Hélène Hesters is reportedly set to join AG Insurance-Soudal for the 2027 season, with the Belgian WorldTeam moving to secure one of the country’s most promising young sprinters.
According to DirectVelo, Hesters will leave Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s Continental Team at the end of the current campaign. The move has not yet been formally announced by AG Insurance-Soudal, but would give the 21-year-old her first opportunity at Women’s WorldTour level.
Hesters has spent 2026 reinforcing her reputation as a fast finisher who can compete on both the road and track. She recently finished 16th overall at the Baloise Ladies Tour, where she won the sprint classification after consistently collecting points across the stage race.
Her strongest road result of the season came at the Tour of Portugal, where she won the fifth and final stage. Hesters also finished third at the Midwest Classic, adding another strong one-day result to a season in which her speed has become increasingly visible outside Belgium.
Those performances suggest she is beginning to convert her track qualities into more regular road results. While Hesters is naturally suited to bunch finishes, her recent racing has also shown the endurance required to remain competitive across stage races and more selective one-day events.
Track success adds to Hesters’ appeal
Hesters is already an established track specialist and won the scratch race at the 2026 European Elite Championships in Konya.
The scratch race rewards tactical awareness as well as outright speed, with riders needing to follow attacks, manage positioning and still produce a decisive finish. Those qualities should translate well into the professional road peloton, particularly in reduced bunch sprints and difficult finales where positioning can be as important as maximum power.
Joining AG Insurance-Soudal would give Hesters access to a larger road programme, greater performance support and regular exposure to Women’s WorldTour racing. It would also allow the Belgian team to develop a home rider whose strongest results may still be ahead of her.
AG Insurance-Soudal has continued to invest in younger riders alongside its established leaders, and Hesters would fit that approach. She is unlikely to arrive as the team’s immediate first-choice sprinter for every major race, but could initially combine lead-out duties with opportunities in lower-pressure events and selected fast finishes.
Another Hesters in the professional peloton
Hélène is the sister of Jules Hesters, who races professionally for Flanders-Baloise and has also built much of his career around track cycling.
The siblings’ shared track background has given both riders strong sprinting foundations, although Hélène’s recent results suggest her own road career is now entering an important stage.
A move from a Continental-level programme to AG Insurance-Soudal would represent a significant step. The challenge will be adapting to the deeper fields and more controlled racing found at WorldTour level, where sprint opportunities are harder to create and lead-out responsibilities are more specialised.
Her victory in Portugal, podium at the Midwest Classic and sprint classification at the Baloise Ladies Tour nevertheless provide evidence that she is ready for a larger programme.
AG Insurance-Soudal has yet to confirm the signing, but DirectVelo’s report points towards Hesters becoming part of the Belgian squad from 2027.
