on a different look for the new season. On the outgoing list, Groenewegen is joined by Max Walscheid, Eddie Dunbar, Filippo Zana, Elmar Reinders, Chris Harper, and the retiring Alessandro De Marchi.

Joining Ackermann in signing with the team for next season are Andrea Vendrame, Amaury Capiot, Hamish McKenzie, Dries De Bondt, Wil Holmes, and Alessandro Covi.

“We are delighted to welcome Pascal to the squad and believe that he will fit in very well with the team’s well-established leadout train,” said team general manager Brent Copeland.

“He has shown over his career that he can win at the highest level, which is demonstrated by his multiple Grand Tour stage victories. We are looking forward to working with him next season and seeing what he can achieve under the guidance of the team’s coaches and sport directors.”