Alessandro De Marchi (Team Jayco AlUla 2025) will transition from road captain to race radio in 2026, with GreenEDGE Cycling confirming that the Italian will become a sports director for Team Jayco AlUla following his retirement.
De Marchi’s final race as a professional is set for the Veneto Classic on 19 October 2025, closing a 15‑year career that brought Grand Tour stage wins and a reputation as one of the peloton’s sharpest tacticians. The team’s announcement, published on 6 December, confirms he will move directly into the WorldTour squad’s staff structure for next season.
"I’ve been waiting a long time for this new position. I’m happy to finally take this step," De Marchi said in the team communication. "I know I’ll be starting from scratch, I’ll begin to reconstruct myself in this new role, which I’d like to interpret a bit like I did as a rider: with passion and determination for a job I love."
Sports Director Gene Bates underlined why Jayco AlUla see the 39‑year‑old as a natural fit in the team car, praising him as an intelligent rider who is “well respected within the bunch.” Bates acknowledged that the transition from rider to staff can be demanding, but stressed the squad’s confidence that De Marchi can grow into the job within GreenEDGE’s established performance structure.
For Jayco AlUla’s riders, the promotion keeps a familiar face in the convoy and preserves hard‑earned race insight inside the organisation, as the Australian WorldTour team finalises its tactical brains trust for 2026.
Cover image credit: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
