Ben Wiggins, Wil Holmes, Jed Smithson and Adam Rafferty will join Team Jayco AlUla in 2027, marking a direct graduation from the GreenEDGE Cycling development team, Hagens Berman Jayco, into the WorldTour.
The move gives the Australian squad four more young riders from its pipeline and continues a pathway that has been part of the team’s structure for years. For Ben Wiggins, the step is especially meaningful. The son of Bradley Wiggins said joining Team Jayco AlUla next year is a dream come true.
Wiggins pointed back to the 2019 Tour de France as a turning point. He said he was at the race that summer and was invited around the bus the morning Matteo Trentin won the stage for the team into Gap. Wiggins said that day stuck with him and helped spark the desire to ride for the team one day.
He eventually followed in Bradley Wiggins’ footsteps in cycling in 2021, and his progress has continued to build since then. In 2026, he claimed the U23 national time trial title and also produced a standout ride at the Tour of Britain, where he finished in the top 10 overall.
Holmes also arrives with a strong development record. He initially signed with the squad in 2024 with the goal of moving into the WorldTour in 2027, and that plan has now been confirmed. In 2026, he made several outings for the WorldTour squad and became the U23 national time trial champion.
Smithson’s promotion is built on consistency and earned opportunities. He stepped up on four occasions during the 2026 racing calendar and found success at national level back home in the UK. Rafferty, meanwhile, has already shown he can deliver on bigger stages, winning a U23 national TT title and taking a stage victory plus a top-10 finish overall at the Giro d’Italia Next Gen in the last two seasons.
What the riders said about the move
Wiggins said it is a special feeling to be joining the WorldTour next year and called racing for Team Jayco AlUla a dream come true. He added that he can’t wait to be part of the races he watched as a kid.
Holmes said he is really excited to join the WorldTour team next season and described it as a dream he has had since watching GreenEDGE at the Tour Down Under when he was 10 years old. He also said he is looking forward to learning from some of the best riders and staff in the world.
Rafferty said he could not be happier to achieve his childhood dream of turning professional and called GreenEDGE Cycling the best environment for his WorldTour debut. He also said he is excited to get stuck into racing in 2027 and be part of the team’s Australian culture.
Smithson described the step up as a big deal and said it feels like a coming of age, while also recognizing that it fulfills a childhood dream. He added that the move reflects years of hard work and the support of many people who helped him reach this point.
For Team Jayco AlUla, the announcement shows the value of having a clear development pathway. For the four riders, it is the next step from prospect to full WorldTour racing, with 2027 now set as the year they make that leap.
