10 most exciting rider transfers for 2024

The transfer season has all but concluded with just a handful of major deals still in the works or set to be announced in the coming weeks. There has been a flurry of marque riders on the move in the men’s WorldTour with Primož Roglič the standout transfer after Jumbo-Visma agreed to nullify their existing contract with the Slovenian for 2024 and allow one of their stage racing leaders to move to Bora-Hansgrohe. 

There have been hundreds of transfers and contract extensions over the last few months and we’ve picked out 10 of the most exciting moves ahead of the next year’s season. 

Primož Roglič

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Primož Roglič at the Tre Valli Varesine 2023

From: Jumbo-Visma
To: Bora-Hansgrohe

After spending eight hugely successful years at Jumbo-Visma, the four-time Grand Tour winner departs for pastures new, with a two-year deal at Bora-Hansgrohe signed after the Vuelta a España. In some ways, the failed merger between Jumbo and Soudal QuickStep this autumn overshadowed the significance of Roglič's move but the transfer is a massive game-changer for all concerned. Roglič is still at the peak of his powers, and one of three or four riders in the world with legitimate claims of being a Tour de France contender. His departure certainly weakens Jumbo-Visma in the short-term, while also enhancing Bora-Hansgrohe from the periphery of Tour de France contention and into the conversation for the yellow jersey. No disrespect to Jai Hindley, who remains a world-class athlete, but Roglič has a track record like almost no other. And it’s not just in the Tour de France where the Slovenian will take it to his former employers. He’ll be a force to be reckoned with at almost every race he starts, and could prove to be a major thorn in Jumbo-Visma’s side. It’s always fascinating when a proven winner takes on his or her former squad, so expect fireworks on and off the bike as the thin veil of friendship and mutual respect quickly drops once the racing starts.

Mikel Landa

From: Bahrain Victorious
To: Soudal QuickStep

Picking up Mikel Landa was something of a coup for Patrick Lefevere, who desperately needed Grand Tour experience to help Remco Evenepoel through the sticky moments that naturally occur over the course of a three-week race. Landa ticks almost every box in that regard having racked up 20 Grand Tour starts during his career, and having won four stages and picked up eight top-ten results on GC. His back catalogue often doesn’t get the respect or credit it deserves. However, whether this transfer works will very much depend on a number of factors, and not least how Landa responds to the demands of racing for teammates when his own aspirations have to take a back seat. Landa and Fabio Aru virtually raced their own races at the Giro during Alberto Contador’s dominant 2015 ride, and Landa received flak for the way in which he supported Chris Froome at the Tour in 2017. His time at Movistar was a success in many ways but the leadership cohabitation between himself, Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde left a lot to be desired. Perhaps Landa will be content racing as a super domestique, and perhaps he’ll be given a leadership role at the Giro before settling into team duties at the Tour. Landa and Evenepoel wasn’t a combination many people saw coming at the start of 2023, so it will be fascinating to see how the plan unfolds.

Tao Geoghegan Hart

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Tao Geoghegen Hart leads Geraint Thomas in the 2023 Giro d'Italia

From: Ineos Grenadiers
To: Lidl-Trek

The serious injury Tao Geoghegan Hart sustained at the Giro d’Italia this May puts a major question mark on when the British rider will be back to his best but with a new jersey, a shot at the leadership at the Tour de France, and the chance to give Lidl-Trek their first Grand Tour podium since Richie Porte in 2020, there’s much to get excited about when it comes to this transfer. The 28-year-old will likely be eased back into racing in 2024, and his programme won’t be public until at least mid-December when he links up with his future teammates for training camp in Spain. However, if he can get back to his previous levels, then the former Giro d’Italia winner remains a bonafide Grand Tour star. It has quickly been forgotten that he looked every bit as strong - perhaps even stronger - than Geraint Thomas at the Giro before crashing out, and with little internal competition at Lidl-Trek the British rider will finally have the scope to prepare and race without any talk of shared leadership.

Matteo Jorgenson

From: Movistar
To: Jumbo-Visma

Roglič’s departure from Jumbo-Visma creates a huge vacuum within the Dutch team and while Matteo Jorgenson is still developing, and a long way off the Slovenian’s current footing in the peloton, there’s little doubt that the American is a rising star. A win in the Tour of Oman, a handful of very respectable results in the Classics, and some top-tens in the Tour de France before a subsequent DNS on stage 16 proved that the 24-year-old is already a solid allrounder. He finished 20th in his Tour debut in 2022, don’t forget. At Jumbo-Visma he’s likely to receive unrivaled support in terms of coaching and preparation but the most intriguing dynamic will be whether Jorgenson instantly slips into a super domestique role or whether he makes an instant impression and puts himself into the conversation for leadership at certain races.

Andrew ‘AJ’ August

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Andrew 'AJ' August in the Junior Individual Time Trial at the Glasgow Worlds

From: Hot Tubes Cycling
To: Ineos Grenadiers

AJ August has already been compared to Remco Evenepoel and has bypassed the U23 ranks to become one of the youngest riders ever seen at WorldTour level. There’s a huge amount of hype around the 18-year-old and it’s not hard to see why. Ineos Grenadiers, for all their transfer failings this summer, have picked up a hugely talented rider with untapped potential to improve. His race programme in 2024 is likely to be light on major WorldTour events, and this is very much a long-term project for both the rider and his future team, but all signs point to August making a strong impression during his debut season. Given the fact that Ineos Grenadiers have staked their success on future talent, there should be few concerns over whether August will be given time to develop. Magnus Sheffield, a friend of August, has set the tone for young riders on the team, and August could match that progression in the next 12 to 24 months.

Isaac del Toro

From: A.R Monex Pro Cycling Team
To: UAE Team Emirates

Another graduate to the WorldTour, Isaac del Toro has become UAE Team Emirates latest pet project with the 19-year-old signing a three-year deal after his Tour de l'Avenir triumph this summer. The French race is judged to provide a window into the future of Tour de France winners, and can count Miguel Indurain, Egan Bernal, Greg LeMond, and of course Tadej Pogačar amongst its illustrious list of former winners. Del Torro’s success was near perfect this year with the Mexican rider winning a stage, the overall, the points and mountains competitions, as well as the best young riders jersey. He’s the real deal, and like UAE Team Emirates riders in the past, such as Pogačar and Ayuso, the 19-year-old could make an instant impression at the WorldTour level. Pogačar had won two major stage races within five months of turning pro in 2019, and then finished third in the Vuelta, and while that might not be attainable for Del Torro right away, he will be a fascinating prospect to watch as 2024 unfolds.

Caleb Ewan

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No more help from Lotto teammates for Caleb Ewan

From: Lotto-Dstny
To: Jayco-AlUla

Caleb Ewan was deemed surplus to requirement at Lotto-Dstny, to the point where he was allowed to leave with a year left on his contract and speculation that the Belgian team will still be paying part of his wages in 2024. How the situation at Lotto deteriorated to such an extent is a considerable talking point but it wasn’t that long ago that 29-year-old was viewed as one of the fastest sprinters in the world, with 11 Grand Tour stage wins to his name and a couple of Milan-San Remo podiums chucked in for good measure. His confidence and form need rebuilding, and Jayco looks like the perfect place to mount a career revival. It worked for Michael Matthews when he returned to the team, and Ewan - if he works hard - can expect a decent programme and leadout support. He’ll more than likely head to the Giro d’Italia in May after kicking off his season at the Tour Down Under, and if he can pick up a couple of early wins he could find himself vying with the best sprinters in the world again. We all love a rider with a point to prove, and Ewan certainly meets that criteria. 

Nairo Quintana

From: Free agent
To: Movistar

Since his Tramadol positive and subsequent time out of the sport, Quintana has certainly become a more divisive figure within cycling. He was dropped by Arkea at the end of 2022 and no team were initially willing to pick up the Colombian, despite his low asking price and pedigree in Grand Tours. Step forward Movistar, the team on which Quintana enjoyed the majority of his success as a rider. Heading into 2024 he’s obviously a little bit older, and hopefully a little bit wiser, but at his best Quintana was one of the premier riders in the world. He’s not demonstrated that level for a number of years but with a WorldTour programme, and Movistar willing to give their former leader a fresh start, Quintana heads into next year with a second chance. After a year away from top-level competition, it’s impossible to predict where Quintana will be in comparison to the competition but he could play a part in the early season stage races before turning his attention to a Grand Tour at some point in the year. 

Victor Lafay

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Victor Lafay wins stage 2 of the 2023 Tour

From: Cofidis
To: AG2R Citroen

We’re still waiting on Lafay’s future team to confirm the transfer but that will come towards the end of the month when AG2R unveil a batch of signings and a new bike. Lafay is arguably the most interesting rider to join Vincent Lavenu’s team after interest from a host of squads including Ineos Grenadiers. An enigmatic character, Lafay has always been sighted as a rider of immense talent but consistency has at times been his downfall. A winner of a Giro d’Italia stage in 2021, he went over a year until his next victory. To his credit he started this season in fine fettle, with the obvious standout moment coming at the Tour where he won a stage and ended Cofidis' long wait for a success in their home race. He then crashed out of the race and only picked up one top-ten in the remaining months of the season. A change of scene might do the 27-year-old some good, but at AG2R he’ll be expected to raise his game on a more frequent basis. On his day, he’s clearly a sensational talent.

Michael Mørkøv

From: Soudal QuickStep
To: Astana

Sam Bennett, Luke Plapp, Rui Costa, Luke Lamperti, Fabio Jakobsen, Ben Tulett, and Jonathan Milan all deserve to be on this list for a variety of reasons but our final slot goes to Michael Mørkøv. You’ll rightly ask, why are you giving a place to a 38-year-old unlikely to win a race in 2024? But it’s not about what Mørkøv will achieve for himself and more about what he can bring to Astana, and most importantly Mark Cavendish. ‘Project 35’ as it’s being dubbed in the media is all about Cavendish pulling away from Eddy Merckx in the all-time list of Tour de France stage wins, and in order to win that 35th stage Cavendish needs everything to go his way. He'll need luck, leadouts, the lot, and there’s no question that Mørkøv - despite his advancing years - is one of the best leadout riders in the world. He’s just one piece of the jigsaw but without him the Tour de France stage record puzzle become a lot harder to solve.