Nicola Rutzou
There seems to be a flurry of changes for the 2026 season in the men’s pro peloton, perhaps a few more than usual. We’ve already highlighted the main rider moves, but there are also plenty of team sponsor changes and a significant merger, all of which lead to name changes.
Team changes
The least surprising change occurred for the team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech, which underwent a complete rebrand to NSN Cycling Team. The embattled team faced increasing pushback from protestors and ultimately race organisers as a result of Israel’s actions in Gaza.
As a result, Premier Tech and Factor Bikes walked away. The team made several significant changes, with the registration moving to Switzerland, the operations to Spain and, reportedly, team owner Sylvan Adams exiting.
Financial pressures were cited as the reason the Arkéa-B&B Hotels team ceased operation for 2026 with a lack of sponsorship.
The same reason was also given for the merging of WorldTour team Intermarché-Wanty with the Pro Continental squad Lotto. This led to several riders and staff left without a contract for 2026. The upheaval gave Girmay a get-out clause, and he moved across to the NSN Cycling Team.
The team formerly known as Alpecin-Deceuninck is Alpecin-Premier Tech for 2026. Deceuninck is reportedly stepping back, indicating it has “achieved the desired results in terms of brand awareness.” Canadian company Premier Tech (formerly Israel-Premier Tech) is clearly not done with pro cycling and has signed a three-year deal.
There are also a few changes with the ambitious Decathlon-owned team. French shipping and logistics company CMA CGM becomes the secondary sponsor from 2026, with another French company, AG2r La Mondiale, stepping away after a long association with pro cycling. The team will now be called Decathlon CMA CGM, a new tongue-twister for commentators next year!
Bike brand shuffles
For the 2026 season, there are plenty of bike shuffles going on, as well as bike brands returning to the pro racing scene.
After their nine-year relationship, Bahrain Victorious and Merida have ended their arrangement, and the team will ride Bianchi bikes from 2026 onward under a multi-year agreement.
As part of the significant changes at NSN Cycling (formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech), the Swiss bike brand Scott returns to the WorldTour. They supplied bikes to Q36.5 Pro Cycling in 2025, but only at the ProTeam level.
Speaking of Q36.5 Pro Cycling, Pinarello becomes a naming sponsor of the team, which will now be known as Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling. This is a significant commitment from Pinarello, given they also supply WorldTour team Ineos Grenadiers under a recently extended deal.
Nicola Rutzou – a long-time contributor and, most recently, the editor of Bicycling Australia. Nicola is a keen Sydney-based road cyclist who writes reviews, news, and destination pieces, as well as the weekly e-newsletter for BA online.
