Bahrain Victorious is proud to announce that one of cycling’s brightest young talents, Jakob Omrzel, will step up to the WorldTour ranks after just a single season with the Bahrain Victorious Development Team.
The 19-year-old Slovenian was initially expected to remain with the U23 squad through 2026, but his breakthrough performances this year accelerated his rise. Having already gained valuable WorldTour experience in 2025, Omrzel now makes the leap to the professional peloton ahead of schedule.

Racing alongside the WorldTour squad this season, he impressed in events such as the Tour du Finistère Pays de Quimper and the Grand Prix du Morbihan. His standout performance came on home soil at the Tour of Slovenia, where he secured the white jersey as Best Young Rider and finished 4th overall, backed by three top-ten stage results.

Omrzel’s defining success, however, arrived in the U23 category. He captured the overall victory at the Giro Next Gen, claiming the Maglia Rosa on the final stage along with the young rider’s jersey, and added two stage podiums. He also delivered Bahrain Victorious the Slovenian National Champion’s jersey by triumphing in the elite road race, defeating both U23 and Elite competitors. More recently, he celebrated his first U23 one-day race victory at the prestigious GP Capodarco and claimed two second-place stage finishes at the Giro della Valle d’Aosta.

Omrzel’s talent had already been evident in his youth career, most notably with his victory at Paris–Roubaix Juniors in 2024 with the Slovenian National Team. He will soon line up with the national colours to contest the U23 Road Race at the World Championships in Rwanda.

Jakob Omrzel shared his excitement about turning professional and starting with new important chapter of his career with Bahrain Victorious:
“For sure, the big dream of every young cyclist is to one day become a pro rider, and I was no exception. To already have the opportunity to turn professional after just my first season at the U23 level is truly indescribable for me.
As a young rider with hopefully a long career ahead, it’s incredibly important to be surrounded by such a strong team of people who not only teach me how to become a better cyclist but also how to grow as a person. This season, I was given a few chances to experience racing at the pro level, and that only gave me more motivation and hunger for the future.
With Bahrain’s Development Team, I gained a lot of experience and discovered a completely new perspective on this sport. Joining this team was without a doubt the best decision I’ve made. The staff and riders across the whole team always gave me their best, and our results are just proof of the hard work we put in together.
Looking ahead to next season, my goals are not only to achieve strong results in high-level races but also to continue improving as both a rider and as a person. I know that if I keep showing my commitment and dedication to this team, I will earn more opportunities to deliver strong results and maybe one day even fight for a podium in a Grand Tour.
I truly believe I have the potential to succeed in this sport, and I will give everything I can to make my dreams a reality.”