Primoz Roglic, Remco Evenepoel, Mark Cavendish – Three BIG deals to look out for in cycling transfer window

With the cycling transfer window open, which big names might be up for grabs if two squads are condensed into one? Can Ineos Grenadiers land the GC rider they so crave? And, away from the merger rumblings, could we see a certain Manx Missile postpone his retirement?

Here are three of the biggest deals to look out for in the cycling world over the coming days and weeks…

While the Visma-Soudal battleship looks unstoppable on paper, could it actually reduce their chances of sweeping the Grand Tours again in 2023? It was hard enough for Jumbo-Visma to juggle the ambitions of three stars at the Vuelta a Espana. Add in Evenepoel, change the Vuelta to the Tour de France, mix in Wout van Aert’s stage-hunting ambitions and you’ve got a recipe for tension.

Which means that at least one star is likely to leave, should the merger go through. Could that star be Evenepoel?

“Remco hates Jumbo, Jumbo hates Remco,” quipped Ineos star Geraint Thomas on a recent podcast as the merger rumours gathered pace.

Ineos have long been linked with Evenepoel, most notably last year after he became the first rider in 40 years to win a Monument, Grand Tour and World Championship road race in the same season.

The fun-sucking mountain train days of Team Sky are firmly in the past, with the rebranded Ineos Grenadiers desperate to make their mark in the biggest GC battles again. It hasn’t happened for Ineos since 2021, and with Thomas in his twilight years, the Egan Bernal comeback flagging and Tom Pidcock yet to prove his three-week credentials, Evenepoel would be guaranteed top billing – something he is unlikely to get at a team containing Vingegaard, the two-time defending Tour de France champion.

But after his frustrating near-miss with the maglia rosa at the Giro d’Italia due to Covid – his positive test landing just hours after he took the race lead – could he be tempted to chance the Visma-Soudal project, have another crack in Italy and postpone his Tour dream to 2025?

If not Remco for Ineos, then how about Primoz?

Roglic appeared the most irked by Jumbo-Visma’s belated strategy to gift the Vuelta to Sepp Kuss – hardly surprising, given he had won the race three times previously and spent the summer preparing for another GC push. With that episode still raw, and Vingegaard seemingly having leadership duties at the Tour on lock, Roglic could be forced to seek a new team to fulfil his Tour dream.

Roglic “wants to focus mainly on winning the Tour de France with his new team”, reported WielerFlits, with Ineos appearing the ideal destination to make that happen. But the team will have to act quickly. Movistar and Jayco-AlUla have also been linked with the Slovenian, while Bahrain Victorious are also keen to fill the Mikel Landa-shaped hole in their squad.

It wasn’t meant to happen like this. Mark Cavendish was already meant to have a historic 35th stage win at the Tour de France in the bag, claiming the outright record from Eddy Merckx, and enjoying his retirement. Instead, he is on the comeback trail from a broken collarbone and is considering another year on the circuit, all in a bid to win one last time at cycling’s biggest race.

And it makes sense. Not only did he prove in France this summer that he can still be in the mix in sprints – almost winning Stage 7 before his chain slipped – but there’s also the lure of a return to Paris in the Olympics. Sure, the route may favour Classics riders given the undulating profile, but with none of the climbs particularly challenging, a bunch sprint is possible and a run-around the French capital seems a fitting way to end his career.