EF Education-Easy Post has yet to announce any deals in the August transfer market, but the UCI website seems to have done it for them.

Dronehopper-Androni Giocattoli riders Jefferson Alexander Cepeda and Andrea Piccolo are favored for a mid-season move to the U.S. team and are currently on uci.org's list of U.S. World Tour Team members ( (opens in new tab)).

Androni's boss Gianni Savio confirmed Piccolo's departure in an interview with Bici.pro (opens in new tab) on August 1, and five days earlier, the Vuelta a Burgos website (opens in new tab) announced that Cepeda would be racing as part of the EF lineup announced that they would be competing (although the final selection of the team would be different).

They appear to have replaced Lachlan Morton and Alex Howes on the EF's membership list, but both riders are listed as EF Education-EasyPost on the UCI website. In recent seasons, the two have been increasingly focused on gravel racing and "alternative calendars."

Howes has only run seven days of road racing in 2022, and Morton has not been on the road in EF colors since February; both will likely say goodbye to their road careers to focus full-time on gravel and off-road racing.

Meanwhile, Piccolo and Cepeda are the latest in a long line of talented riders to make the jump to the WorldTour from Savio's team, joining the likes of Simon Peraud, Fausto Masnada, Mattia Cattaneo, Ivan Sosa, and Egan Bernal.

Ecuadorian rider Cepeda has been with Androni since 2020, and the 24-year-old has had standout results, including fourth at the 2021 Tour of the Alps, second at this year's Giro di Sicilia, and fifth at the Adriatica Ionica race in June.

EF Education-EasyPost confirmed Piccolo's arrival on Saturday afternoon; he is the third team to join Androni this season, having just joined the team in late June. Piccolo will make his debut in EF colors at the Tour de l'Ain in France on August 9-11.

The 21-year-old Italian turned pro with Astana last year, but did not race due to "personal health reasons" (open in new tab) discovered in training camp early in the season. The highly regarded youngster returned with development team Vilis Vigevano, where he won the U23 Ruota d'Oro, before joining Gazprom Rusvelo this season.

His promising career was again put in jeopardy when the UCI banned him from competing for the team following Russia's invasion of Ukraine; after three months away from racing, he returned with Androni, finishing fourth in the Italian Championships, sixth in the Sibiu Tour, and second in the Gesso Circuit 19]

"For me the jersey is of course a big bonus," Piccolo said of his move to EF.

"All the teams on the World Tour are good, but I was very excited to move to EF Education - Easy Post. It is a great honor for me."

"The last two years have been really challenging for me," said Piccolo. 'But I'm thankful for my family and the courage they gave me to come here. I'm really happy that I found a good path this year. Everything is going well."

Team manager Jonathan Vaughters also has high hopes for Piccolo.

"Andrea is one of the best talents in Italy.

"I am really looking forward to Andrea's future. My expectations are quite high. I wouldn't be surprised if he wins a pro race by the end of the year and shocks a few people."

This confirms Savio's opinion.

"When in doubt, don't punish Andrea Piccolo, he will be a great rider. He has talent," Savio said of Piccolo in an interview with Bici.Pro, explaining why he stepped up to the World Tour level in exchange for what he called a "development bonus" reward.

"When the World Tour team contacts him, what do you say to him--'Don't go. Savio said, "Over there, we would get a two or three year contract with more money, a calendar and future stability."

"Yes, we received a small financial reward for Piccolo and for Cepeda, who will follow him to EF. Obviously, this is a much lower amount than the Bernal case.

"I wanted to keep Piccolo for another year to make him clear. I wanted to at least finish the season and win a few races with him on the Italian calendar. But again, how could I keep him in front of a calendar that would pay him far better and put him up against great riders?

Cepeda and Piccolo are unlikely to be the last riders to step up to the World Tour from Savio's team.

Natnael Tesfazion, a 23-year-old from Eritrea who finished second at the Giro dell'Appennino and Adriatica Ionica, is also likely to move next season, with Trek Segafredo interested.