Buitrago leaves Bahrain after seven years as Soudal Quick-Step secure rising Italian talent

Buitrago will leave Bahrain Victorious after seven seasons to join NSN through 2029. The Colombian is set to add further depth to the team's climbing ranks and bolster its ambitions in stage races and Grand Tours.

Still only 26, Buitrago has already built an impressive palmarès. He won stages at the Giro d'Italia in both 2022 and 2023 and has since developed into a consistent general classification contender. He finished tenth at the 2023 Vuelta a España before repeating that result on his Tour de France debut in 2024.

Buitrago started 2026 strongly, taking victory at Trofeo Laigueglia before finishing seventh overall at Tirreno Adriatico. His main objective of the first half of the season, however, ended almost before it had begun. Bahrain Victorious went to the Giro d'Italia with Buitrago as its leader and ambitions of challenging for a top five finish, but a heavy crash on stage two left him with a concussion and forced him out of the race.

He is now set for another chance at a Grand Tour at the Vuelta a España, where he will look to put the disappointment of the Giro behind him and finish his final season with Bahrain Victorious on a high. After seven years with the team, Buitrago believes the time is right to take the next step in his career.

"After seven years in Bahrain Victorious, I felt it was the right time for a new challenge," Buitrago said in a press release by the team. "I was really impressed by the NSN sporting project and the confidence the team showed in me from the beginning."

For NSN, his arrival adds a new dimension to a roster that has largely built its success around sprinting and opportunistic racing this season.

Soudal Quick-Step, meanwhile, have secured Lorenzo Milesi from Movistar Team on a deal that will also run through 2029.

The 24-year-old Italian first made his name in 2023 when he became the U23 world time trial champion in Stirling. Since stepping up to the WorldTour, however, Milesi has increasingly shown that there is more to his racing than performances against the clock.

That was evident at this year's Giro d'Italia, where he recorded three top ten stage finishes while regularly featuring from the breakaway. Those performances also highlighted the versatility Soudal Quick-Step hope to develop further, with Milesi capable of combining his time trial ability with strength on more demanding terrain.

"I love time trials, but I also do well on short climbs, and I hope to improve in both areas next season," Milesi said after signing with Soudal Quick-Step. "I want to be there for the team, help it win whenever it needs me and show what I'm capable of."

CEO Jürgen Foré described Milesi as "much more than just a time trialist", with Soudal Quick-Step hoping the Italian can take another step forward in his development over the next three seasons.