🚨Transfer mechanics: All the latest news and transfer rumours from inside the peloton
Featuring Lidl-Trek's new junior, Kooij's latest options, Ineos back in for Evenepoel, contract news on Matthews, Jorgenson, UAE linked to another US rider, Movistar's possible U23 team, and more
Hi Subscribers,
Think of this story as a pyramid, with all the concrete transfer news at the very top, and the more speculative rumours that are buzzing around the peloton a little lower down. Granted, that’s probably the opposite of how you’d want to build a pyramid, but that’s the analogy I’m going with.
There’s much to get through, but we’ll start with the breaking news that 17-year-old British rider Harry Hudson is on his way to the Lidl-Trek U23 development team in 2026, having agreed terms on a multiple-year contract. We don’t have an official statement from the team, but according to sources, it’s locked in and the American squad has picked up one of the most sought-after junior riders on the transfer market this summer.
Last season, Hudson won the GC at the Isle of Man Steam Packet Holidays Youth & Junior Tour. He currently rides for Harrogate Nova Race Team and also won the ANEXO/CAMS Junior CiCLE Classic last weekend.
On the men’s WorldTour scene, the transfer market has picked up again after several quiet weeks. The main storyline is that Olav Kooij continues to be the central piece still on the board, and once he’s settled, a lot more dominoes will fall into place, especially when it comes to the next tier of sprinters.
Five teams were in the hunt for the Dutch sprinter back in March, but the latest information is that Ineos, Jayco AlUla and Tudor are out of the frame - for now - with Decathlon and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe still in the hunt. It would not be entirely surprising if another squad came in with a late bid. A couple of years ago, Israel showed interest, and with Astana closing in on WorldTour safety, they might become a left-field option - especially given the fact that they have a budget, a lead-out train without a sprinter, and we’ve seen Mark Cavendish go there and generate success in the past. The agency behind that Cavendish deal is also the same group that manages Kooij.
Read more: Rider transfer index page. All the transfer news lives here
A sticking point appears to be price, with sources indicating that the rider is looking for around 8-9 million Euros over the course of a three-year deal.