Cyclist
Wout’s World: Which other pro riders deserve lifetime contracts?
Wout van Aert recently signed a lifetime contract with Visma-Lease a Bike. While top riders like Tadej Pogačar have been given long contract extensions, lifetime deals are rarely seen in any sport and it’s a big show of faith from the team. Should other teams follow suit and lock down their stars?
We look at seven other riders who we think are worthy of lifetime contracts at their current teams.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
The most obvious choice given the legendary run he has been on since turning pro in 2019, Tadej Pogačar is all-but locked in at UAE Team Emirates already.
He had a little blip in his quest for world domination, getting beaten in back-to-back Tours de France by Jonas Vingegaard, however he got back on track this year and his palmarès speaks for itself. Three Tour de France wins, one Giro, six Monuments, countless more other races, and he has only just turned 26. He may complete the 2024 Triple Crown this weekend, he will certainly complete the Grand Tour set at some point, he may well set a new record for Tour de France wins, and you know he’ll try to win every single Monument. It would be ridiculous for UAE Team Emirates to pass such a deal up.
He’ll inevitably extend his contract far beyond its current end in 2027 and making it until the end of his career would be an easy choice.
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime)
28-year-old Lotte Kopecky joined SD Worx-Protime in 2022 and since then has been a monumental force, powering to victories that include Strade Bianche, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
Dynamic no matter the terrain, she’s an immense weapon for SD Worx and she’s now even challenging for stage race GCs. With Demi Vollering set to sign elsewhere next season, SD Worx need to lock Kopecky in (Vollering is also worthy of a lifetime contract, but for which team we don’t yet know).
SD Worx-Protime are stacked with talent but you simply cannot afford to let her head to pastures new because she will beat you.
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep)
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Remco Evenepoel hasn’t been in cycling all that long in comparison to others. He transitioned from football and made his pro debut at the Vuelta a San Juan in 2019. He soon became the youngest winner of a WorldTour race in his very first at the Clásica San Sebastián at just 19 years and 190 days old.
With Soudal-QuickStep team he has thrived in stage races and one-day races alike. His first Grand Tour victory came at the Vuelta a España aged 22, where he became the first Belgian rider to win a three-week race in 44 years. He made his Tour debut this year, finishing an impressive third.
Evenepoel is a monster talent; the only national or international championships to elude him is the European Road Race, he’s won the time-trial and he’s won the time-time and road race and Belgian nationals, World Championships and the Olympics. He’s still only 24.
A lifetime contract would be suitable for the man whose ceiling is not yet clear. The Soudal-QuickStep team clearly values him, having changed their entire structure from a Classics team to a Grand Tour team to help him. The only issue here would be budgetary, especially considering his value keeps rising.
Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike)
37-year-old Marianne Vos is signed through 2025 with Visma-Lease a Bike. As one of the greatest riders to ever grace the sport, she has sustained such a high level of ability that has resulted in multiple National, European, World and Olympic titles across road, track and cyclocross.
Recent victories range from Omloop Het Niewsblad to the overall at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya to the points classification at the Tour de France Femmes show she is not slowing down.
Annemiek van Vleuten retired when she was in her forties, and at the rate Vos keeps winning, hopefully she will remain in the sport for many more years to come. Either way, surely Visma won’t want to let her go.
Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty)
It’s not just about the wins, which Biniam Girmay has. It’s about what they mean. One look at the score of Eritrean flags at the roadside when he races underlines the importance of such a rider.
The 24-year-old has been making history throughout his career. From his first one-day Classic victory to winning the green jersey this year, Girmay has been blazing a trail for Black and African riders every step of the way. You can be sure the next generation is inspired by his achievements.
He’s currently signed through 2026 and Intermarché-Wanty feels like a suitable home for Girmay to continue his career. It would be a prosperous deal for both sides, Girmay’s prevalence helping push them to new heights and the team in turn allowing him to thrive.
Lachlan Morton (EF Education-EasyPost)
Lachlan Morton is just different. The Australian rides for WorldTour team EF Education-EasyPost but he’s not a WorldTour rider. Morton has his own calendar and can often be found undertaking extreme challenges to raise money for good causes. Whether it’s his Alt Tour that took him over the 2021 Tour de France route unsupported for World Bicycle Relief, riding over 1,000km in one trip to raise over $250,000 for Ukrainian refugees, smashing the Tour Divide record for Adventure for All, or his current Around Australia Record attempt to raise funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. And that’s just a few.
He’s also competing in America’s premier gravel and mountain bike series the Life Time Grand Prix – currently sitting second overall – and won the world’s biggest gravel race Unbound Gravel earlier this year.
His contract is unique in the freedom and support he receives from the team, and why would they stop? It’s a perfect fit.
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