Kévin Vauquelin will race for Ineos Grenadiers in 2026. Photo courtesy of Swpix.
The transfer market rarely delivers on drama quite like this. A year defined by reshuffles at cycling’s biggest teams has produced a top-end talent migration that feels less like a routine winter refresh and more like a re-draw of the sport’s hierarchy.
Our countdown of the top 100 transfers reaches its sharpest point now, where every name carries weight and every move hints at bigger ambitions.
From generational prospects stepping into the WorldTour to marquee leaders switching allegiances, the final 15 tell the story of how teams plan to win in 2026 – and who they’ll be relying on to do it.
Here are Nos. 15–1.
Part one: Ranking the top 100 cycling transfers ahead of 2026 – Nos 100-71
Part two: Ranking the top 100 cycling transfers ahead of 2026 – Nos 70-41
Part three: Ranking the top 100 cycling transfers ahead of 2026 – Nos 40-16
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15 – Biniam Girmay 🇪🇷
From: Intermarch̩ РWanty
To: NSN Cycling Team
It’s incredibly hard to advocate for a sprinter who hasn’t won a single race in over 500 days, but Girmay remains a leading name in the sport and deserves to edge into our top 15 rider transfers ahead of the 2026 season. The entire Intermarché – Wanty team had a down year in 2025, with just four wins all season and none of them coming at WorldTour level, so it’ll be critical for Girmay to get some early runs on the board before any legitimate doubts are raised about his win rate. Those questions will come, and be entirely reasonable if the 25-year-old doesn’t start winning in the first few months of the season, but he does have every chance of returning to his form of old. NSN Cycling Team will have a host of credible support riders to help their new talisman, especially with the GC leaders leaving or still trying to leave. Girmay will feature in bunch sprints, the Spring Classics, and, of course, the Tour de France.
14 – Stefan Küng 🇨ðŸ‡
From: Groupama FDJ
To: Tudor Pro Cycling Team