Grand Tour veteran Larry Warbasse confirmed Friday he will make a switch from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale to Tudor Pro Cycling in 2025, continuing his pro cycling career for a 13th season.
The one-year contract for Warbasse completed the roster for the Swiss ProTeam, who have 30 riders. He adds another dimension of climbing and versatility to a deep group looking to support newly signed team leaders Julian Alaphilippe, the two-time road race World Champion, and Marc Hirshi, a stage winner at the Tour de France and runner-up at the 2024 Amstel Gold Race. Both were confirmed in August with three-year contracts for the Swiss team's high aspirations beginning in 2025.
A former US Pro road champion and a dependable domestique with 10 years of experience on the WorldTour, Warbasse rarely rode for himself. This year he finished fifth on GC at the Tour Poitou - Charentes en Nouvelle Aquitaine.
His final appearances with Decathlon AG2R, where he had ridden for six years, were earlier this month with a set of four races, Giro dell-Emilia to Il Lombardia. During his time in Italy, at a stop in the Lake Como area at the Madonna del Ghisallo church, a shrine to cyclists, he posted to social media: "Praying to the cycling gods for a job". That seemed to do the trick.
“I had some contact with a few teams about next season, but it was pretty touch and go for a bit, and the end of the season was approaching quicker and quicker. But out of the blue one day, my phone was ringing, and it was a Swiss number. I thought I might as well pick up the phone, and I’m glad I did, because it was Raphael Meyer, the boss of Tudor Pro Cycling," Warbasse told Cyclingnews.
"He explained that they came to the realization they needed another rider for next season and they wanted to chat. He came and met me the next day with their head sports director and after a good chat, things all happened quite quickly after that!
"It seems like an awesome project and a team I have been following closely, so I am really excited to have the opportunity to go there. I think 2025 will be a great year!”
Warbasse will play a support role but also a mentoring role.
"Next season will be my 13th as a professional and I’m looking forward to both helping our leaders perform at their best in the biggest races as well as helping to guide the younger riders in the team to reach their full potential," Warbasse said.
"It’s a great project and a team that is progressing quickly, something I and many others have taken note of over the past couple of years. It’s a motivated and forward-thinking team with top-level partners, from Tudor to BMC, as well as many others, and I can’t wait to get started!”
Warbasse spoke with Cyclingnews just prior to Il Lombardia and confirmed that he would be "really sad" to stop racing at just 34 years old. He felt he had more to give. "I really love this sport and I love racing my bike."
In 2024 he helped deliver Ben O'Connor to the Australian's first Grand Tour podium finish, second overall at the Vuelta a España after wearing the leader's red jersey for 13 days. Warbasse was not only a key part of that Vuelta success for his now-former teammate but at two other races earlier this season.
"Ben was fourth at Tirreno-Adriatico and fourth at the Giro d'Italia. I was always there, consistent and good, both in the race and outside of the race, which is also an important part of being an experienced domestique," Warbasse told Cyclingnews.
Now O'Connor takes his talents to Jayco-AlUla. Warbasse continues his career on the bike as well, instead of looking into a new career as a broadcaster, team management or even a gravel privateer, an idea that sprouted from his 19th place finish at Unbound Gravel 200 in 2023.
Tudor Pro Cycling, which transitioned from Swiss Racing Academy in 2022 as an initiative of two-time Olympic and five-time world champion cyclist Fabian Cancellara, and then moved to the ProTeam level in 2023. The squad made its first Grand Tour appearance in 2024 at the Giro d'Italia.
Warbasse would be one of the go-to riders for a return to the Giro, a Grand Tour he has done the most, six of his 11 Grand Tours. Another year of racing is also another chance to finally start at the Tour de France.
