Friday's Tour de France stage 7 time trial will kick off an important weekend of racing.

But beyond the race for the stage win and the maillot jaune, there are other developments unfolding behind the scenes as teams, riders, and their agents work to finalize and agree on 2025 contracts before cycling's official transfer window opens on August 1. Big-name players such as Julien Alaphilippe, Guillaume Martin, Ben O'Connor, Valentin Pare-Pantl, Kayden Groves, Bob Jungels, and Jan Hilt are all looking to move on, negotiating new contracts or moving to a team for next season.

Chinese carbon fiber manufacturer XDS Carbontech has made a major investment in the Astana Kazakstan team, which will create a market similar to Red Bull's entry.

Ineos Grenadiers One has already completed its business for 2025, and its roster is fully finalized.

The team confirmed that Dutch GC rider Timen Arensman has re-signed through the end of the 2027 season. Elsewhere, 18-year-old Danish rider Peter Oxenberg Hansen will be the first transfer for 2025.

"We have already secured the 2025 roster," Ineos performance director Scott Drewer told Cycling News at the Tour de France. Jonathan Castroviejo has re-signed, as has Connor Swift. Jonathan Castroviejo has re-signed and Conor Swift has re-signed."

"We are already looking ahead to 2026. We are investing in our talent program and pushing it forward.

Drawer insisted that Ineos would support Tom Pidcock in the "long-term goal of GC contention" and said the multi-talented star plays a "key role," but Drawer acknowledged that the team will change "quite significantly" in the future.

"Tom Pidcock is under contract with us until the end of 2027. He is a generational talent. He is better this year than he was last year.

"Our owners are desperate to develop their own talent. We are not going to buy top players, we are going to develop our own. That's more exciting for the coaches. It's more exciting for the riders."

One move that Ineos may make is the acquisition of Monegasque rider Victor Langelotti, who, according to L'Equipe, will make the jump up from the pro team Burgos-BH.

Promising British youngster Samuel Watson will also join the team from Groupama-FDJ, reports Daniel Benson.

Meanwhile, Giro d'Italia opening stage winner Honatan Narvaez is strongly rumored to be moving from the team to UAE Team Emirates for 2025. [Meanwhile, Alexandre Vinokurov intends to sign several big-name athletes for his World Tour survival in 2025. Australian sprinter Kayden Groves has moved on from Alpecin Deceuninck and is likely to be the first signing for the newly formed team.

Red Bull-Bohler-Hansgrohe looks set to aggressively strengthen all aspects of the team for 2025.

Rising Classics stars Laurens Pitti (Groupama-FDJ) and Oiel Lazcano (Movistar) have been rumored to be moving teams to strengthen a team that has not been a force on the cobbles since the Peter Sagan era.

The contracts of many Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe players, including Sergio Iguita, Max Schachmann, Bob Jungels, Emanuel Buchmann, and Leonard Kemna, expire at the end of 2024.

Former Liège-Bastogne-Liège winner Bob Jungels could move to Ineos, while Leonard Kemna, a member of the Grand Tour 3 stage winner's club, could move to Ridltrek. [Het Laatste Nieuws was the first to report it, and La Gazzetta dello Sport confirmed it.

Giulio Pellizzari, one of the many talents that VF Group-Baldiani CSF-Feizane has nurtured over the years, has been rumored to be moving to Red Bull colors since his breakthrough performance in May's Giro d'Italia, and according to Daniel Benson, Visma-. Reese A Bikes trio Jan Tratnik, Tim van Dijk and Mick van Dijk could also join the team, and Victor Campenato is expected to play an important domestique role.

Various French riders and teams are currently active on the market in their home race, with several big contracts on the horizon.

Lenny Martinez, the young GC hope of French cycling, is almost certain to move from Groupama-FDJ to Bahrain Victorious. He was scheduled to make his Grand Tour debut at this year's Vuelta a España, but is now making his Tour debut.

Guillaume Martin could replace him in the Groupama-FDJ after a long career with Cofidis.

According to reports in the French and Belgian newspaper Le Soir, Groupama-FDJ will likely be joined by Guillaume Martin, a Cofidis climber and two-time top-10 finisher in the Tour. The 31-year-old reportedly turned down offers from Arcare B&B Hotels, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, and Intermarque Wanty to make the move.

Le Soir reports that Cofidis is hoping to sign Belgian puncher Dylan Theuns of Israeli Premier Tech.

At Soudal Quickstep, Julien Alaphilippe has turned down a move from several French teams; L'Equipe reports that the former world champion has proposed a contract extension to team management.

However, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Belgian team is saying goodbye to climbers Jan Hilt (Israel Premier Tech) and Fausto Masnada (Q36.5), and the classic Kasper Asgreen is also likely to move elsewhere.

Alaphilippe's compatriot and Giro d'Italia stage winner Valentin Palais-Pantre will also move to the Belgian team, supporting Remco Evenpoel's GC hopes with a two-year deal from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale.

L'Equipe reports that Ben O'Connor is also moving from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale. He is strongly rumored to be moving "home" to Jayco Alura, with the Australian team likely to move to Visma Lease A bikes, with longtime GC leader Simon Yates.

Cofidis' Axel Jingle could also move to the Dutch team, while former world time record holder Victor Kampenaerts will return to the team he left in 2017.