Red Bull, Netcompany and Soudal begin work for 2027 season with off-season team days

The 2026 season officially ended on October 18, but 2027 has already begun with teams gathering to plan and prepare for the new season. Some riders will enjoy a holiday in November but there is vital off-season work and planning to be done.

Remco Evenepoel and Demi Vollering were at the Red Bull athlete performance centre in Austria last week and then flew to California to visit Specialized and spend time in the wind tunnel.

Netcompany Ineos gathered in Copenhagen to visit their new title sponsors and plan for 2027. Soudal Quick-Step gathered in Belgium for their official Team Days and testing, while Lidl-Trek were in Bad Wimpfen in southern Germany at their new headquarters to plan for 2027 after major management changes and eight new signings.

Some of the gatherings are done in secret because new sponsors will be involved and new riders for 2027 are still officially under contract with their 2026 teams. 

Evenepoel and Vollering were joined by teammates Jai Hindley and Luke Tuckwell and Kate Courtney. On Saturday they took part in a ride and Q&A session with Specialized staff and guests in California.

The Soudal Quick-Step gathering was more formal, with riders undergoing annual medical checks, physio screenings, bike fittings, and meetings with coaches and sports directors to discuss 2027 race goals and programmes.

The Soudal and AG Insurance women's team ended their long-standing relationship with Specialized and so riders and mechanics need to adapt to new bikes, cockpits, saddles and shoes from Merida, Continental, Sidi, Lazer and Prologo.

Netcompany Ineos gathered in Copenhagen so the Danish IT brand could meet the riders and management. Their reported five-year €100 million sponsorship was only announced in late April.

"It was a meeting that covered the closing of the 2026 season and the start of the 2027 campaign," time trial coach and development team sports director Dario Cioni revealed to BiciPro.

"It was a chance to meet the sponsor and to integrate the sponsor 100% in the team. The riders also did their medical check-ups, while the performance staff had a day together."

All the 2027 Netcompany WorldTour riders attended the Copenhagen get-together including new signings Benjamín Noval, Javier Romo, Merkel Beloki and Dane Micheal Valgren.

The likes of Filippo Ganna, Ben Turner and Magnus Sheffield were absent and will spend time with their new teams, even in the final months of their 2026 contracts.