Brand dance in the WorldTour: CUBE could return to the WorldTour

The 2027 transfer market is not only moving riders. A significant dance is also being prepared between bicycle manufacturers and teams, and one of the latest rumors points directly to CUBE. The German brand could return to the WorldTour as a supplier for the NSN Cycling Team, taking the place of SCOTT and reuniting with Biniam Girmay.

The bicycle market is also moving towards 2027: CUBE could return to the WorldTour with NSN

Changes in technical sponsorships are one of the most interesting topics for the upcoming season. One of the most significant moves involves Soudal Quick-Step, which is expected to end its historic relationship with Specialized to start using Merida bicycles in 2027.

Now another possible change is gaining momentum. For days, there has been a rumor circulating among various sources that SCOTT will stop supplying bicycles to the NSN Cycling Team at the end of 2026 and that CUBE will take its place starting in 2027. For now, there is no official announcement from NSN, SCOTT, or CUBE confirming this operation, so it should be treated exclusively as a rumor.

The change would mean CUBE's return as a supplier for a WorldTour structure after a season out of the top category.

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The German brand had a significant presence in the WorldTour for years alongside Intermarché-Wanty, a relationship in which one of its main protagonists ended up being Biniam Girmay. With CUBE bicycles, the Eritrean achieved some of the greatest successes of his career, including his three stage wins and the green jersey of the 2024 Tour de France.

The relationship between CUBE and Intermarché-Wanty ended after the reorganization that led to the merger of Lotto and Intermarché for 2026. 

But the brand did not abandon professional cycling. For 2026, it found a place in the Team TotalEnergies, a ProTeam category team, supplying its bicycles to all structures, from the first team to its U23 and U19 development teams.

The problem is that the future of the French structure beyond 2026 is surrounded by uncertainty. TotalEnergies had already announced that it would stop being its main sponsor at the end of this season, while simultaneously the energy company has integrated as a sponsor of the current Netcompany INEOS. That scenario could leave CUBE looking for a new structure for 2027, and that’s where NSN comes in.

Girmay could return to compete with CUBE

The move would also have a particularly striking component. Biniam Girmay could return to compete on a CUBE just a year after separating from the brand.

After leaving Intermarché at the end of 2025, the Eritrean joined the new NSN Cycling Team, a structure that emerged from the transformation of the former Israel-Premier Tech and currently uses SCOTT bicycles. In the 2026 Tour de France, for example, NSN has competed with customized SCOTT Foil and Addict RC for the occasion.

If the change is confirmed, Girmay would thus return to a brand closely linked to the most successful stage of his career.

The rumor suggests that SCOTT will end its sponsorship with NSN after this season and CUBE will take over the supply of bicycles for the coming years. What is still unclear is whether SCOTT could seek another professional team or reduce its presence in top-level road cycling.