From Evenepoel to NSN Cycling Team: 43 things that will look different in 2026

The 2025 season marked the end of the promotion and relegation cycle for 2023 to 2025. After a tense fight, Lotto, Israel-Premier Tech and Uno-X Mobility secured promotion to the WorldTour. Cofidis, Intermarché-Wanty and Arkéa B&B Hotels were relegated.

For Intermarché-Wanty and Arkéa B&B Hotels, relegation also meant the end. Intermarché-Wanty merged with Lotto to form Lotto-Intermarché, while Arkéa B&B Hotels went bankrupt after failing to secure a new title sponsor.

Alongside the new teams, several squads will line up under new names in 2026. The most eye catching change is NSN Cycling Team, the rebrand of Israel-Premier Tech. The switch followed mounting pressure linked to Israel’s war in Gaza and the protests that emerged, particularly during the Vuelta. Title sponsor Premier Tech stepped away and instead aligned itself with the team of Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen.

Decathlon also enters a new chapter, welcoming CMA CGM as its new sponsor in place of AG2R. Groupama-FDJ will race on as Groupama-FDJ United following a sponsor related name change. 

At ProTeam level, two further changes stand out because both teams are expected to show up regularly in WorldTour races: Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team adds Pinarello as bike supplier and title sponsor, while Unibet Tietema Rockets drops founder Bas Tietema’s name and becomes Unibet Rose Rockets after a new deal with Rose.

Beyond the usual design refreshes, sponsor changes have brought new colours into the peloton. The most striking new jersey belongs to NSN Cycling Team, with a kit inspired by Barcelona, mixing sky blue and orange in geometric blocks and patterns.

INEOS Grenadiers also look different, introducing a bold orange colourway paired with a widely discussed white and grey bib short. Decathlon-CMA CGM adds a strong red tone to its scheme, while Soudal Quick-Step introduces an electric lime accent to its familiar blue and white. Alpecin-Premier Tech moves away from grey and returns to blue, and Bahrain Victorious embraces Bianchi’s iconic celeste following its new partnership, now clearly reflected in the team jersey.

EF Education-EasyPost is also worth a note, not because the pink disappears, but because the apparel supplier changes. After many years with Rapha, the team switches to Swiss brand ASSOS.

A full overview of all jerseys can be found here.

On the rider side, the winter was busy. Three blockbuster moves stood out, with Remco Evenepoel, Juan Ayuso and Oscar Onley all bought out of their contracts to secure fresh starts at Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe, Lidl-Trek and INEOS Grenadiers.

INEOS Grenadiers also strengthened, adding Kévin Vauquelin and sprinter Sam Welsford. Team Visma | Lease a Bike, meanwhile, saw several established names depart, including Cian Uijtdebroeks, Olav Kooij, Dylan van Baarle and Tiesj Benoot, and largely reinvested by bringing in younger riders.

Soudal Quick-Step lost Evenepoel but leaned into a return to its Classics identity. To back that shift, the team brought in Jasper Stuyven and Dylan van Baarle to reinforce its one day core.

Among the ProTeams, Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team also drew attention with an active recruitment drive, stacking the roster with proven WorldTour experience, headlined by Fred Wright.

The final unresolved storyline is Derek Gee, whose long running contract dispute has not yet produced a confirmed destination, with Lidl-Trek currently the most frequently mentioned option.

A full transfer overview can be found here.

It is not only teams and riders. Three WorldTour races carry new names in 2026. Gent-Wevelgem becomes In Flanders Fields: From Middelkerke to Wevelgem, a move that matches the route reality and doubles down on the race’s wind, lanes, Plugstreets and Kemmelberg identity, now tied to a ten year naming deal with Middelkerke.

The Critérium du Dauphiné is rebranded as Tour Auvergne Rhône Alpes, which ASO describes as a simple alignment between the label and what the race has become over more than a decade: a week long loop of the region that remains the clearest Tour de France rehearsal.

Classic Brugge-De Panne becomes Ronde van Brugge after shifting to a start and finish in Bruges, keeping its West Flanders feel while adding a new 2026 finale on tighter streets and a scrappier fight for position.

Also worth noting: the Tour de Suisse in June will change in length, running five days instead of the usual eight.

As every year, a handful of teams switch manufacturers. In the men’s WorldTour, three teams change bikes for 2026. Bahrain Victorious ends its long running partnership with Merida and moves to Bianchi.

Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team brings in Pinarello as a new bike supplier and title sponsor, a move that feels logical given the close link between Pinarello and Tom Pidcock, who becomes the centrepiece of the partnership.

The third WorldTour change comes from NSN Cycling Team, formerly Israel-Premier Tech, which will ride Scott bikes after spending last season on Factor.

Outside the WorldTour but still relevant, Unibet Rose Rockets moves from Cannondale to Rose, with Rose also stepping in as a co-title sponsor.

The UCI is tightening several equipment rules from January 2026, starting with a clearer split between road and time trial helmets. Road helmets must meet specific criteria, including visible inlet vents, no ear coverage and no visor. In practice, helmets that look and function like time trial lids will no longer be allowed in bunch races.

On the bike side, handlebars are being standardised with a minimum width of 400 mm measured outside to outside, a flare limit of 65 mm from the inside of the tops to the outside of the drops, and lever positioning rules including a maximum 10 degree inward tilt and a minimum 280 mm between the inner edges of the brake levers. Frame and component shapes are also being reined in, with a maximum 115 mm internal width between the fork legs and 145 mm between the seatstays, while rim depth in mass start races will be capped at 65 mm.

A proposed gearing restriction, which would cap the biggest allowed gear at 54x11, is currently on hold due to legal action by SRAM.

Beyond equipment, organisers will face new minimum standards for barriers, including requirements on dimensions, how barriers connect, and how they are secured to the road, with the aim that they can better withstand crash impacts. On the sporting side, from 2026 the top three ProTeams in the previous season’s ranking receive automatic invitations to all WorldTour stage races, including the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España, while organisers retain two wildcard slots.

Looking ahead, a separate rule already confirmed for 2027 will expand team ranking points beyond road racing. Only the top 20 men and top 8 women on a team can contribute, and additional points will come from high placings at UCI World Championships in disciplines such as cyclocross, track and mountain biking.