In previous eras of cycling, a rider breaking their contract early to move teams could have caused major controversy, but in the past few weeks, big-name riders Richard Carapaz, Filippo Ganna, and Giulio Ciccone have all announced exits before the end to join new teams without any obvious hitches.

As riders leaving their current teams early for new pastures becomes more common in the peloton – a practice not just isolated to the men's pros either, with Paula Blasi doing the same – it marks a transformation of the transfer market, with almost any rider available, in theory.