Team Sky boasts a lineup of 30 cyclists for the 2018 season, in sharp contrast to other WorldTour teams that have trimmed their rosters ahead of the coming year. With one final signing, Italian neo-pro Leonardo Basso, Sky finalized its 2018 roster Tuesday.
In addition to Basso, seven other newcomers will wear Sky’s white, blue, and black kit next season. Jonathan Castroviejo transfers to the British team from Movistar, home to Chris Froome’s GC rival Nairo Quintana. David de la Cruz leaves Quick-Step for Sky. Dylan van Baarle parts ways with Cannondale-Drapac after five years with that organization to race with Sky. Four additional riders will be first-timers at the WorldTour level with Sky: Egan Bernal, Kristoffer Halvorsen, Chris Lawless and Pavel Sivakov.
Many other WorldTour teams have been forced to slash their rosters for 2018. This is due to new UCI rules reducing team sizes at WorldTour races, including the major spring classics and grand tours — Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España.
Movistar and Orica-Scott head into 2018 with 25 riders apiece. BMC Racing fields a team of just 24 men for the coming year. Twenty-six riders will kit up for Katusha-Alpecin in 2018.
Given that Sky has the largest budget in the WorldTour — $40 million in 2017 according to multiple reports — it is understandable that the British squad would field a 30-man team despite the UCI’s changes for 2018.
The team’s GC leader Chris Froome plans to take on the Giro-Tour double in 2018. Having fresh riders to call up for the Tour in July should be an advantage for the four-time yellow jersey winner.
Team Sky 2018 roster
Leonardo Basso, 23 (I)
Egan Bernal, 20 (Col)
Jonathan Castroviejo, 30 (Sp)
David de la Cruz, 28 (Sp)
Philip Deignan, 34 (Irl)
Jon Dibben, 23 (GB)
Owain Doull, 24 (GB)
Kenny Elissonde, 26 (F)
Chris Froome, 32 (GB)
Tao Geoghegan Hart, 22 (GB)
Michal Golas, 33 (P)
Kristoffer Halvorsen, 21 (N)
Sebastian Henao, 24 (Col)
Sergio Henao, 29 (Col)
Benat Intxausti, 31 (Sp)
Vasil Kiryienka, 36 (Blr)
Christian Knees, 36 (G)
Michal Kwiatkowski, 27 (P)
Chris Lawless, 22 (GB)
David Lopez, 36 (Sp)
Gianni Moscon, 23 (I)
Wout Poels, 30 (Nl)
Salvatore Puccio, 28 (I)
Diego Rosa, 28 (I)
Luke Rowe, 27 (GB)
Pavel Sivakov, 20 (Rus)
Ian Stannard, 30 (GB)
Geraint Thomas, 31 (GB)
Dylan van Baarle, 25 (Nl)
Lukasz Wisniowski, 25 (P)
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