Factor Bikes Returns to Men’s WorldTour With Major Bahrain Deal

Factor Bikes is heading back to the men’s WorldTour, and Bahrain Victorious is changing bikes again.

The team confirmed a new partnership beginning in 2027, bringing Factor back to cycling’s top men’s division after a season away following its split with Israel-Premier Tech at the end of 2025.

Factor secures a place in the WorldTour and a guaranteed spot in the Tour de France.

“Personally, I find it fitting that Factor was born in the UK, and next year, in our 10th anniversary year, Factor will be back at the highest level of racing in the UK at the Tour de France,” said Factor founder Rob Gitelis.

Friday’s announcement did not specify details, but the deal means Factor’s aero-focused Ostro VAM and lightweight O2 VAM climbing bike will be back in the men’s WorldTour.

The company will supply Bahrain across the grand tours and classics with its full fleet of bikes.

For Bahrain, the deal means another equipment switch as its relationship with Bianchi ends and will mark its third bike supplier in as many years.

Back in the big show

Factor’s one-year absence from the men’s WorldTour didn’t mean it disappeared from the peloton. Like most top brands, Factor’s DNA is spread across the pack.

The brand supplied Women’s WorldTour team Human Powered Health in 2026, and backed Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, the men’s ProTeam founded by George Hincapie. The brand will be co-sponsor for the team’s second season.

The Bahrain deal — which neither the team or Factor shared publicly how long it will last — brings the company back into the full men’s WorldTour calendar, with all the exposure, demands, pressure, and equipment scrutiny that comes with it.

“At Factor, we have always believed that racing at the pinnacle of the sport is fundamental to who we are. It’s where our ideas are challenged, where our engineering is tested, and where we continue to push ourselves forward,” Gitelis said. “We see this partnership as much more than supplying bikes to a professional team. It’s an opportunity to work together, to innovate, and to compete against the very best. We are incredibly excited about what we can achieve together from 2027.”

Factor previously supplied Israel-Premier Tech from 2020 through 2025, putting its bikes under riders like Chris Froome and Michael Woods. That relationship ended amid the controversy surrounding the team’s Israeli identity, that came to a head in the Vuelta a España as protesters disrupted the race.

Factor first entered the men’s WorldTour with AG2R La Mondiale in 2016, when Romain Bardet rode its bikes onto the Tour podium.

Bahrain makes another equipment move

For Bahrain’s riders and mechanics, the agreement means getting used to yet another fleet of bikes. Bahrain raced Bianchi only one season after switching over from Merida in 2026.

Top riders like Matej Mohorič and Lenny Martinez will soon have the bikes.

The announcement did not specify which Factor models the team will race, or detail the wider component package.

Bahrain managing director Milan Eržen said the agreement means more direct input from riders and performance staff in the development process.

“We have found a fantastic partner in Factor, a brand that shares our performance ethos and our ambition to be the best,” Eržen said. “Factor is continuously innovating on the bike, with a huge focus on performance, which will enable our riders to have one of the best setups in the peloton.”

Work is already underway behind the scenes, with the team’s first pre-season training camps set for November and December.