A result that cannot be understated, as it was a very difficult race with plenty mountain stages, a time trial in which he held his own despite being the lightest of the GC contenders, and plenty climbing exhibitions next to the top riders in the race. Besides, he had to deal with the extreme pressure that came along with being part of the Israeli team during the race, with countless calls from spectators, protestors and even fellow riders in the peloton for the team to leave the race.
Despite having a guaranteed place in the World Tour due to the team’s promotion, he has moved to the Decathlon team where he will be one of its leaders, with a three-year contract in the bag.
Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates – XRG)
A staple in UAE, and a rider that fits the team’s parameters perfectly. Although being a great stage-racer, the American is not a Grand Tour specialist, and so he does not come in the way of the team’s many leaders in the three-week races, and is a domestique that has supported many of its leaders over the past few years. But when given the opportunity, he wins often and this year was packed with triumphs.
Member of the team since 2019, he perhaps had the best season of his career due to the results of his recent months. Although in previous years he’s won stages of the Giro and Vuelta, from August onwards in 2025 he won the overall classification of the Tour de Pologne, Tour de Luxembourg, Cro Race and also won the GP de Montréal riding side by side with none other than Tadej Pogacar. Besides that, he rode to his first Grand Tour Top10 whilst riding in support of Isaac del Toro and Juan Ayuso at the Giro d’Italia.
Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team Emirates – XRG)
Part of the World Tour already previously, but the former Team Picnic PostNL rider is one of the so-far three signings of UAE. An interesting one at that, as the 25-year old didn’t have standout results this year. In 2024 however he did, amongst them a fourth place at the Clàsica San Sebastán and a fifth place at Milano-Torino. A quality puncheur, his role is not yet certain within the team, but he could finally take his first pro win with it.
Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek)
‘Captain America’ was the Tour de France’s most combative rider and also spent long days in the head of the peloton working for Jonathan Milan’s sprinting ambitions – which resulted in a green jersey. But Simmons’ season was so much more than the Tour de France, where he also almost won a stage in Normandie. He won the USA national title just before the Grand Boucle, and took stage wins at both the World Tour-level Volta a Catalunya and Tour de Suisse.
Furthermore Simmons finished the season with a tremendous run of form, finishing third at the GP de Montréal where he was the closest competitor to Tadej Pogacar and Brandon McNulty; and then a mythical breakaway effort saw him race to fourth place at Il Lombardia, a monument for the climbers in which he wasn’t expected to be amongst the best.
Simmons, or ‘Captain America’ as he is most commonly referred to, was one of 2025’s standout riders. @Sirotti
Matteo Jorgenson (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
Jorgenson’s level increased exponentially since moving from Movistar to Visma and in 2204 he did a perfect job. In 2025 he has shown his consistency and value to the team in many ways and his current contract until 2029 is no surprise, and of benefit to both sides. The 26-year old, after Jonas Vingegaard’s crash and withdrawal, revalidated his title at Paris-Nice at the start of the season, and then performed strongly throughout the spring classics and Criterium du Dauphiné – there, in support of Vingegaard.
Jorgenson then raced both the Tour de France and Vuelta a España in support of the Dane, with whom he’s become very close with and an incredibly important support rider. He actually abandoned his GC ambitions during the Tour due to a bad day in the Pyrenees, but was almost always present when the team looked to attack Tadej Pogacar. At the Vuelta, he finished in the Top10, despite having a very long season and being on full support of the team’s overall ambitions and victory by the Dane.
Sepp Kuss (Team Visma | Lease a Bike)
After a memorable 2023 season (where he raced all Grand Tours, helping Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard to Giro and Tour success; and then winning the Vuelta a España himself with his two teammates joining him on the podium) 2024 was a year of complete disappointment for the American. A rider who thrives off not having the pressure on his shoulders, he fits very well into Visma’s needs who want strong climbers to set Jonas Vingegaard up.
In 2025 Kuss was back, not too often, but when it was necessary. He had a modest start to the season but by the time the Criterium du Dauphiné came by, he was back to form, and at the Tour de France he flew up climbs such as Mont Ventoux and the Col de la Madeleine where he prepared nuclear attacks from Vingegaard in his last hopes of defeating Tadej Pogacar. They weren’t ultimately successful, but that doesn’t take away anything from Kuss’ performances.
And at the Vuelta we saw the very best of Kuss once again, fully on domestique mode, but growing in form as the race progressed. He was fourth up the Alto de l’Angliru and then finally second at Bola del Mundo, only not taking the victory because his own teammate and GC winner Vingegaard had better legs.
Andrew August (INEOS Grenadiers)
The 20-year old remains an investment from INEOS, who is going to enter his third season in the World Tour – an incredibly feat despite only turning 20 a month ago as of today. August however is not just a promise, but a rider who has begun showing glimpses of great talent, finishing fifth at the Tour of Austria where only an unbeatable Isaac del Toro prevented him from taking his first pro win on two consecutive occasions.
Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers)
Sheffield is a rider that needs no introduction. At 23 years of age he didn’t seem to take a step this year, but continues to race very strongly as he has every year since joining INEOS in 2022. Without a doubt the highlight of his season was at Paris-Nice, where he finished fourth in the overall classification and stormed to an impressive victory on the Promenade des Anglais after attacking the GC riders on the difficult queen and final stage of the race.
Sheffield was there and thereabouts throughout the spring but without other prominent results, and in the summer he was rather absent, not reaching his best form at the Vuelta a España where the team had hopes for him. Will 2026 finally be the year where the all-rounder will take the leap?
Sheffield won the queen stage of Paris-Nice this year. @Imago
Artem Shmidt (INEOS Grenadiers)
The 21-year old was signed at the end of 2024 and is another of INEOS’ hopes. At the time being, his talent seems to lie mostly in the flat races, where his time trialing talents have seen him become American champion in the discipline. What he can become in the future is still uncertain, but there is no doubt INEOS have a diamond in the rough.
Riley Sheehan (Cycling Academy)
The 25-year old is part of the Cycling Academy, although the formerly Israeli team still has its future in doubt over the lack of title sponsors for the upcoming season in the middle of November. A tricky situation, but Sheehan has little worries after a strong season and obvious talent. The Colorado native finished fourth at the Arctic Race of Norway and third at the Germany Tour, on both occasions racing against a strong contingent of riders. He is a classics specialist with a strong sprint who is without a doubt worthy of racing at World Tour level and should finally achieve that in 2026.
Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost)
Powless has had top results in pro cycling for several years, but perhaps 2025 will be the standout year of his career thus far because of what he did at Dwars door Vlaanderen. Team Visma | Lease a Bike raced for a motivation-inducing victory for Wout van Aert, not collective success, and after having three riders out of four in a flat finale, they did not attack Powless who simply collaborated with them until the final kilometers. In the final sprint van Aert failed, and Powless beat the three Visma riders in what was quite the sight to behold, and has inserted his name into the history books.
But Powless’ season wasn’t just that day in Flanders, but also a triumph at the GP Gippingen, and Top10 results in classics such as the Clàsica San Sebastián and GP de Montréal. At the Tour de France he struggled to achieve the same success, but in the one-day races the 29-year old didn’t disappoint.
Powless’ victory over Wout van Aert and the Visma trio at Dwars door Vlaanderen was one of 2025’s highlights. @Sirotti
Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost)
The former American champion had a short season, without competition from mid-February to mid-July due to health issues. However he got to make up for some of it with a presence at the Vuelta a España late in the year. His 2025 season was very modest and without standout results, although for most of it he was the owner of the stars and stripes jersey. But in 2026 he has the chance to make a comeback.
Colby Simmons (EF Education-EasyPost)
Colby Simmons, younger brother of the current national champion Quinn, was a mid-eason signing for EF Education-EasyPost. With experience on the gravel, criteriums and road, the 22-year old is very versatile and is a rider who is still going through tests and finding out what his specialty on the road is.
Luke Lamperti (EF Education-EasyPost)
Part of Soudal – Quick-Step for the past two seasons, Luke Lamperti will be EF’s fourth American rider for the 2026 squad. He should be a leader taking into consideration his sprinting credentials, however he is a rider who can also perform on the classics and will perhaps get more motivation and a better environment in a team that has several other compatriots on board.
Will there be more?
It is unlikely. There is only one rider in the ProTeam level who doesn’t currently have a contract for the upcoming season (Novo Nordisk’s Logan Phippen) whilst the continental level also lacks notable names who are obvious moves up to the World Tour. Perhaps from cyclocross, mountain biking or gravel there are talents in which a few teams are eager to invest in – specially as from 2027 onwards, points in other disciplines will count for the UCI rankings for road teams, and that could be very valuable specially for the lower WT-level teams.