All of these riders except Hirschi are over 30 years of age, though they are far from being over the hill. Alaphilippe – who is signed up until 2027 – will certainly want to make the most of the years of racing he has left to get the taste of the years under the thumb of Patrick Lefevere out of his mouth.
“After more than ten years with the same team, it was time for a change,” he is quoted as saying on the Tudor website. “What better way to mark a turning point in my career than with a new and ambitious project?”
Evidence that the Tudor project is indeed ambitious is the signing of the 26-year-old Hirschi, who is just approaching his prime as an athlete. Hirschi had a terrific year, winning the Czech Tour and then five races in succession: the Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa, the Bretagne Classic, the GP Industria & Artigianato, the Gran Premio città di Peccioli and the Memorial Marco Pantani.
More important from Tudor Pro’s perspective is the fact that he amassed an impressive 3,568 UCI points in 2024. If he had harvested that point total for Tudor this year, the team would be ranked 18th in the UCI’s World Team table and be eligible for WorldTour status in 2026. Add Alaphilippe’s 1,725 points, and Tudor Pro would be in the so-called catbird’s seat, in 15th place, just ahead of the WorldTour team Intermarché-Wanty.
And that, of course, is the goal of Tudor’s ambitious owner, Swiss racing legend Fabio Cancellara. His team is currently in 22nd place on the team ranking’s list, a little less than 3,000 points out of that magical 18th place, with Uno-X Mobility, Cofidis and Astana Qazaqstan ahead of them and also mining the transfer market for point-winners.
One of the exciting competitions in 2025 will be the race for promotion to WorldTour status, and Cancellara may well have purchased a winning hand in acquiring Hirschi and Alaphilippe. Hirschi himself must think so because he is risking his career in the move. If the team doesn’t qualify for WorldTour status for 2026, the next chance is three years later, since team promotion/relegation is calculated every three years, and I doubt a rider of his quality will want to spend his best years riding mostly in second-level races. On the other hand, Cancellara and Hirschi both hail from Bern and they are very close, so he may have an opt-out clause in his contract, just in case.
“Signing Marc feels like the next piece of the puzzle of our story,” Cancellara said when announcing the signing. “We have been supporting him for some time, we know him well and understand his needs. He is the right fit for the team and the values we stand for. We are convinced we can help him to achieve the highest level.”
Hirschi sees this as a big step in his career, saying: “As a Swiss rider, it feels special to join a Swiss team. I am 25 [at the time] so it is time for me to endorse the role of a leader and see how far I can go. Tudor Pro Cycling is giving me this opportunity and I hope to return the trust with some fine victories.”
Tudor has a fine sprinter in Arvid de Kleijn, who registered five of Tudor’s 13 wins in 2024, including a stage of the Paris-Nice, as well nine podiums. In addition, the Italian sprinter Alberto Dainese, who has won three Grand Tour stages, joined in 2024. He had a disappointing year, with only one win, but he crashed in the Bemer Cyclassics in early September and had to cut his season short. He expects to be fit in 2025. And there is the veteran all-rounder Matteo Trentin, who is 35 but won the first GC of his career this year, at the Tour de Wallonie. This sounds like a strong team with a good chance to reach the top level.
That’s certainly where Alaphilippe expects to help take the team as co-leader with Hirschi. “I want to perform at the highest level and see the group develop,” he said. “I dream of returning to the roads of the Tour de France with the team one day, but important races like the Classics come first. It’s a big change but getting back on the winning path with the team will be a great satisfaction and I hope it is the beginning of great things.”
