With new leader, a solid base and a lucky spot on the rankings, Cancellara's Tudor might shine in the new year

With Julian Alaphilippe and Marc Hirschi on board, Fabian Cancellara’s Tudor project promised one of the biggest transfer stories of the year. The idea was simple: with two marquee names, take on the very top of the sport. So where does Tudor stand after 2025? Here’s our season verdict on the Swiss outfit — and why 2026 could be even bigger.

With Alaphilippe and Hirschi as the headline acts, Tudor expected to shine in the Classics. That didn’t fully happen. The Frenchman still delivered the standout result with his brilliant win at the GP Québec, but he lacked his very best in the Ardennes. The Swiss star, meanwhile, struggled to perform all year and took just one early‑season victory.

Depth saved the day. Matteo Trentin shocked many by winning Paris–Tours late in the year, while Michael Storer showed he’s more than a pure climber. The Australian impressed across the calendar, highlighted by a victory at Memorial Marco Pantani and a sensational third place at Il Lombardia, behind only Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel.

Just below the marquee level, others stepped up too: Mathys Rondel took second at the Trofeo Tessile & Moda, Florian Stork won the Trofeo Serra Tramuntana, and Rick Pluimers snatched the Muscat Classic. Trentin also put in a solid spring, finishing ninth at Milan–San Remo and performing well on the cobbles.

If the Classics underwhelmed a touch, Tudor’s stage‑race work exceeded expectations. Storer was the Swiss stable’s main staple there. After a dominant victory in the Tour of the Alps, he headed to the Giro d’Italia as a sudden but dangerous outsider. He ultimately finished tenth, but had already shown his attacking instincts with a stage win at Paris–Nice, and he carried that mindset into the Tour de France.

Alaphilippe defended the team colours with class whenever the mountains weren’t too savage: fifth at the Tour de Suisse and third at the Tour of Britain. There were no stage wins at the Giro or Tour, but that doesn’t take much shine off the year for the Swiss team, for it was only their debut in the Grand Tours.

The sprinters had it a little tougher. Alberto Dainese went winless and has now moved to Soudal Quick‑Step. Big things were expected from Arvid de Kleijn, but a heavy crash cost him a large chunk of his season. He made amends with two victories at the Tour of Langkawi. Fellow Dutchman Maikel Zijlaard also flashed real speed at the Giro d’Italia.

Tudor were hyped as a new 'super team' at ProTeam level. With Hirschi and Alaphilippe not quite hitting superstar numbers, the absolute peak results didn’t come — but Cancellara can still be pleased with the trajectory. Our score: 6.6 out of 10. Not spectacular, but comfortably above par. And above all, a great setup for next year.

It’s a quieter window than last year’s seven‑man influx, but four newcomers give the roster real bite — and one name towers above the rest: Stefan Küng. After seven seasons with Groupama–FDJ, the Swiss time‑trial powerhouse comes home and instantly becomes the intended Classics leader for 2026. He’ll want more than 2025 delivered, but his baseline is still elite.

For the cobbles, Luca Mozzato adds depth and punch. In the stage‑race department, Will Barta (from Movistar) arrives primarily to support leaders. Promising 22‑year‑old Robin Donzé steps up from the development squad after taking eighth at the U23 Worlds in Kigali. Alexander Krieger retires to become a DS, and Dainese heads to Quick‑Step. The futures of Lucas Eriksson and Miká Heming remain to be confirmed.

Transfers in: Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), Luca Mozzato (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Will Barta (Movistar) and Robin Donzé (training team)

Transfers out: Alberto Dainese (Soudal Quick-Step), Alexander Krieger (quits), Lucas Eriksson (?) and Miká Heming (?)

Thanks to a perfect slot just outside the WorldTour — essentially a golden ticket for top‑tier invitations — Tudor can target almost any race it wants. With such a fantastic starting position, the team will hope that main men Alaphilippe and Hirschi will step up, more than they did in 2025.

Alaphilippe showed flashes of his class; if he can sustain that level and find some extra endurance, he’s again an Ardennes outsider. With Storer, the team has a bona fide GC leader who can also thrive in select one‑day races. Keep an eye on Rondel, who took a big step forward in 2025.

An interesting block of Dutch fast men has formed in Switzerland, who will get more space after the departure of Dainese. Pluimers can shine when the terrain gets harder — maybe even nudge into the sub‑top at races like the Tour of Flanders. Zijlaard and De Kleijn are the go‑to names for flat sprints, and both should see a healthy number of chances at the Grand Tours in 2026.