‘Not ready for other side of barriers yet’

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Larry Warbasse wants to end 2024 with a bang in Saturday’s Il Lombardia, but he’s hoping the Italian monument won’t be his last.

The 34-year-old lines up with Decathon-Ag2r La Mondiale to end a successful six-year run with the French WorldTour squad, and confirmed to Velo that he’s on the market looking for a new contract.

“Unfortunately I still haven’t signed anything for next season yet,” Warbasse told Velo. “The team signed a lot of young guys from the continental and junior team for next year as they’re looking to build for 2026 and beyond, and in the end they just ran out of spots, which was too bad.”

As one of the top U.S. riders in Europe for the past 12 seasons, the Michigander remains motivated to continue racing professionally.

The 2017 U.S. national champion confirmed he is pursuing options to stay in the game.

“Ideally I would love to keep racing as a pro for one, two, or three more years, as I’m super motivated and I really believe and feel I’m still getting stronger every season,” Warbasse said. “There’s nothing that motivates me more than knowing I still have a lot more to give.”

Warbasse has been a steady presence at the top of the WorldTour peloton since he landed in Europe in 2012 as a stagiaire with BMC Racing, with whom he raced for two full seasons.

After stints at IAM Cycling and Aqua Blue, he joined the French WorldTour squad in 2019.

Across 2024, Warbasse played a crucial role in supporting teammate Ben O’Connor at major events like Tirreno-Adriatico, the Tour of the Alps, and the Giro d’Italia, where the Australian finished fourth overall behind winner Tadej Pogačar.

‘Not ready for other side of barriers yet’

Warbasse is a popular figure inside the bunch, and isn’t afraid to have some off-season adventures, including riding across the Canary islands on gravel roads.

He’s been busy in the back half of 2024, including fifth overall at the Tour Poitou-Charentes en Nouvelle Aquitain in August. Warbasse raced in the Canadian WorldTour races and lined up for the Zürich world championships with Team USA.

“I even finished the second part of the season stronger than the first,” he told Velo. “I want to keep racing the biggest races because they are what motivate me.”

He sees himself staying involved in cycling in his future, but he doesn’t want to give up on racing just yet.

Warbasse is mulling all options, and even posted a message on Instagram after a visit to the famed “cycling chapel” at Madonna del Ghisallo.

“Praying to the cycling gods for a job,” he joked on social media.

“In the end, racing my bike in any capacity inspires me, so I’m considering whatever options are available, whether that’s as a pro on the road or even dipping my toes into gravel,” he said.

“I’m just not sure I’m ready to hop to the other side of the barriers just yet. So we will see what happens next.”

Signing off with Il Lombardia: ‘Finish on a good note’

First, he’ll compete in one final race in Decathlon colors at Il Lombardia, one of his favorite events.

“I’ll try to have fun tomorrow, help my teammates, and then we’ll see what the future brings,” he said. “Hopefully, it’s a nice contract!”

Warbasse thanked his teammates and staffers in an official team note ahead of Il Lombardia.

“This Lombardia will be my last race with the team after six years, and I’d like to finish on a good note,” Warbasse said a team media release. “I’ve had a great time racing here over the past few years, and I hope to end the season and my time with the team on a high.

“Il Lombardia is always a tough race, it’s very long and comes at the end of a demanding season. This year might be even harder, with a 30-minute climb not far from the finish. I think that’s where the race will be decided. We have a strong team, and we’ll need to take our opportunities when we find them, trying to get ahead in the race and hoping for a small group sprint at the end.”