Astana successful in switch market as they signal Champoussin from Arkéa-B&B Lodges – however will or not it’s sufficient to keep away from relegation?
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Astana Qazaqstan introduced the signing of Clément Champoussin coming throughout from the embattled Arkéa-B&B Lodges workforce, including power to their workforce as they aspire to climb out of the relegation zone within the coming 12 months and stay within the WorldTour in 2026.
The UCI’s subsequent cycle of promotion and relegation comes on the finish of subsequent season, and Astana have been at all-time low of the WorldTour groups and are behind ProTeams Lotto Dstny, Israel-Premier Tech and Uno-X Mobility within the 2023-2024 factors totals.
They face an uphill battle in 2025 to climb over 18th place Cofidis, however they’ve made six key signings, snatching up Alberto Bettiol (EF Schooling-EasyPost), Diego Ulissi (UAE Staff Emirates), Aaron Gate (Burgos BH), Sergio Higuita (Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious) and Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Deceuninck) – making them the clear ‘winners’ within the 2024-2025 transfers market.
Champoussin gained the Giro della Toscana and completed second general within the Arctic Race of Norway this 12 months together with podiums within the GP de Wallonie, Circuito de Getxo and a stage of the Tour de la Provence. He amassed 681 factors this season, making him the fourth-most invaluable switch into the workforce for 2025 after Bettiol, Ulissi and Gate.
The transfer comes as Arkéa-B&B Lodges have severe issues in regards to the workforce’s future as their cope with each title sponsors ends on the conclusion of the 2025 season and their prospects of remaining within the WorldTour proceed to fall as they’re outdoors the highest 18 groups.
The switch season needs to be the time when groups look to bolster their rosters to maneuver up the rankings and qualify for the 2026-2028 WorldTour. Nevertheless, whereas Astana have secured the providers of seven seasoned riders, Arkéa-B&B Lodges are letting Champoussin go earlier than the top of his contract.
“To begin with, I want to thank the administration of Arkéa-B&B Lodges for his or her open {and professional} method in the course of the negotiations for this switch,” Astana supervisor Alexandr Vinokourov stated within the workforce’s press launch.
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“Champoussin had a really robust 2024 season, and we count on that he’ll have the ability to develop even additional inside our workforce. He will certainly have the chance to take action.”
Below UCI guidelines, the factors a rider earns in the course of the season keep along with his workforce, so whereas Astana Qazaqstan haven’t straight benefitted from their transfers but, their new signings collectively have earned 4,718 factors this 12 months.
Will or not it’s sufficient to maintain them within the WorldTour in 2026?
Astana Qazaqstan are at the moment 4,782 factors behind Cofidis, who’re 18th, within the 2023-2024 factors totals. If all the riders scored on the similar stage as this season within the coming 12 months, it seems as if Astana will nonetheless be in need of factors in 2025 and might be going through relegation in 2026.
With solely 27 riders confirmed to their roster for subsequent 12 months, they may nonetheless be available in the market for extra high-scoring riders.
As of publication, the highest riders of 2024 who’ve but to announce their workforce for the approaching season embody Fernando Gaviria (Movistar), Alex Baudin (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Mihkels Madis (Intermarché-Wanty), Michael Valgren and Rui Costa (each EF Schooling-EasyPost) and Chris Harper (Jayco-AlUla).
Movistar pad out workforce with Cepeda
Jefferson Cepeda (Picture credit score: Getty Pictures)
The Movistar Staff weren’t in hassle in the case of relegation in 2026 and have stored the ship regular with one other sensible signing in Jefferson Cepeda (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA).
Cepeda gained the general Tour of Qinghai Lake in July and a stage of the Tour du Limousin. With a gradual stream of stable finishes, the Ecuadorian earned 770 factors this season. Cepeda is joined by Orluis Aular (977 factors) in transferring from Caja Rural to Movistar.
The workforce additionally signed double Vuelta a España stage winner Pablo Castrillo from Kern Pharma, and Natnael Tesfazion (Lidl-Trek) to maintain their potential standings intact.
Winners and losers within the switch season thus far
Lotto Dstny are shedding their second title sponsor and can race merely as Lotto subsequent 12 months, however after being relegated after the 2022 season, they’ve been steadily within the prime 10 of the rankings and are at the moment ninth within the 2023-2024 factors totals.
Nevertheless, they suffered drastically on this 12 months’s switch season, giving up riders with a mixed tally of virtually 5,300 factors.
Whereas Lotto stored their prime scorers Maxim Van Gils and Arnaud De Lie, they let Victor Campenaerts go to Visma-Lease a Bike, Pascal Eenkhoorn to Soudal-Quickstep, Andreas Kron to Uno-X Mobility, Sylvain Moniquet to Cofidis, Hurt Vanhoucke to Q36.5 and Florian Vermeersch to UAE Staff Emirates.
Due to their robust 2023 and 2024 seasons, nonetheless, they need to stay safely within the prime 15 so long as they proceed to carry out as they’ve with their present riders and incoming neo-pros. Reuben Thompson (Groupama-FDJ) and Lars Craps (Flanders Baloise) are their solely new signings other than 5 devo riders.
Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale had been the following hardest hit within the switch season, primarily due to Ben O’Connor’s transfer to Jayco-AlUla. The Australian gained 4,096 factors this season and was a significant component in offsetting Jayco-AlUla’s lack of Simon Yates to Visma-Lease a Bike.
The French workforce misplaced riders who scored a mixed complete of three,932 factors this 12 months and weren’t in a position to change O’Connor’s potential. Time trial specialist Stefan Bissegger was their largest acquisition.
Cofidis, at the moment on the bubble in 18th within the 2023-2024 factors complete, misplaced Guillaume Martin to Groupama-FDJ and Gorka Izagirre and Simon Geschke to retirement however have signed Alex Aranburu (Movistar), Dylan Teuns (Israel-Premier Tech) and Emanuel Buchmann (Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). With 27 riders at the moment confirmed for subsequent season, they nonetheless have room so as to add worth to their 2025 roster.
The highest groups look set to stay in charge of the UCI rankings, with UAE Staff Emirates shedding barely due to the departure of Ulissi and Marc Hirschi (to Tudor Professional Biking). Visma-Lease a Bike boosted their potential with Simon Yates and Axel Zingle (Cofidis), whereas Crimson Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe picked up a trio of riders from Visma and snatched Laurence Pithie from Groupama-FDJ.
Ineos Grenadiers have struggled the a lot of the prime 5 groups, shedding Ethan Hayter to Quickstep and Jhonatan Narvaez to UAE Staff Emirates.
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