Bahrain Victorious presents 5 contract renewals, but has bad news for a handful other riders - Jack Haig among them

More transfer news - this time from the Bahrain Victorious camp. The team has announced contract extensions for five riders, but a significant number of departures as well. Expect plenty of changes in 2026 for the squad, without the likes of Fred Wright - but with other marquee riders staying.

The contracts of Rainer Kepplinger and Damiano Caruso have been extended by one season. Kepplinger will enter his fourth year with the team, while the 38-year-old Italian — who has already spent seven seasons with Bahrain Victorious — remains a cornerstone. He finished fifth in this year’s Giro d’Italia, underlining his continued value as one of the team’s key riders and an experienced leader.

Meanwhile, Fran Miholjevic, Robert Stannard, and Matej Mohoric have all signed two-year extensions, keeping them with the team through 2027. The 23-year-old Miholjevic has now been part of the squad for three seasons, while all-rounder Stannard completed his second year this season. Mohoric, whose future had been uncertain, will now embark on his ninth and tenth years with the team.

Alongside these renewals, Bahrain Victorious is saying goodbye to several familiar faces. After Finlay Pickering (Jayco AlUla), Nicolò Buratti (MBH Bank CSB Ballan), and Fred Wright (Pinarello–Q36.5) all secured new contracts elsewhere, Andrea Pasqualon, Jack Haig, Sergio Tu, and Torstein Træen will also be leaving the team as their contracts will not be renewed.

The Taiwanese rider Tu spent three years with the team, mostly competing in smaller races, while Pasqualon and Haig were long-time veterans. The 37-year-old Italian was a key member of the sprint train for Phil Bauhaus and proved valuable in the Classics as well. Haig, third in the 2021 Vuelta a España, has in recent years taken on a domestique role within the squad.

The departure of Træen may come as the biggest surprise. Last year he won a stage in the Tour de Suisse, and this season he impressed by wearing the red jersey in the Vuelta a España for four days, ultimately finishing ninth overall. Despite that strong showing, rider and team will part ways — it appears he is heading back to Uno-X Mobility.