In total, the 18 teams that form the highest category of men’s professional road cycling have signed 509 riders to face 35 events around the world this season.
The first UCI WorldTour event of the season is just around the corner, and will mark the start of an intense and exciting 2024 at the highest level of road cycling. The 18 UCI WorldTeams are the same as in 2023, with this licensing cycle ending in 2025. While the teams are known, they have adjusted their lineups to face a new season with ambition, and in some cases, in new colours.
Follow the leaders
At the very height of the UCI World Ranking, three different teams came on top at the end of the last three seasons. UAE Team Emirates won for the first time in 2023, ahead of Jumbo-Visma (winners in 2022) and Soudal Quick-Step (2021).
To accompany the likes of Tadej Pogačar and Adam Yates, UAE Team Emirates brought seasoned helpers such as Nils Politt and Pavel Sivakov, and some of the hottest talents around: Isaac del Toro (winner of the 2023 Tour de l’Avenir), Filippo Baroncini (Men Under 23 2021 UCI World Champion in the road race), as well as António Morgado and Igor Arrieta.
Winners of the three Grand Tours in 2023, Jumbo-Visma become Team Visma | Lease a Bike. Primož Roglič has left after his victory in the Giro d’Italia and third overall at La Vuelta Ciclista a España… But Jonas Vingegaard and Sepp Kuss are ready for more conquests, with the support of a new cohort of wonderkids as gifted as Cian Uijtdebroeks, Ben Tulett and Per Strand Hagenes. Very slightly older, at 24 years of age, Matteo Jorgenson is already expected to play a strong role, following a breakthrough year in 2023 with Movistar Team.
With Remco Evenepoel headed for his first participation in the Tour de France, Soudal Quick-Step snatched one of the most seasoned Grand Tour riders in today’s peloton, Mikel Landa. Iconic riders such as Tim Declercq (Lidl-Trek) and Dries Devenyns (retirement) move to different horizons as a new cycle opens for the Belgian powerhouse with talents such as Luke Lamperti, Paul Magnier, William Junior Lecerf…
Rising through the ranks
The opposition to these big three in the Grand Tours shall notably be embodied by the riders of Bora-Hansgrohe, now led by Roglič. The Slovenian has won almost everything he could except for the Tour de France. His new team has already announced an impressive cast to support his ambitions in July: Jai Hindley, Aleksandr Vlasov, Lennard Kämna, Dani Martínez, Matteo Sobrero, Nico Denz and Danny van Poppel… all riding for Roglič.
Lidl-Trek also face 2024 with increased ambitions, after the introduction of the new sponsor (Lidl) during the last season allowed them to become a “super team”, according to their manager Luca Guercilena. Stars such as Mads Pedersen and Giulio Ciccone are joined by Tao Geoghegan Hart, Jonathan Milan, Andrea Bagioli and Ryan Gibbons.
Time to focus on 2024, it will be a big challenge to reach high level results as the actual "Super Teams". We will be ready to fight!#LidlTrek #Cyclingnews #StephenFarrandhttps://t.co/79ctkiaEh0
— Luca Guercilena (@l_guercilena) December 12, 2023
French evolutions
Changes will also be visible on the kit of Arkéa - B&B Hotels (formerly Team Arkéa-Samsic) and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team (previously AG2R Citroën Team). The former notably recruited the established riders Florian Sénéchal and Vincenzo Albanese, as well as Spanish rising talent Raul Garcia Pierna. AG2R do not only turn a page in terms of sponsorship, with the retirements of Greg Van Avermaet and Mikaël Chérel, Sam Bennett and Victor Lafay are among their new signees for a new cycle.
At Groupama-FDJ, the retirement of Thibaut Pinot brings a higher focus on home talents Valentin Madouas, David Gaudu, Lenny Martinez and Romain Grégoire, captained by Stefan Küng. The other French UCI WorldTeam, Cofidis, brought in 12 riders for the 2024 season, with a mix of experience (Stefano Oldani, Kenny Elissonde) and youth (Milan Fretin, Oliver Knight).
International ambitions
The change of personnel is even more impressive at Astana Qazaqstan Team with 14 new faces, including Michael Mørkøv and Davide Ballerini to support Mark Cavendish’s bid for a historic 35th stage win in the Tour de France, and young talents from all horizons with Eritrea’s Henok Mulubrhan (2023 African Continental Champion), Ecuador’s Harold Martín López and Colombia’s Santiago Umba.
Among the most celebrated Colombian climbers, Nairo Quintana returns to Movistar Team, which also welcomes the Spanish youngsters Pelayo Sánchez and Carlos Canal, and two strong rouleurs: France’s Rémi Cavagna and Italy’s Lorenzo Milesi.
More changes can be seen in the ranks of Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL (10 signings, including Fabio Jakobsen and Warren Barguil), Alpecin - Deceuninck (with youngsters stepping up from the Development Team, including the Men Under 23 road race UCI World Champion Axel Laurance), Team Jayco AlUla (bolstered by Aussie talents Luke Plapp and Caleb Ewan) and Intermarché - Wanty (bringing punchy youngsters like Francesco Busatto and Alexy Faure Prost).
Ineos Grenadiers were quite discreet on the transfer market. But they brought in the UCI Men Elite Road individual time trial UCI World Champion Tobias Foss, a solid helper in Óscar Rodríguez, and two very hot prospects: Andrew August and Theodor Storm. Now these talents are taking it to the roads of the UCI WorldTour.