De Bondt showed interest in joining EF during the Giro, but ultimately decided to join another team and is leaving Decathlon AG2R

Jayco-AlUla announced the arrival of the classics specialist on social media with a humorous video. It featured a list of typical Belgian things, with De Bondt suddenly appearing in between. “I am thrilled to be joining the team in 2026,” said the former Belgian champion. “I heard you needed a Belgian, so here I am." Next year, De Bondt will mainly strengthen the Australian team's spring core.

This year, the Belgian speedster often showed himself at the front. He did very well in the spring, with a third place in the GP Denain and a seventh place in Dwars door Vlaanderen. In Paris-Roubaix, Bondteke seemed on his way to a fantastic top 10 finish, but he followed the motorbike distraction in the final kilometers. He lost a lot of time and eventually finished only 22nd. “This was only my third Roubaix,” he laughed, looking disappointed.

De Bondt then headed to the Giro d'Italia, where he was one of the most attacking riders. But he really stood out in the penultimate stage: on the Colle delle Finestre, the Belgian rode hard at the front for... Richard Carapaz, leader of EF Education - EasyPost. His expiring contract was on his mind during that move. “That's why I let several teams know that I'm open to talks about a contract,” he said.

Sep Vanmarcke, sports director of the American team, had also been in contact. “If you're still looking for riders for 2026, I'm on the market,” De Bondt had confided to him. The move was not appreciated by the UCI, which reported it to the ethics committee. In the end, a transfer to EF did not materialize, but a place at Jayco-AlUla will certainly not disappoint the experienced rider.