The categories can be summed up as follows:

Unavailable means that the rider will not be leaving, no matter what.

Unlikely means that the rider won't leave, unless a superior replacement can be found - and we feel that is unlikely to happen.

Possible means that the rider is likely to be able to leave, but that we need to find a replacement first - of which we are confident.

For Sale means that we are actively hoping to sell the rider, no matter what.

Released means the rider is now a Free Agent.

Overall we are reasonably happy with renewals. All of our riders except Gautier, Bret and Vuillermoz accepted our first offers - and we feel that even they are not overpaid, considering their previous wages. There was a slight disappointment that we were not able to get Pinot and Gautier's wages down slightly more following relegation, but we knew it would be difficult after their training last season, and they still represent good value at this level. The riders that were released met that fate as we felt there were better options available, especially with regards to the Sri Lankans.

Today has seen six young Sri Lankan talents sign on the dotted line here at Ayubowan HQ in Kandy, and all for the minimum wage of 50,000. Below are their current stats and XP levels, as well as how they will look when they are maxed out - although their OVL and RDs don't reflect that currently.

Overnight Ian Bibby joined us from Eritel-Sonatrach for 1,160,000 - completing our first trade of the period. Bibby is an exciting rider to have signed due to his all round abilities and we are delighted to have brought him on board. He'll lead the team in stage races with TTs, as well as being called upon to support our leaders in the hills and the mountains when necessary. We'd like to thank his former manager SN for making this deal possible, and we are happy to finally have a British rider on board for the first time since 2012!

Today has seen another three riders arrive at Ayubowan! HQ and sign contracts. Firstly, in addition to the six Sri Lankans signed yesterday, another two have arrived in young climbing talents Suranga Ranaweera and Sanju Dimantha Sembukutti. Ranaweera became our most expensive signing from free agency to date, with a wage of 80k - while Sembukutti is on a 50k wage.

In addition, today also saw the arrival of British sprinter Chris Opie from Eddie Stobart. The deal to sign him was a straight swap for Yannick Martinez, and with a wage of only 110k we feel it is a good deal for us. He can contribute straightaway, but he will also be able to improve some more this season or next. Current and maxed stats are below.

Today had already been a successful day on the transfer front for us, but this evening we also received confirmation that Jonathan Bellis has joined us from RBC Pro Cycling, in a deal which involved 900k and Kenny Elissonde going in the other direction. While Bellis has proven rather costly to acquire, we believe he will be worth it when looking at his previous results in the PCT - especially in the races we have selected as our goals such as the Clasica San Sebastian, the Japan Cup and Strade Bianche.

Today has seen further transfer activity for Ayubowan! with two more riders joining from free agency - Adam Yates and Christophe Laporte. Yates will join our climbing and hills squad in a support role for this season, before becoming a stage race leader when maxed out. Laporte on the other hand will offer all around support with his abilities in the hills, as well as on the cobbles and his decent sprint. We're hopeful that these will not be our last signings, but we can't say that for certain currently - just keep an eye out here for the latest news!