The 2017 season sees a raft of changes in the WorldTour bikes line up. With two teams folding, a Pro Continental team making the step up to WorldTour and Lampre-Merida splitting in two, change was inevitable. It could be subject to change still with the UCI set to decide the new WorldTour regulations on November 8, which could set yet see it reduced to just 17 teams.
There will be more new tech and paint jobs lining up to race in the new season, with Argon 18 moving to Astana, Colnago partnering with TJ Sport and Factor Bikes making their WorldTour debut with AG2R La Mondiale
Peter Sagan’s move to Bora-Hansgrohe gave the team enough WorldTour points on his own to promote the team to WorldTour status, although Sagan is not the only headline signing for the team. Specialized has partnered with Bora-Hansgrohe for the 2017 season and beyond, and we are likely to see more custom painted, glittering-rainbow frames underneath the dual world champion.
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The end of Argon18’s partnership with the Bora team has not resulted in a WorldTour omission for the Canadian brand. Announcing a partnership with WorldTour team Astana for three seasons, the Kazakh outfit will ride aboard the Gallium Pro, Nitrogen Pro and E-118 Next time trial bike. With Astana’s leader, Vincenzo Nibali, bound for Bahrain-Merida in 2017, Fabio Aru has set his sights on the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana. Could we see a Grand Tour victory in Argon18’s first season in the WorldTour ranks?
2017 will also be the first foray in the WorldTour ranks for Factor Bikes after a season with Pro Continental team, ONE Pro Cycling. Colnago also re-joins the WorldTour ranks with TJ Sports after a one-year hiatus following the demotion of Europcar at the end of 2016.
Individual time trial World Champion, Tony Martin, will be wearing the rainbow jersey aboard the Canyon Speedmax having recently signed for Team Katusha. Canyon will also stay with the Spanish veteran Alejandro Valverde and Tour de France hopeful Nairo Quintana’s team Movistar for the upcoming season.
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