Gal Glivar has become the latest Slovenian rider to join the world cycling elite by becoming a member of the Alpecin-Deceuninck WorldTour team.

The 22-year-old has joined the Belgian side after a stint at the UAE Team Emirates development team, known as the UAE Gen Z team. He started his professional career with Slovenian team Adria Mobil.

"I'm a rider with capacities for short, explosive climbs and I'm not slow in a small group sprint," Glivar said in a team Instagram post.

"My short-term goal is to make a smooth start in the WorldTour. My long-term goal is to win some big races and participate in the Tour de France."

Glivar has had some success with UAE, having won the Tour of Sharjah and Giro de Belvedere this year, and the Orlen Nations Grand Prix in 2023.

He is one of a growing number of Slovenian riders competing at the highest level of cycling, though they may not be as well known as Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič, who have been among the world's most dominant riders for years.

Luka Mezgec is with Team Jayco AIUIa, Domen Novak is Pogačar's team mate at UAE Team Emirates, Jan Tratnik is a member of Team Visma Lease a Bike but will join Roglič at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe next year, while Matevž Govekar and Matej Mohorič are team mates at Bahrain - Victorious.