Just a month ago, James Shaw was looking down the barrel of 2026 without a contract. His current team EF Education-EasyPost was yet to renew his contract, and he was having to contemplate a future off the WorldTour. Now that’s all changed.
‘It was such a shit situation to be in,” Shaw told his 4000+ YouTube followers as he climbed up an Andorran mountain. “I feel like I’ve given EF so much. I really wanted to get back on the bike.”
The 29-year-old had, at the end of the 2025 season, completed the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España. This year, only 29 riders raced more than he did.
But come November, Shaw was still unsure who he would be racing for in the new year. His subscriptions - including a Hexis nutrition subscription - had been cancelled, and he had been forced to seek out his own coach as EF contemplated his future.
“It was just a horrible situation to be in and I don’t wish it on my deepest darkest enemies," he continued. "But hey, that’s how it is.”
Shaw attributes his situation to industry-wide complications. As Lotto and Intermarché merge, and French men's WorldTour team Arkéa-B&B Hotels folds, there is a slew of talented riders also looking for contracts. “There are 60 guys without contracts. And from what I’ve heard from teams, there are only six or seven places left on teams.”
“I don't think my situation is due to a lack of results or performances. I feel like my results show that I perform well in those top races,” Shaw told Cycling Weekly last month.
“I also think that the sport is going in the direction of quantity or quality: you see guys racing less and less but at a higher level and the toll of racing is getting more and more. For me to have the performances I have had and still had the quantity of race days was impressive I think.
“Unlike the top guys, I don’t have time to do an altitude camp or dieting, nor have the time to control the fatigue load. So I’m really content with what I’ve done and achieved this year. I’ve stood on the podium in a few races and had a good crack from the breakaway in a few stages of the Vuelta.”
After delivering the good news to his YouTube followers, Shaw is set to enter the new year with a renewed motivation: “I can sleep well now and enjoy the process a bit more,” he said.
