Bahrain Victorious said goodbye to seven riders today ahead of the 2026 season, with former Vuelta a España podium finisher Jack Haig and red jersey wearer from this year's Vuelta, Torstein Traen, among them.
After that career-best result in 2021, Haig has struggled to rediscover that peak as the sport has progressed, with crashes and bad luck among the things that have set him back into his 30s. 2025 was his fifth year on Bahrain and saw him mostly compete as a road captain, though he's yet to have a new place for 2026 announced as of yet.
Træen bounced back to his best at the Vuelta after a long struggle with a concussion in the early portion of 2025, with second place from the breakaway on stage 6 earning him four days in the coveted red jersey.
Though the Norwegian ultimately dropped down the rankings, he held on well enough to finish ninth overall amid a strong field, and he's now been heavily linked to a move back to his home team – Uno-X Mobility.
Broadcaster TV 2 Norway reported that "the parties have reached an agreement, and that only a signature and paperwork remain before the agreement is formally in place". As the team heads for their first season in the WorldTour after earning a late promotion, Uno-X Mobility's 30-man roster would be completed with Træen.
The other five riders confirmed to be leaving Bahrain-Victorious were Fred Wright, Finlay Pickering, Andrea Pasqualon, Sergio Tu and Nicolò Buratti. The latter has joined Hungarian ProTeam MBH Bank CSB Ballan for 2026.
Wright is one of several riders who have joined Pinarella-Q36.5 for next season, alongside the likes of Tom Gloga, Eddie Dunbar, Sam Bennett and Chris Harper, where he will make up part of a strong team around their leader, Tom Pidcock.
British compatriot Pickering has also found a new home for next season at Jayco AlUla, with the young climber signing a two-year contract that was announced on Monday.
"I’ve learned a lot about being in the WorldTour over the last two years, and now moving to Team Jayco AlUla, I can hopefully develop into being an even better bike rider," said the 22-year-old.
As seven riders depart, Bahrain-Victorious have already announced five new signings so far for 2026, with Attila Valter, Alec Segaert and Paul Miquel joining from other teams, and bay Giro winner Jakob Omrzel and Alessandro Borgo stepping up from their U23 development team. They currently have 28 riders signed up for next season, with two spots still available.
