Movers and shakers

Outside of the top teams there are still some intriguing transfers, and a few familiar faces returning to their old haunts

With cycling’s Big Six teams all working to strengthen for 2022 there hasn’t been so much transfer activity among the other 13 Worldtour teams. At least not yet.

The most eye-catching move is Esteban Chaves, who is joining EF Education-nippo after eight years with the team now known as Bikeexchange. But the most radical overhaul is at Astana, even if some of the changes don’t look very much like changes.

Alexandre Vinokourov, having been sacked halfway through the season, is back in charge and his first job was to sign almost an entire team. As the Vuelta drew to a close in September the Kazakh squad had only eight riders contracted for 2022. And yet, as well as Vinokourov himself, there will be an air of familiarity about next year’s Astana with Vincenzo Nibali set to return after five years away – three years at Bahrain and two at Trek.

What’s more, Miguel Ángel López looks likely to return after just a year away. This follows his ignominious exit from the Vuelta, when he climbed off on the penultimate day while sitting third overall, a move that saw Movistar cancel his new two-year contract extension.