If you want to land a future cycling star, you’re not just chasing talent—you’re racing for the long game. Our offer was less than half of what UAE’s purse could swing, and Isaac del Toro chose the bigger check. That reality sits at the heart of today’s talent wars in the WorldTour.
Since 2026, every top team except the newcomer Uno-X Mobility has built an official under-23 development program. INEOS Grenadiers and Movistar were the latest to join this trend, showing how seriously clubs now treat youth pipelines. Yet a quick look reveals a gap: the sport’s biggest franchises tend to prioritize well-known prospects, leaving mid-market outfits like EF Education-EasyPost navigating a precarious path to nurture their future stars.
Jonathan Vaughters’ project continues to turn out strong riders year after year. The 2026 lineup centers on 25-year-old Ben Healy, whose record—winning a Tour de France stage in 2025, earning a road World Championships podium, and placing at Liege–Bastogne–Liege—speaks volumes about EF’s development work. Healy’s decision to stay with EF, driven by loyalty and feelings rather than pure finance, is highlighted by Vaughters as a rare instance today. But he’s quick to add: that outcome isn’t the norm. In fact, it’s unusually uncommon in modern cycling.
Still, Healy’s case is a special one. Most riders with similar talent end up signing with a global powerhouse—UAE Team Emirates, XRG, Visma | Lease a Bike, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, Lidl-Trek, or INEOS Grenadiers—often because those teams can offer substantially larger financial incentives.
To counter this, teams must scout talent earlier—right from junior and even cadet levels—yet identifying a prodigy doesn’t guarantee they’ll choose your setup. Money frequently speaks louder than loyalty. UAE, with deep pockets, can outbid many rivals, including EF.
Vaughters reflects: discovering a 16- or 17-year-old is only half the battle. Being the first to spot him matters, but convincing him to sign with your squad is the real challenge. He cites Isaac del Toro as a vivid example: EF identified Del Toro early and pursued him aggressively, even proposing what would have been the largest rookie contract in EF history. In the end, UAE’s far larger offer won out, a reality that-making-sense-wise, makes sense for Del Toro’s path.
Del Toro’s name isn’t incidental here. In a twist of fate, EF’s GC leader Richard Carapaz faced Del Toro in a dramatic 2025 Giro d’Italia duel, only for both to be outmaneuvered by Simon Yates on Colle delle Finestre. Del Toro’s breakthrough came at the 2025 Giro d’Italia, underscoring how a youngster can strike big on big stages—but not all youths reach that peak.
Yet early success at 16 doesn’t guarantee WorldTour stardom. “Eight out of ten young talents don’t amount to much or aren’t truly elite,” Vaughters observes. “You end up investing in failed projects repeatedly. The two that click—Del Toro and Pogacar—can justify the spend if you can sustain it.” UAE, he suggests, has refined this calculus.
Ben Healy’s ascent illustrates the other side of the coin. He wasn’t a prodigy superstar in junior ranks, yet he blossomed in EF’s environment, proving that late blooming is possible. “Ben wasn’t a standout as a junior; no one expected the level he reached,” Vaughters notes. “We have a track record of developing riders who others overlook.” Still, it’s a fragile process, because teams can be poached away by bigger offers. Vaughters recalls a painful episode with Bradley Wiggins when a contract breakup forced a tough exit, back in the Garmin–Slipstream era, a reminder that loyalty rarely guarantees staying put.
Bottom line: talent development in the WorldTour is a high-stakes gamble. Early discovery helps, but financial muscle, team prestige, and timing often shape the final destination for young riders. The sport’s ecosystem rewards teams that balance eye for potential with the wherewithal to secure it—and it rewards riders who weigh loyalty against life-changing money. So the question remains: should clubs chase loyalty and long-term development even if it means forgoing immediate, life-changing offers—and how should we evaluate the true cost of “developing talent” in a world where mega-contracts loom larger than ever?
