The opening of professional cycling transfer window on August 1 is just over a month away, and teams are negotiating and preparing deals ready for the 2026 season, with Soudal-QuickStep no exception.
The Belgian WorldTour squad could look very different next season with five new Belgians already on their unconfirmed list of incoming riders, the latest reportedly being Fabio Van den Bossche from Alpecin-Deceuninck.
The 24-year-old, who raced the Giro d’Italia this season, is among several new faces who look all-but-confirmed to join the team for 2026, with Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) also among the incoming list.
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A report from Het Laatste Nieuws this week has linked Van den Bossche to the Soudal-QuickStep team for next season, with the Paris Olympics omnium bronze medal winner set to move on after four years at Alpecin-Deceuninck.
In addition to Van den Bossche and Classics leader Stuyven, the team will also be bringing on board Edward Planckaert (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Steff Cras (Lotto), and Cériel Desal (Wagner Bazin WB).
Het Laatste Nieuws reports that the team has also sent an offer to Jenthe Biermans, who is out of contract at Arkéa-B&B Hotels, while they have also proposed a two-year contract extension to Classics leader Yves Lampaert. The team has also had discussions with Brent Van Moer, Dylan van Baarle, and Timo Kielich, but none of the trio are expected to move to Soudal-QuickStep.
13-year team veteran Pieter Serry and Jordi Warlop won’t receive extensions, say Het Laatste Nieuws, while Antoine Huby and Josef Cerny also look to be on the way out.
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Key riders under contract include team leader Remco Evenepoel, Tim Merlier, Mikel Landa, talented sprinter and Classics rider Paul Magnier, Britain’s Ethan Hayter, Max Schachmann and Valentin Paret-Peintre, are also on board for the coming season, with 21 riders now in the squad, should the five incoming deals be confirmed. The USA’s Luke Lamperti is not expected to stay with the Belgian team for 2026.
Over at Alpecin-Deceuninck, meanwhile, the QuickStep-bound Van den Bossche and Planckaert aren’t the only riders to be leaving. The team is currently searching for a new title sponsor, with Deceuninck not staying on board past the end of this season and so appear to be trimming their roster and waiting for any end of season signings.
They have key names such as Mathieu van der Poel, Jasper Philipsen, and Kaden Groves still under contract for 2026, but others look set to move on.
Timo Kielich (Visma-Lease A Bike), Gianni Vermeersch (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Robbe Ghys (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), and the Q36.5-bound pair Quinten Hermans and Xandro Meurisse are all set to leave.
The team currently has 17 riders under contract for next year, including promising names such as Tibor Del Grosso and Emiel Verstrynge, plus reliable teammates Silvan Dillier, Oscar Riesebeek, and Johan Price-Pejtersen.
However, the total strength of the team around their three big leaders for 2026 looks to be reliant on bringing in a new sponsor.