Revived Jayco-Alula add speed to 2026 team with Ackermann signing

“Team Jayco-Alula is a team with a great history, and one that I was already looking up to when I was younger,” Ackermann said in a statement on Wednesday.

“It has always been a dream to join the team, so I am excited for this opportunity! For me, it’s definitely the best team to continue to chase my dream of winning races! Let’s get into 2026 and get back to the top.”

Ackermann has won 41 races as a professional, including stages of the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España, though he endured a barren spell of almost two years before collecting victory at the Classique Dunkerque in May.

Jayco-Alula were in clear need of a sprinter after Dylan Groenewegen’s departure for Unibet Rose Rockets. They will hope Ackermann can recapture the winning form of his UAE Team Emirates and Bora-Hansgrohe days, but he has remained a consistent finisher and scorer of UCI points in recent seasons.

Ackermann will now link up with a lead-out unit that includes compatriot Jasha Sütterlin, Luka Mezgec and Kelland O’Brien.

“We are delighted to welcome Pascal to the squad and believe that he will fit in very well with the team’s well-established lead-out train,” said general manager Brent Copeland.

Jayco-Alula confirmed earlier this week that Michael Matthews has signed a two-year contract extension, while Gene Bates moves across from Liv-Alula-Jayco to become sporting manager of the men’s WorldTour team.

Jayco-Alula have lost some key figures for 2026, with Groenewegen, Eddie Dunbar and Chris Harper all departing, but Copeland has hinted that the team will add more signings in the weeks ahead.

Daniel Benson reports that Ackermann may not be the only sprinter on the team’s radar, with Sam Welsford still a possibility given the apparent collapse of his reported move from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe to Ineos.