While cycling’s transfer season doesn’t officially kick off for three more months, pro teams are constantly on the lookout for talent, and informal discussions – or even handshake agreements – happen year-round.
This season has so far been blessedly quiet of transfer-rumor drama, but as if on cue, rumors resurfaced last week (again) linking Remco Evenepoel with Ineos Grenadiers. And with recently announced contract extensions for Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Tim Merlier and Mikel Landa (Soudal-Quick Step), and word that Stefan Küng is on the move to Tudor, it’s clear that things are heating up in the transfer market.
In any season there are lots of riders on expiring deals, but this season has a particularly notable crop. Per ProCyclingStats, more than 200 riders on WorldTeams – out of 524 riders total – are out of contract at the end of 2025, headlined by Michael Matthews and (maybe) Primož Roglič, and a host of young riders on expiring rookie deals. (Roughly 200 more on ProTeams are also seeking new deals.)
Some of these names may already be off the market but we just don't know it yet – because cycling is [waves hands] cycling, there's no defined free agency period in the sport. While transfers largely can't be announced until August 1, riders and teams are free to negotiate 12 months a year, which leads to leaks like Küng's reported move to Tudor. And while contract extensions can be announced any time, some teams prefer to hold even that news close for what they view as competitive reasons. Finally, some riders, like Geraint Thomas and Romain Bardet, have announced their retirement, while still another group, including former stars like Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana, might see the decision made for them.
If you want the rundown of all 200-odd WorldTour pros looking for a deal, it's hard to beat Dan Benson's Substack newsletter. I'm tracking a narrower subset of riders: Who are the top free agents in pro cycling? What do they offer and why (since it’s May) have their teams not already re-signed them? That’s not always cause for concern as it may mask a bidding war with rival teams or a quiet period where a rider chose to pause negotiations during a major race block, but it may also indicate hesitant buyers. Here’s our (totally subjective) look at the state of the market, with talent sorted into tiers based on past results and ranked on likely market value, plus a special category just for the kids. Who did I miss? Who's overrated? Tell me in the comments.
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Not really available
At first glance there are more than a few truly marquee riders who aren't tied down yet for 2026, which would be shocking, if true. Well, it's not. While Mads Pedersen was listed as out of contract for 2025 on several sites, his agent, João Correia of Corso Sports Marketing, told Escape that was Pedersen's original contract, which has been extended. "He's been at Trek since the beginning of his pro career and has never reached the end of a contract," Correia said in an email. "I'd be surprised if we ever see Mads racing for a team that is not Lidl-Trek." Barely 24 hours later, the team announced he'd signed effectively a lifetime deal.
Likewise, EF Education-EasyPost's Richard Carapaz is listed on some sites as out of contract, but general manager Jonathan Vaughters told Escape that the team's GC centerpiece is still under contract for 2026 (as is Ben Healy, who FirstCycling shows as on an expiring deal).
Then there's Primož Roglič, who was reported in March to have extended one year with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, and his teammate Florian Lipowitz. Both are listed as out of contract on PCS and FirstCycling. The team's head of media relations, Stefan Flessner, declined to directly address both riders' contract status, telling Escape that the team's contracts "are subject to confidentiality clauses," and "as a matter of policy, we consistently refrain from disclosing specifics such as contract durations." Without clarity from the team, both are listed here but may already be locked up for 2026. Here are our top free agents, subjectively ranked within tiers:
Tier 1
Definition: Proven performers on the WorldTour level. Vets with career runway left or younger WorldTour riders who’ve already established a track record of success. It's rare for Tier 1 riders to go into a contract year without renewal, but when they do, they're usually older.
Criteria - Since Jan 1, 2024: Grand Tour top 5, Monument top 3, or multiple WT-level wins
Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)
Age: 35
Resumé: Only one of the best Grand Tour riders in a generation
The case: Roglič had a quiet start to the season but he’s getting up to pace just in time. In stage racing, few can match him: he has 23 career GC victories and since hitting his stride in 2018 is more likely to win a multi-day event than finish in any other place on the podium. Red Bull wanted him to level up the team's game and he’s done exactly that.
The knock: Face it, Roglič is probably never going to win the Tour de France. Since that wrenching loss in 2020, he’s as likely to DNF a Grand Tour as he is to win (literally: he’s won four and DNF’d four). He’s also 35, and while time hasn’t yet blunted his abilities, it will soon – because, to paraphrase Chuck Palahniuk, over a long enough timeline, everyone's W/kg falls to zero; teams will think carefully before signing anything longer than a one-year deal.
Likely fit: Roglič's skillset and price limit his available landing spots. But his age plays a role too. Again, reports from March say that Roglič has extended one year with Red Bull, but Flessner, the media relations head, declined to confirm or deny that report.
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