Sam Welsford leaves INEOS Grenadiers: he will race with Team Jayco AlUla in 2027

Welsford, a new adventure in Australia Sam Welsford changes jersey. The Australian rider, born on January 19, 1996, leaves INEOS Grenadiers and moves to Team Jayco AlUla starting from the 2027 season. The official announcement was made on October 9, 2026, marking for Welsford the seventh team of his UCI career, which began in 2018 with Australian Cycling Academy - Ride Sunshine Coast. After experiences with Pro Racing Sunshine Coast, Team DSM, Team DSM-Firmenich, Red Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe and Netcompany INEOS in 2026, Welsford joins a team aiming to strengthen its roster. At Team Jayco AlUla he will find five fellow Australians: Luke Durbridge, Rudy Porter, Michael Matthews and Kelland O'Brien. An Australian group that could ease his integration. The transfer market of the two teams Welsford's transfer is part of a particularly busy market for both teams. Team Jayco AlUla, in addition to Welsford, has announced seven other arrivals: Adam Rafferty, Alessandro Fancellu, Ben Wiggins, Jed Smithson, Mikkel Frølich Honoré, Oliver Bleddyn and Ugo Fabries. In the same period, the team has recorded two high-profile departures: Ben O'Connor and Jelte Krijnsen, who will therefore not be Welsford's teammates in 2027. INEOS Grenadiers, for their part, lose Welsford along with two other prominent riders: Filippo Ganna and Magnus Sheffield. For the British team, it is an outgoing market with no announced arrivals, a sign of possible downsizing or a targeted strategy on other profiles. Welsford, who will turn 31 in 2027, comes from a 2026 season in which he achieved notable placings: out of seven results in our archive, highlights include second place in stage 1 of the Tour of Guangxi (October 13, 2026) and third at the Copenhagen Sprint, as well as second place in stage 7 of Tirreno-Adriatico. The average age of Team Jayco AlUla's roster (21 riders with known date of birth) is 30.7 years: Welsford, who will turn 31, falls in an intermediate range, with 11 teammates younger and 8 older. His experience and speed will be valuable for a team that, after the departures of O'Connor and Krijnsen, is looking for new solutions for sprints and classics. The 2027 market has just begun, but Welsford's name is already one of the most talked about.