When NSN Cycling made its landmark signing in Biniam Girmay over the winter, they did so with a clear ambition in mind: to win a stage and chase green at the 2026 Tour de France. The Girmay transfer was a key piece of the puzzle, but so was carving a squad of riders around the Eritrean who could deliver him to Tour glory.

Jake Stewart is set to be an important cog in that machine when the Tour sets off from the team’s new ‘home’ in Barcelona, operating as Girmay’s last man in the NSN sprint train.

“The main ambition is the sprint stages with Biniam, We want to go and win a stage at the Tour de France,” Stewart tells Cycling Weekly ahead of his third Tour.

“That's a huge goal. I think it's the same as every other team's goal when they go to the Tour de France, they want to win a stage there…We'll start to shift our focus to the green jersey if we see that he's in a good position to challenge for that in Paris,” Stewart adds.

The team endured a period of transition over the winter, taking on new branding and sponsorship following mass protests at the 2025 Vuelta a España against the team’s links to Israel, when the team was known as Israel-Premier Tech and bankrolled by billionaire Sylvan Adams.

Things have changed on the performance side, too, with Girmay replacing GC rider Derek Gee-West as the team’s talisman. The now Swiss-registered squad has had to morph into a Classics and sprint team, as opposed to focusing on the overall classification goals of Gee-West and Matthew Riccitello, who also departed.

“It's been a shift in terms of the team's focus this year,” Stewart says. “But it was also a discussion that we had within the team. It's so difficult nowadays for teams to focus on everything. Either you're a GC team, you're a Classics team or you're a sprint team.

“There's very few teams nowadays that are going to Grand Tours and targeting a GC and also sprint stages.”

“So it kind of shifted the focus from that GC focus to stage-hunting, and I think it's been really positive for the team. It takes away a lot of the pressure from GC, which is a lot of pressure and it allows guys to focus on the days that suit them best and what suits us best as a team.”

Becoming the world’s best lead out man

After racing the first part of the year in support of fellow Brit Ethan Vernon, Stewart linked up with Girmay for the first time at the Baloise Belgium Tour, guiding him to a stage win on the opening day. Stewart says that the pair have gelled well together and that Girmay “knows what he wants and how he wants to execute sprints.”

Having started his career with Groupama-FDJ chasing his own opportunities, Stewart has settled into a lead-out role as he has matured. He admitted that the pressure of sprinting for himself had been tough to handle at times and he has started to see a sports psychologist.

Now 27, Stewart is in his prime years as an athlete, and wants to build a reputation for his ability to deliver his sprinter to the line.

“My biggest ambition is to develop myself into one of the best lead out guys, the best last man in the world,” Stewart says.

“I think my characteristics as a bike racer suit that last man role rather than winning myself in these big bunch of gallops…If I do carry on progressing the way that I am, then I can kind of put myself in that realm of being one of the best last men in the world.”

“That's definitely something that I'm striving to try and achieve. Obviously the Tour de France is the biggest stage to be able to show that on and execute that on. If I do a good enough job and Bini comes away with a stage win or two, then it's going to be a successful Tour de France for me.”

You started the season with a stage win in Australia. Was it a good winter's training?

Really good. I shut down last season in early October, as I knew I was doing the Tour Down Under. In November, those of us going to Australia had a two-week training camp, riding 30-hour weeks. I came off that big endurance block well, and then did some track races at Grenchen [in Switzerland] in December. The plan was to copy a similar build-up to what I did with Quick-Step a few years ago: a big overload training camp into an intense track block. It worked well again.

How is this team different from Quick-Step?

I was the third sprinter in my two years at Quick-Step and it was the perfect stepping stone to where I'm at now. At this team, I have been given the opportunity to become a leader and have a more tailored race programme.

The best thing about NSN is that some of my best mates are here and the culture is really similar to what it's like on the track squad.

What are your aims for this season?

On my day, I can comfortably beat second-tier sprinters, but I want to be beating the very best. Finishing second twice in Vuelta a España stages last year really fired me up, and my goal before I retire is to win a stage in all three Grand Tours, alongside an Olympic gold medal. I'll ride the Giro d'Italia and maybe the Vuelta this year.

How will you fit track into your calendar in the coming years?

Claiming team pursuit silver in Paris and being so close to gold gave me a taste of what it could be like, so I want to be at Los Angeles 2028. But I won't ride too much track until 2028, as my focus is on the road and winning Grand Tour stages. That said, if it fits, I may ride track at the Commonwealth Games this summer.

ETHAN VERNON'S TRAINING DIARY

The week: 5-11 January
Training for: Tour Down Under
Location: Andorra

Monday
AM: Endurance ride; PM: Sauna

Today was a basic five-hour endurance ride on the flat roads in Spain, where it was 10 degrees warmer than in Andorra. In the afternoon, I spent 25 minutes in the gym's sauna to acclimatise for Australia.
Total riding time: 5hr

Tuesday
Rest day

I tend to alternate what I do on rest days: completely off the bike for one - like this one - then a small ride on the other. To prepare for the time difference in Australia, as a team we were using an app called Timeshifter, which calculates when you should start adapting to the time zone. It meant going to sleep and waking up 30 minutes earlier every day during this week. Did it work? A bit.
Total riding time: Ohr

Wednesday
AM: Tabata Intervals; PM: Sauna

My coach Liam Holohan calls this the Tabata Mix. It consists of three 10-minute blocks behind an e-bike to replicate race pace. In the first one, it's 40 seconds on, 20 seconds off; the second is 30-30s, and the third block is 20-40s. Later in the day, I went in the sauna again for 25 minutes.
Total riding time: 3hr 30 mins

Total riding time: 3hr 30min

Thursday
AM: Sprint session; PM: Heat training

Most weeks, I do a 10-minute ramp effort to threshold - my FTP is around 400 watts - up a climb, then watch my heart rate drift for 90 seconds. It's to check how I'm progressing. After doing that, I had a Zone 2 tempo session that included seven finishing sprints of 10 to 20 seconds, with a team-mate leading me out at peak speed for 20 seconds. Half of our team is based in Andorra, which allows us to practise our leadouts. In the afternoon, I rode really easy, sitting at 140 watts for 45 minutes on the turbo in the paint suit.
Total riding time: 3hr 30min

Friday
AM: Endurance ride; PM: Sauna

I did a basic ride sitting between Zones 1 and 2, with an average of 230 watts, followed by 25 minutes in the sauna. I'd like to do more heat training, but I do suffer quite a bit, so we have to manage how much. It clearly works, as I went on to win in Australia on the hottest day of the year.
Total riding time: 4hr

Saturday
Cafe ride

This was just a very easy spin to the cafe with some mates. In the winter, there's too much snow to do much else in Andorra, but on rest days in the summer I'll often go into the woods and tracks around La Massana and ride my e-mountain bike. I'll put it into turbo mode and barely turn the pedals - it's a lot of fun and doesn't tire me out. Total riding time: 1hr

Sunday
AM: Recovery ride and heat training; PM: Gym

I rode outside for an hour really easy, and then did 45 minutes in the paint suit. In the afternoon, I went to the gym for an hour and 15 minutes, doing all the usual stuff: squats, leg press, calf raises.
Total riding: 1hr 45min

TOTAL RIDING: 18HR 45MIN

WEEK'S WISDOM

Heat adaptation doesn't require high-tech methods. Look at how Vernon prepared for Australia: simply by adding short sauna sessions and easy turbo rides in a paint suit. The principle is straightforward: expose your body to heat regularly so it learns to cope. It won't be long before the UK weather starts to warm up - why not get ready for it? Who knows, it might give you the edge on those first sunny club rides!

It has been 351 days since Stevie Williams took the start line in a bike race, and 201 days since his NSN Cycling team-mate Joe Blackmore did the same.

Both Britons are yet to compete for their rebranded team this season, and with the Ardennes Classics approaching, the week where both of them have previously made their names – Williams won La Flèche Wallonne in 2024, four days after Blackmore won the under-23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège – mystery has surrounded both riders' race programmes.

Amid growing fan concern, NSN Cycling released a statement on Thursday evening explaining that Williams and Blackmore are sidelined for medical reasons.

“Stevie Williams is continuing intensive rehabilitation for a recovering quadriceps tendinopathy with a plan to progress back to full training in the next four to six weeks,” the team said.

“Joe Blackmore will undergo further specialist consultations in the next week in the UK and Belgium to investigate persistent knee pain in training which has kept him from the start line this year.”

Williams’s last event came in May 2025 at the one-day Eschborn-Frankfurt, one of just 16 race days he rode last season.

In an interview with Cycling Weekly in November, he explained he woke up with a “sharp pain” at the top of his right knee after competing in Australia’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in February. This was later diagnosed as quadriceps tendinopathy, the inflammation of the tendon of the muscle that attaches to the top of the knee, which can leave the fibres too weak to cope with the load of activity.

“Right now, I don’t care if I’m flying on the bike, I just want to be pain free and healthy,” said Williams, whose first WorldTour years in 2019 and 2020 were dogged by a tendon issue in his left knee.

“I have a lot of motivation to come back, I’m fighting and working hard. Fingers crossed everything will fall into line soon. When my first knee injury happened six years ago, I thought my career was done – and it wasn’t. The body can do some extraordinary things.”

Williams issued a further update on Instagram in January: “I’m still currently trying to figure out the combinations to get my knee back in working order. There’s highs and lows like anything, I’m sure I’ll overcome this one too.”

Less is known about Blackmore's injury. The 23-year-old last competed at the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda, where he started but did not finish the men’s elite road race. He previously shot to fame in 2024 when he became the first British rider to win the Tour de l’Avenir, the week-long under-23 precursor to the Tour de France.

As yet, NSN Cycling has not confirmed a racing return date for either Williams or Blackmore.

The UCI has slapped a five-week ban on a NSN development team cyclist who punched a fellow rider in the head during the Salverda Bouw Ster van Zwolle race last month.

New Zealander Kiaan Watts was caught on camera delivering a "closed-fist blow" to the helmet of Marijn Maas (BEAT CC p/b Saxo) during the race in the Netherlands.

The indecent, which was caught on camera, happened just over 33 kilometres out from the finish of the 1:2 race, when Watts, who was riding at the front of the peloton, took his right hand off the handlebars and angrily punched Maas. The Dutchman wobbled, but remained upright and both riders continued cycling, with Watts, clearly infuriated by something that had happened earlier, continuing to seethe and mutter expletives.

The Kiwi rider later said that he believed the Dutchman had earlier spat at him, but Mass denies this. Maas ultimately finished in 79^th place, in a race won by Belgian rider Mathis Avondts (Parkhotel Valkenburg), while Watts was disqualified by race officials, fined 200 Swiss francs and docked 25 UCI points.

Watts, who quickly apologised and said his actions were a moment of madness, was immediately reprimanded by his team for his violent action when the footage emerged, and the 24-year-old rider was swiftly banned by his bosses from taking part in the Dorpenomloop Rucphen the following day.

The UCI's announcement yesterday acknowledged NSN’s swift action and confirmed that the team’s self-imposed one-day ban will count towards the rider’s overall period of suspension, which will last to 2 May 2026.

“The UCI issues a reminder that, as holders of UCI licences and members of the cycling community, riders enjoy rights and assume responsibilities aimed at promoting the values of cycling and protecting the integrity of the sport," the statement added.

The New Zealander is an experienced athlete who has been on the development squad for NSN Cycling for the last three years, and has previously ridden for Israel Premier Tech, including in World Tour races.

Brady Gilmore (NSN Cycling) took the victory on the final stage of the Volta a Catalunya around the traditional Montjuïc circuit, beating Dorian Godon (Ineos Grenadiers) on the bike throw in the final sprint to prevent the Frenchman from taking his third stage win of the race.

Attacks from the GC contenders had animated the stage, but none of them were able to stay away, meaning that a reduced peloton came to the finish in Barcelona. Coming off the descent of the final climb, the Australian rider put himself into a good position on the wheel of Godon and was able to emerge from the slipstream to snatch the win on the line.

“I’ve been thinking about it since yesterday,” said Gilmore in his post-race interview. “If there was a small group over the top and I could be there, knowing exactly where to open my sprint from watching the previous years, really studying it. I think about winning every day and that’s all I want to do, so to finally get a WorldTour win feels amazing.”

The race ignited after the early breakaway of five riders was caught on the third of seven ascents of the Alt del Castell de Montjuïc, with Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) twice attempting to go off the front, whilst overall leader Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) was attentive in marking moves.

In the end though, none of the attacks were able to gain enough cooperation to go clear, with Vingegaard finishing safely in the front group along with all of the other GC contenders to secure the overall victory, with no changes in the top ten of the general classification.

“My main focus today was the GC,” said Vingegaard after the race. “I think the Red Bull guys did a very good job today, they made me be there alone and they tried to attack me on shifts, so they did a good job. Luckily I was able to defend myself and the GC. From there it was more thinking about the GC rather than trying to win the stage.”

On the week as a whole the Danish rider said, “It’s been a really nice week, together with a really nice team. We had a lot of fun. We won two stages and now the GC, so it’s been a really good week and I’m super happy with it. It’s been an amazing start to the year for me and I hope I can keep it going.”

“I feel very good at the moment,” he continued. “My shape is very good, but not the very best yet. We made a plan this year to progressively get better over the year, so I’m pretty sure I still have more in me.”

After his overall victory at Paris-Nice earlier this month, Vingegaard backed up that performance in Catalunya and now looks to be in imperious form, with his first major objective of the Giro d’Italia just over two months away.

Results

Volta a Catalunya 2026: Stage Seven, Barcelona > Barcelona (95km)

1. Brady Gilmore (Aus) NSN Cycling, in 2:06:44
2. Dorian Godon (Fra) Ineos Grenadiers
3. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe
4. David González (Esp) Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling
5. Antoine L'Hote (Fra) Decathlon CMA CGM
6. Senna Remijn (Ned) Alpecin-Premier Tech
7. Luca Vergallito (Ita) Alpecin-Premier Tech
8. Simone Gualdi (Ita) Lotto Intermarché
9. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Bahrain Victorious
10. Henok Mulubrhan (Eri) XDS Astana, all at same time

General Classification after Stage Seven

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, in 25:56:36
2. Lenny Martinez (Fra) Bahrain Victorious, +1:22
3. Florian Lipowitz (Ger) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +1:30
4. Valentin Paret-Peintre (Fra) Soudal Quick-Step, +1:43
5. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, +2:13
6. Felix Gall (Aut) Decathlon CMA CGM, +3:17
7. Matthias Skelmose (Den) Lidl-Trek, +4:11
8. Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel) Movistar, +5:20
9. Matthew Riccitello (USA) Decathlon CMA CGM, +5:25
10. Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost, +5:36

British sprinter Ethan Vernon won his second WorldTour race of 2026 on Thursday, victorious on the shortened stage four at the Volta a Catalunya.

The NSN Cycling rider was one of the hot favourites on what became a sprint stage, and led the sprint in to the final 200m, with Dorian Godon (Ineos Grenadiers) unable to come round. Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5) finished third.

Godon continued in the race lead as a result, with Pidcock moving up to second overall, jumping over Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) due to bonus seconds.

Vernon has now won three stages at Catalunya, out of 14 pro wins. It was his second WorldTour victory of the year after winning at the Tour Down Under in January.

"It hasn't gone to plan for us the first few days, and then we were gifted an other opportunity last night," Vernon said post-stage. "The boys really committed and this one means an extra lot for everyone. It wasn't meant to be today, and I'm super happy with the boys, and another win at Catalunya.

"It's super special, my first pro win was here in 2022 with Quick-Step and now my third win here with NSN. It's the home race of our new sponsors NSN, so I guess this one is just as special as the other two."

The stage had been shortened due to high winds, which took out the hors categorie summit finish, making a bunch sprint almost certain.

"I think we wanted to control it for a sprint, and in the end, quite a small break went, which played to the favour of me as a sprinter, because it meant the day was a bit slower than normal," he continued. "It played into the hands of the fast men at the end, and we made the most of it.

"We saw the new plan last night on VeloViewer, we studied it a lot and made a new plan. The plan was to go into the roundabout in first, that was super close to the finish. Normally you'd start your sprint before the roundabout, but the first race was to go into the roundabout first, and then everyone stayed in the same position coming out of it."

An NSN Development Team rider was disqualified from the Salverda Bouw Ster van Zwolle race on Saturday after punching another rider in the head.

With 33km until the finish of the Belgian 1.2 race, Kiaan Watts struck out at Marijn Maas (BEAT CC p/b Saxo) as the pair raced at the front of the bunch. Watts waved his arm again, but Maas stayed upright, suffering only a small wobble, in a move captured on camera.

“NSN Development Team deeply regrets the actions of Kiaan Watts today at the Salverda Bouw Ster van Zwolle race,” a spokesperson for the team said in an Instagram story.

“The team expects that its riders race in a sporting and professional manner at all times and wishes to extend an apology to Marijn Maas, the BEAT CC p/b Saxo team, race organisers, and the UCI commissaires.

“As a result, the team has decided to remove Kiaan from Dorpenomloop Rucphen tomorrow to give him time to reflect on his actions and the consequences.”

The consequences for the 24-year-old rider could be more far-reaching. Already disqualified by race officials and suspended by his team, Watts may face further disciplinary action from the UCI too, including a fine for violent behaviour. This could lead to a ban.

The rider from New Zealand has, for the last three years, been on the development squad for NSN Cycling, and has made recent appearances at pro races, including the recent Le Samyn.

It’s not unheard of for mild violence to break out during races. In 2018, Gianni Moscon was banned for five weeks after punching Elie Gesbert at the Tour de France. Four years before that, Gianluca Brambilla and Ivan Rovny were both disqualified from the Vuelta a España for fighting mid-race.

However, the team, the UCI and fans alike can clearly see the danger of such an outburst, both for Maas, and for the bunch following at high-speeds behind.

Biniam Girmay has said it is "great to be back" after he won on debut for NSN Cycling, and the first time since 2024, at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana on Wednesday.

The Eritrean moved from Intermarché-Wanty over the winter, and repaid his new team at the first opportunity on stage one of Valenciana.

It ended a barren run for the 25-year-old, who last tasted victory for the first time since the 2024 Tour de France, where he won the green jersey. There were a dozen top-five finishes last season, including at the Tour, but no success. However, that drought has now been ended.

"I struggled last year, and got second many times, but it was not enough," he said post-race. "I'm just super-happy, motivated and looking forward to 2026. It's great to be back."

"This is just my second time in a race lead, and being in the lead here in Valenciana gives me good memories.

"To be honest, they surprised us on the climb, but I was in a good position and we managed to have someone in the front to keep an eye on what's going on. Pellizzari was super-strong; he had 20 seconds til the last kilometre, but thanks to my teammates bringing him back, we managed to catch him and win. So this victory for them."

A bunch sprint looked in danger after Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) attacked with 18km to go, and was only reeled in in the closing kilometre. After Ben Turner (Ineos Grenadiers) launched the sprint, Girmay had the speed to round him to victory, and held off Arne Marit (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) and Giovanni Lonardi (Polti VisitMalta).

Red Bull showed their intent by setting a fierce pace on the sole classified climb of the day, the Puerto de los Madroños. They have Remco Evenepoel at the race, whose 100% win record in 2026 ended on Wednesday, although he will have the opportunity to taste a win again in an individual time trial on Thursday.

The other event of note was Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) crashing out of the race, who was then taken to hospital for assessment.

As we hit January, it is more than the time for pro cycling teams to release their new kits for 2026. For some, this is the best part of the year, before the reality of racing gets involved, when we can just imagine how good the jerseys will look on the road.

Rather than writing up each team individually, we thought it would work better if we collated them together, unless someone does something mad. When all the kits are out, we can do our usual arbitrary evaluation of them too, so do look out for that. In this guide, we will cover all the WorldTour teams, and notable other squads, but not all, otherwise it will get a bit overwhelming, apart from particular exceptions.

If you would rather find out which team riders will be appearing for next year, rather than what they will be wearing, you can find that on our comprehensive transfer guide for 2026 too.

Teams have also changed names – Israel-Premier Tech to NSN Cycling, Alpecin-Deceuninck to Alpecin-Premier Tech, and Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale to Decathlon CMA CGM and more – so that will have an impact on the kits too.

While teams will have tried to keep the fresh designs under wraps, a few have leaked into the public domain. However, this list will only have confirmed designs. So far, those who are fans of garish outfits should be pleased.

So far, we are only certain of a few kits for next season, but more will appear in the coming weeks or days. We'll update this as we go!

Picnic PostNL

If I were to play spot the difference, I would be hard pushed with the 2026 Picnic PostNL kit. It remains navy and orange, with the 'Keep Challenging' stripes, and the name is the same too. There are a couple of new sponsors on there, and this is apparently different, but that's it.

As the press release says: "Clear and vibrant amongst the colourful peloton: fans, commentators and pundits alike won’t have to re-adjust for the 2026 campaign as they can expect to see the two orange stripes from those helicopter shots on even the foggiest of days."

Pinarello-Q36.5

It's a continuation of navy for the renamed Pinarello-Q36.5, but no white sleeves this year. Instead, this smart jersey is fully navy, with fancy gold accents. The bikes don't look bad either...

According to Q36.5's founder, Luigi Bergamo: "The new jersey design evolves the visual language we began developing last season to reflect the Italian values of premium, daring, design that we share with Pinarello.

"The result is a kit that allows our riders to feel, from the very first moment they pull on the kit, that they are part of something special and unique: the only team in the professional peloton founded and powered by Italian technical partners. We can’t wait to see this jersey (and our iconic Dottore bib shorts!) racing sharp at the front of the bunch."

Jayco AlUla and Liv AlUla Jayco

MAAP entered WorldTour cycling with their Jayco AlUla and Liv AlUla Jayco kits, and have stuck to their theme from 2025 with this purple – sorry, "Aurora" – jersey, paired with dark grey shorts.

The new addition is the flame motif, which stretches to the socks, which is a bit of fun.

MAAP's creative director, Misha Glisovic, said: "MAAP has always been driven to push the boundaries. It’s core to who we are and how we see our place in the sport. We want to use design to broaden the appeal of pro cycling, nudging the sport towards something more stylish and aspirational. Ultimately, we want to be true to our values at MAAP, and GreenEDGE shares this vision."

Human Powered Health

Women's WorldTour squad Human Powered Health have partnered with Verge Sport for their new kit. The new design keeps the orange/red/purple that we have become used to for the team, but in a new pattern, which is called 'Tailwind'. It's designed "to embody speed, motion, and momentum".

The press release says the jersey has a "rich, sweeping warm-to-cool colour gradient that represents Human Powered Health’s Pillars of Performance". It'll be paired with black shorts.

Lotto-Intermarché

The newly merged Lotto-Intemarché go with the red of Lotto for 2026. The kit is a dark-ish red, paired with black shorts, and there isn't really too much more to say about it. It's smart!

According to the statement: "In terms of colour, both main sponsors, Intermarché and Lotto, were already allies: their brand colours red and black dominate the design. The meaningful, subtle fingerprint pattern further strengthens the bold look."

Bahrain Victorious

Bahrain Victorious have been red, orange, purple, and white, but never blue. That changes in 2026, when the team, now riding Bianchi bikes, will be in navy blue with teal sleeves.

The press release reveals deeper meanings: "At the heart of the kit sits a deep navy, a colour that has been part of the team’s identity since its foundation. Subtly woven into the design is a faint “X” that crosses the jersey, the Roman numeral representing ten years in the sport.

"On the sleeves of the jersey, Bianchi’s iconic Celeste is distinctly featured, perfectly matching the shallow blue waters and teal tones that represent Bahrain’s two seas."

Visma-Lease a Bike

The men and women of Visma-Lease a Bike will continue in yellow for 2026, wearing a kit made by Nimbl, who are more known for their cycling shoes.

According to Francesco Matrone, graphic designer at Nimbl: "In a WorldTour context, design must be essential, intentional, and instantly recognizable. One of our key goals was to create a visual identity that's identifiable at speed and reflects performance and clarity. It must be unmistakably Visma-Lease a Bike. Every graphic element is functional, integrated, and designed to perform under pressure.”

EF Pro Cycling

EF Education–EasyPost and EF Education–Oatly will remain pink next year, but have switched kit suppliers from Rapha to Assos.

Assos says the 2026 kit reflects a "forward-looking mindset" with a "bold colour palette" that evolves EF Pro Cycling’s unmistakable visual identity while introducing "a new, almost other-worldly energy to the peloton."

The silver bits are fun, and pink is always good to me – I just wonder what's going to happen when the Giro d'Italia comes around.

Alpecin-Premier Tech and Fenix-Premier Tech

It's a brand new name for Alpecin-Premier Tech and Fenix-Premier Tech – no more Deceuninck – but not a completely new kit, with similar vibes for the WorldTour and Women's WorldTour teams. The men's team has a kit made by Kalas, which is the same blue as before, more or less, but with a bit more of a light grading across the chest.

The women's team, meanwhile, wear a kit made by Alé, which is pretty similar to the orange of 2025, and there doesn't seem to be the green and blue options from before.

Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto

Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto are usually found in a bold, colourful kit, and next season is no different. This is Luminous, designed by Mckenzie Sampson and made by Canyon. It takes a dark purple base and merges it with turquoise, pink, coral and red.

Sampson said: "I’ve always found Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto to be an aspiring light within the peloton. They’re a team that gives a unique platform to a diverse set of riders across the globe to get their big break in cycling. To visually illustrate that sense of light and hope, we wanted the kit design to be bold yet convey the right balance of contrasting light, unique patterns, and rich saturated moments of colour."

AG Insurance-Soudal

AG Insurance-Soudal have mostly the same kit as their brother team Soudal Quick-Step, just with different sponsors. There is a new logo, too: Datashift, a Belgian leader in data solutions and strategy.

It's a blue base, with green accents across, with a white band across the chest for AG Insurance.

Ineos Grenadiers

There was rumour and speculation that it might happen, but now it is official... Ineos Grenadiers will be wearing WHITE yes WHITE shorts next season. Well, it's technically 'light grey', but come on.

Orange is the main colour on the jersey for the first time, after various blues and reds, but it is the white that stands out. It's as striking, if not more so, as AG2R's famous brown shorts, and we wonder how the riders are feeling about it...

The press release says: "The design was created with a clear purpose: immediate recognition. The exclusive use of this orange ensures a striking presence in the peloton, while the white panels on the lower sections add balance and clarity, allowing the leading colour to shine with harmonious strength. The result is a sophisticated, functional and memorable kit."

Apparently: "Orange is the new uniqueness. Orange is the new icon." Read our opinion on it here.

Soudal Quick-Step

It's evolution not revolution for Soudal Quick-Step in 2026, who have a similar kit to this season, but green rather than white as the accent colour, along with the classic blue.

According to the team: "The new design incorporates a vivid electric-lime element, a deliberate move inspired by the Shine for Safety visibility campaign launched during this year’s Ardennes Classics."

There is a lot more green on the back, which will help them stand out, apparently. It's a nice wavy pattern. The kit is designed and made by Castelli.

FDJ United-SUEZ

If you're thinking "I've seen this kit before", you would be right. FDJ United-SUEZ will be wearing their 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift kit full-time next year. It's largely black, with an explosion of red and blue on the chest.

The press release says about the Gobik kit: "The jersey reflects the unseen hours of the sport: training sessions before dawn, rides in the rain, the fear and doubts of a jour sans. In contrast, a vivid halo of light rises on the chest, symbolising the inner spark that transforms sacrifice into brilliance at the moment of victory.

Demi Vollering won't be in this kit, given the Dutchwoman is European champion.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG

UAE Team Emirates-XRG rarely mix the colour palette up too much, and 2026 will be no different – it's largely white, with black and red trim, but it definitely has changed since last season.

The Pissei kit, handcrafted at the brand's Italian Custom Lab, has some fun geometric patterns on the stormach of the jersey, with black on the arms too. Don't expect to see Tadej Pogačar in this one, however, considering he is world champion.

Movistar

It's a second year in a row in white for Movistar, who have ditched the navy box across the chest for this cleaner offering. There is the classic M on the front, and some accents across the rest of the front.

Apparently: "Gobik sought a futuristic aesthetic, an evolution that projects innovation and performance on a white base. Technological textures, iridescent graphics and subtle transparencies were combined to create a striking design that reflects the identity and avant-garde spirit of the team." Avant-garde. Right.

Lidl-Trek

Lidl-Trek's kit is different. Definitely. There's less red on the front, more blue, and there's a new sponsor on the front, but it is, essentially, the same as last year. There's nothing wrong with that! It's a good kit! "Our favourite colours" is what the team said. Keep it simple. The men and women use the same kit, which is good.

The team say: "With a fresh twist on a fan-favorite design, Santini have delivered again with the 2026 Lidl-Trek kit. Pairing the ultimate fabrics with playful colours, the latest design delivers looks as well as performance."

Decathlon CMA CGM

Sadly, there's no exciting bumf to go with the new Decathlon CMA CGM kit, but with a new name comes a new colour - red. The brown shorts are sadly still in the dustbin of history, with new sponsors CMA CGM bringing the new colour. One sleeve is still teal (?) while the other is a lot darker, rather than the dark blue it was before.

Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe

Now, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe's kit is yet to be officially announced, but seeing as all the riders in the plane stunt were wearing a new kit, let's assume this is the new one for 2026. It's a lot whiter than before, with royal blue sleeves, and less navy. It is similar to the special kit they used at the Tour de France this season.

SD Worx-Protime

SD Worx-Protime have veered away from the purple and pinks of recent years, and instead will race in this primary colour-heavy jersey which is called "New Dawn"

It's designed by Specialized, and is paired with black shorts. Notably, Lotte Kopecky will be racing in it, no longer being world, European, or Belgian champion, for once.

According to the press release: "The new jersey reflects the team’s and sponsors’ ongoing drive for innovation. Standing still is not an option – continuously reinventing ourselves in every aspect is a core value at SD Worx-Protime. The new design symbolises our rich history through the spark, now multiplied and displayed in various shades. This emphasises the team’s slogan: we spark success."

NSN Cycling

The team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech have become NSN Cycling, and will be wearing a busy kit next season, with a base of sky blue and orange. The jury is out over whether this will be easy to notice or to lose in the peloton. They're also riding Scott bikes now.

If you want to know why it looks like this, the press release says: "It's designed by Stijn Dossche of stycle.design, is inspired by the Mediterranean city from which the team’s new identity has been forged.

"Its design blends geometry, colour blocks, and patterns reminiscent of contemporary Barcelona - a city that never stands still, where tradition meets modernity, where Mediterranean light becomes art, and movement becomes identity."

Just in time for the Tour de France Grand Départ in July, then – that's in Barça.

Groupama-FDJ United

Another new name, though less dramatic, is Groupama-FDJ United. The French stalwarts are slow to change their kits, normally, and the same is true next year. It's the fetching number they wore at this year's Tour, although it's now made by Bioracer rather than Alé. Essentially, it's royal blue with a red accent sleeve.

Cofidis

Cofidis are another French team barely changing their kit for 2026. The men's and women's teams, now both ProTeams, will use the same red and yellow jersey as this season, although the shades might have been slightly altered, and the sponsors have moved around a bit.

Stephen Williams’ victory at last year’s La Flèche Wallonne epitomised just how much adversity he can handle. Through freezing rain and a snow flurry, he had the reserves and punch to beat his remaining hardy rivals on the Mur de Huy. The biggest win of his career was part of a breakthrough 2024 year of six victories.

The Welshman has been back in the eye of a different storm this season. He is suffering with quadriceps tendinopathy in his right knee, which flared up after his return from racing Australia’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in February. “Everything was normal. A couple of days later, I woke up and had this sharp pain on the top of my patella. Nine months later, I’m still in this battle,” the NSN Cycling rider tells Cycling Weekly.

The injury is inflammation of the tendon of the muscle that attaches to the top of the knee, connecting the vastus medialis and the vastus lateralis. It means Williams’ tendon fibres are not strong enough to cope with the load of activity.

After a two-month break from competition, Williams soldiered on, but having “hardly trained”, he failed to finish this year’s Flèche Wallonne. He has not raced since May 1 and has barely been able to cycle. “It’s one of those injuries that’s going to be seen in smaller steps rather than big changes over a few days,” he says.

The 29-year-old, who shines in punchy classics and one-week stage races, has struggled to string together consistent seasons so far in his career. As a new WorldTour pro with Bahrain-Merida in 2019 and 2020, his first seasons were severely truncated by a persistent tendon issue in his left knee. “I never thought I’d go through something similar again. It’s safe to say this one has been twice as hard,” Williams says.

The highs he enjoyed in 2024, including Tour Down Under and Tour of Britain triumphs, has made this setback even more difficult. “It was a great year in so many ways,” he says. “One thing I will say is the lows of cycling are way, way worse than the highs of winning. It doesn’t come close. Winning is the greatest thing, it’s beautiful. But when you’re injured, off the bike, it’s absolutely devastating.”

“Frustration is the key word. Any injury is hard to deal with for an athlete, but the hardest one is soft tissue, ligament, tendon issues - and I’ve had two. They’re so difficult to manage. Even in the medical world, millions and millions [of pounds] is thrown into the study and knowledge of tendons, and they’re still really unsure how they work and respond.”

Watching his friends and teammates go training or racing without him, Williams’ days consist of gym physiotherapy work. Having lost most of the muscle mass in his right quad after surgery in early September, he has been doing a lot of isometric, eccentric work, building up strength in his lower back, glutes and quads.

Following surgery, he can ride for 30 minutes gently on a turbo trainer. “I miss riding on the road, with the boys and being in a normal training cycle,” he says.

Williams paid tribute to the “unbelievable” support and patience shown to him by [what was] Israel-Premier Tech, working with him in his Andorra home, which is set to become a WorldTour team next year.

However, it will be with a different name as it was announced last month that the team is rebranding, and will now be NSN Cycling. “Like everyone knows, I think it’s going to be a very different team. I think we’re all excited for a new era,” Williams says.

His career goals remain the Ardennes Classics and a Tour de France stage win. Whether he will be on the start lines of those races in 2026 is a big unknown. In the short-term, Williams hopes to be back on the road by Christmas and to conquer his injury. “Right now, I don’t care if I’m flying on the bike, I just want to be pain free and healthy,” he says.

“I have a lot of motivation to come back, I’m fighting and working hard. Fingers crossed everything will fall into line soon. When my first knee injury happened six years ago, I thought my career was done – and it wasn’t. The body can do some extraordinary things.”

This article originally appeared in Cycling Weekly magazine on 27 November 2025. Subscribe now and never miss an issue.

Scott is the new bike supplier of the rebranded Israel-Premier Tech team, now named NSN Cycling, it was announced on Wednesday.

The news confirms reports that Factor Bikes has parted ways with the team after six seasons, following a year marred by protests.

Scott's sponsorship marks a return to the WorldTour for the Swiss company, as NSN Cycling step up to the top tier from 2026. The brand was absent from cycling's highest level of racing this year after it was replaced by Lapierre at Picnic PostNL.

Scott spent this season supplying to ProTeam Q36.5 Pro Cycling, who will switch to Pinarello from 2026.

NSN's deal with Scott has been described as a "multi-year sponsorship", with no exact duration specified.

“It is a privilege to support NSN Cycling Team and a roster of athletes, staff and sponsors united in their ambition and pursuit of excellence,” said Pascal Ducrot, co-CEO of Scott, in a press release.

“With our long racing heritage, we celebrate Scott's return to the UCI WorldTour with the team, where our world-class products will support these talented athletes to perform on the sport’s biggest stages.”

Riding as Israel-Premier Tech this season, the team was the subject of repeated protests in response to Israel's war in Gaza. The squad was targeted particularly at the Vuelta a España, where four stages were shortened, including two where no winner was declared.

Following the race, the founder of then bike supplier Factor, Rob Gitelis, threatened to leave the team unless it changed name and racing nationality. "It's not a matter of right or wrong anymore," Gitelis told Cyclingnews. "It's become too controversial around our brand."

The team has since undergone a full rebrand, and announced in early October that it was "moving away from its current Israeli identity".

As part of the changes, Israel-Premier Tech became NSN Cycling, an acronym for 'Never Say Never', now backed by the sports and entertainment company with the same name, as well as the Swiss investment bank Stoneweg.

The team also changed its registered nationality to Swiss – the same as its new bike partner, Scott.

“This partnership with Scott marks an exciting step forward for NSN Cycling Team,” said Kjell Carlström, the team's general manager.

“We are proud to embark on this journey with Scott ahead of what is going to be an incredibly exciting season for the team.”

The team will use the brand's Foil RC road bike and Plasma RC time trial bike.

NSN Cycling also announced earlier this week that it had signed Biniam Girmay, the winner of the green jersey at the 2024 Tour de France, on a three-year deal.

Approached for comment by Cycling Weekly, a spokesperson for Factor Bikes said the brand has "no announcement" at this time.

Days after it was announced he was leaving Intermarché-Wanty, Biniam Girmay has been revealed as an NSN Cycling rider.

The Eritrean joins the team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech on a three-year deal, a press release on Monday morning said. He will be "a marquee rider ahead of a bold new era for the team".

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Biniam to NSN Cycling Team," general manager Kjell Carlström said. "Not only will 2026 mark a new chapter for the team, but it also represents one for Biniam and I couldn’t think of a better time to embark on a new chapter together.

"Biniam represents everything we love about cycling. His talent is obvious, but his humility and drive are what make him an extraordinary cyclist. From the first conversation, it was clear he shares our vision both on and off the bike and I have no doubt he will be a fantastic fit and will be a leader of our team, inspiring our riders and the entire cycling community."

Girmay himself said: "I’m really happy to be here, especially with a new atmosphere and a new beginning, for me and for the team. As a rider, I always like to have a good environment, especially inside the team and I already heard a lot of positive things from my new teammates. When I look back at the last two years of the team, the team has improved so much. There is a really good team spirit.

"Looking at the team’s sprint train, they were always really strong, especially how they stayed together and motivated each other. I heard them many times during races, motivating each other so much, so I’m really looking forward to working together. I see a great opportunity with NSN Cycling Team and I feel that this is the best thing for my future."

The sprinter, a three-time Tour de France stage winner, had a contract with Intermarché-Wanty which ran until 2028, but amid the Lotto-Intermarché merger, has been allowed to leave.

After joining that team in 2021 from DELKO, Girmay became the first black African man to win a Grand Tour stage at the Giro d'Italia in 2022, and went on to become the first African male to win the green jersey at the Tour in 2024, when he won three stages. He also made history by winning Gent-Wevelgem in 2022.

However, Girmay said his eyes are on the future, not on what he has achieved in the past. "To be honest, I never look back at what I achieved. I always look to the future," he said. "I always care what the next step is. What’s done is already done, so I don’t want to look back or be satisfied. I always want to do more. My main objective for the future, because I’m still only 25, is simple – to win bike races.

"I really love to win at the Classics, and, for the moment, I only won Gent–Wevelgem so I still want to achieve more together with the team. I believe one day we can win one of the biggest races in cycling together."

NSN Cycling was created earlier this month after the Israel-Premier Tech licence was bought. The squad is expected to be at WorldTour level next year.

Biniam Girmay has terminated his contract early with Intermarché-Wanty ahead of an expected deal with NSN Cycling, the team formerly known as Israel-Premier Tech.

The Eritrean sprinter, a three-time Tour de France stage winner, had a contract with the Belgian team which ran until 2028, but amid the Lotto-Intermarché merger, has been allowed to leave.

“It has been a wonderful journey for me with Intermarché-Wanty," Girmay said in a statement. "I am still grateful for the belief they showed in me five years ago and for giving me the chance to become a World Tour rider.

"Over these years, we built a strong bond based on mutual trust and grew together, step by step, from a lower profile to the top level of world cycling. Along the way, we worked hard and pushed each other to keep improving. We achieved great things and showed what is possible when everyone is aligned.

"I truly enjoyed working with this team — the riders, the staff, and the management — everyone contributed something important. At times, we have to embrace change. Now it is time for a new chapter, I want to thank everyone at Intermarché-Wanty for the past five seasons."

After joining the team in 2021 from DELKO, Girmay became the first black African man to win a Grand Tour stage at the Giro d'Italia in 2022, and went on to become the first African male to win the green jersey at the Tour in 2024, when he won three stages. He also made history by winning Gent-Wevelgem in 2022.

He is now expected to move to NSN Cycling, although the deal is yet to be confirmed. The new entity was created last week after the Israel-Premier Tech licence was bought. The squad is expected to be at WorldTour level next year.

"I look back on many happy and memorable moments with Biniam," Jean-François Bourlart, Intermarché's CEO, said. "We are proud of the journey we shared, where we helped transform this immense talent into a key figure in world cycling. Naturally, some moments will remain forever etched in memory, such as his medal at the U23 World Championships in Leuven, his victories at Gent-Wevelgem and the Giro d’Italia.

"The win at the Circuit Franco-Belge, in front of our partners and just a stone’s throw from our Service Course, was also a highlight. And then that victory in Turin, our first on the Tour de France, and the green jersey in Nice – these are moments forever marked in our history. Yekenyeley, Biniam!"