Jayco AlUla has consciously chosen to part ways with sprinter Dylan Groenewegen and his support staff. According to team manager Brent Copeland, there are several reasons behind this decision. For instance, Groenewegen did not score the points the team had hoped for, Copeland explains.
In the Substack of cycling journalist Daniel Benson, Copeland does not specifically mention Groenewegen but indirectly addresses the Dutch sprinter's performances. According to Jayco AlUla’s management, Groenewegen's salary and that of his helpers Elmar Reinders and Max Walscheid also played a role in the decision.
"It was purely a decision we made during the season because it was pointless to pay 1 to 1.5 million euros for sprinters who don’t guarantee points. And unfortunately, that’s what happened," Copeland states. Groenewegen scored fewer than 700 UCI points in 2025, while he clearly performed better in 2024 (over 1,400 points), 2023 (over 1,300 points), and 2022 (over 1,200 points).
A change of direction then for the Australian team, which was also uncertain about its future for 2026. "We decided to stop investing in sprinters, which alone saves us 2 to 3 million euros if you do it without top sprinters. We chose to recruit riders who can realistically bring us points in races we are targeting," Copeland says. "These are different riders, and we know it’s worth our investment."
Looking at Jayco AlUla’s transfer window, it is noticeable that the team has signed relatively affordable talents like Pascal Ackermann, Amaury Capiot, Alessandro Covi, and Andrea Vendrame, all from the second or third tier, who can deliver decent results in mass sprints and hilly races. Groenewegen and Reinders, in turn, are moving to the ambitious Unibet Rose Rockets.
