The biggest names still out of contract

New rosters need filling and there’s a few big hitters up for grabs

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With the road season over and Christmas not far off, for many in the peloton, this period is a brief one of relaxation before they head off to camp to either welcome new riders to their team, or play the role of the new rider themselves, as they meet their new, established team-mates. But not everyone as yet has the luxury of knowing exactly where they’ll be going for 2021.

A short, disrupted season means riders haven’t had the chance to prove themselves as they usually would, while an already challenging economic landscape has been hugely exacerbated by Covid-19. Taken together these things mean riders in search of new contracts are having a tougher time of it, and there are many still to sign on the dotted line, including some of the best in the peloton.

Miguel Angel López (Astana)

A major talent still enjoying his mid-twenties prime-time – and from Colombia too, where the riders tend to be as talented as the air is thin. López ought to be confident he will get a decent contract from somewhere. This year alone he won a Tour de France stage – the summit finish at Col de la Loze – before going on to finish sixth overall. But his Astana team have already said he has become too expensive for them to retain next season, and the question remains: who has the money and the space to back this mercurial rider?

Where we’d like to see him: Sunweb

Mark Cavendish (Bahrain-Merida)