Jayco AlUla have announced the immediate signing of Italian national champion Filippo Conca, who will step up from the amateur Swatt Club team to the WorldTour thanks to a transfer agreement.
Conca will make his debut in his new Jayco AlUla Italian champion's jersey at the one-day Circuit Franco-Belge race on August 15. His contract runs until the end of 2027.
26-year-old Conca made headlines in late June when he beat the best Italian professional riders to take the Italian national title. His surprise win sparked huge debate about the quality of professional cycling in Italy but proved that some riders deserve a second chance.
Conca had raced for Lotto Soudal and then Q36.5 between 2021 and 2024 and joined the Swatt Club to try to save his career after a series of injuries and setbacks.
He had planned to race gravel events in 2025 but then focused on the Italian title with support from the coaches, volunteer staff and club members at the Swatt Club, which focuses on performance and innovation to find an advantage.
“I’m really happy to join Team Jayco AlUla, I chose this team because I’m confident that I’ll find the ideal environment to work hard," Conca said.
"Before making my decision, I consulted my colleagues and the staff, and they all told me that at Jayco AlUla, I would find a family that can support me personally and on a sporting level.
The Swatt Club uses Giant and Cadex equipment like Jayco AlUla, creating a connection between the two teams.
"Another thing that is important to me is that I’ll continue to use the same equipment as I have been using this year – Giant and Cadex. I’ve had a great experience with both and so I’m happy to be able to continue with the same bike and wheels.
My dream is to race in the Giro d’Italia, and to do so wearing the Italian national jersey. I think it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I want to thank Team Jayco AlUla for the trust they’ve placed in me; I’m sure it will be repaid.”
Jayco AlUla have yet to confirm other major signing for 2026 but La Gazzetta dello Sport's Ciro Scognamiglio has reported that Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Andrea Vendrame (Decathlon-AG2R) will also join the Australian team.
Ben O'Connor became the Jayco AlUla Grand Tour leader for 2025 and won a stage at the Tour after an early crash wrecked his GC hopes.
Sprinter Dylan Groenewegen has announced that he will leave for the Unibet Tietema Rockets, while Alessandro De Marchi will retire. A number of the riders, including Ireland's Eddie Dunbar are out of contract this year.
Conca spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport about the difficulties he has faced during his racing career. He recently spent a week off the bike after hitting a Marmot squirrel while training in the mountains but is keen to race in the pro ranks again.
He will ride a series of one-day races and stage races with Jayco AlUla until the end of the 2025 season, with the hope of riding the Giro d'Italia as Italian champion, a major goal for 2026.
"I was without a contract and now I'm flying the flag for Italy. I'm not a 'campione' but I think I'm a good rider," he said.
"I've had a difficult career. I caught COVID-19 two or three times and always at the wrong time, even before the 2022 Giro. When I was a pro for four years I was a domestique, which l liked doing, but was not always recognised and rewarded with new contracts, then teams judge you on the points you score rather than the work you do."
Cyclingnews will cover all of the 2026 cycling transfers from around the men's and women's pelotons with news, analysis, and an updated transfer index, to make sure you don't miss a thing this transfer season.
