Is Decathlon’s Gautherat the final piece in UAE’s 2027 transfer puzzle?

According to MARCA, Gautherat is in advanced talks over a three-year contract that would keep him at UAE through 2029. The deal has not yet been completed, but the 23-year-old Frenchman appears likely to become the latest addition to UAE's 2027 roster.

Gautherat would bring a different profile to a team loaded with climbers and stage racers. A fast finisher with growing experience in the Classics, he took his first professional victory at the Four Days of Dunkirk in 2025 and has already raced Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.

His potential arrival comes after a busy few days for UAE.

The versatile Marco Frigo has joined from NSN Cycling on a two-year contract through 2028, while Spanish climber Abel Balderstone will leave Caja Rural-Seguros RGA after agreeing a three-year deal. UAE have also promoted 20-year-old Davide Stella from their Gen Z development team to the WorldTour on a three-year contract.

Stella, a fast finisher, represents the other side of UAE’s recruitment strategy. The Italian has progressed through the team’s own development pathway, following in the footsteps of riders including Pablo Torres and Adrià Pericas.

The arrivals come alongside UAE’s efforts to secure the riders at the centre of its long-term project.

Isaac del Toro recently extended his contract until the end of 2031 following his third place at the Tour de France. Tadej Pogačar is already contracted until 2030, but a further extension is reportedly close. Daniel Benson has reported that an agreement through 2032 has been finalised, although UAE have yet to announce it officially.

With the core of the team secured and several new riders already on their way, attention is increasingly turning to those expected to make room in the 2027 squad.

Pavel Sivakov is expected to leave for Decathlon CMA CGM, with reports pointing to a three-year agreement. Igor Arrieta has also been strongly linked with Lidl-Trek after deciding to explore the market despite receiving a renewal offer from UAE.

Juan Sebastián Molano is expected to depart too, with Lotto-Intermarché previously identified among the teams interested in the Colombian sprinter.

Rune Herregodts has already said he expects to leave UAE at the end of the season. The Belgian champion has been linked with a return to the Lotto-Intermarché structure, although he has stopped short of confirming his next team.

Taken together, the incoming moves appear to match the gaps UAE are likely to have to fill for 2027.

Stella could effectively take over Molano’s role as one of the faster riders in the squad, while Balderstone would restore some of the climbing depth UAE are set to lose if Sivakov completes his expected move to Decathlon.

Frigo and Gautherat would bring versatility across a range of race types. Both can be used in different roles throughout the season, from stage races and one day events to support duties.

With four arrivals either confirmed or close and most of the expected departures already accounted for, UAE may have little left to do before their 2027 roster is settled. The futures of Vegard Stake Laengen, Rui and Ivo Oliveira and Julius Johansen remain unresolved, however, with all four currently out of contract at the end of the season.