The move transcends the usual ProTeam-to-WorldTour shuffle. Balderstone is the Spanish time trial champion and finished fourth overall at O Gran Camiño 2026. UAE signed the 26-year-old at a critical moment: he'd just completed his first Tour de France and publicly stated his WorldTour ambitions. A three-year deal and an early exit from his previous team signal that the club knew exactly what it was acquiring—not a roster name, but a specific mountain profile.