INEOS Grenadiers has had relatively lukewarm recent years in the world of professional cycling having not won a Grand Tour since 2021 despite being a once-dominant team, but a management shuffle will seek to change their fortunes under the direction of former pro Geraint Thomas.
The British team announced last week it appointed Thomas as their new director of racing. He is expected to cooperate with senior management on race strategy, rider recruitment, and team performance.
But Thomas has a bigger goal for the team in 2026 than just continuing the legacy: Winning the Tour de France once again.
Passing the torch to the next generation
Thomas, who only retired last September after the Tour of Britain, had been part of the squad since his early days as a professional cyclist.
Now, he comes back to a team he has called his “home since day one” to try and support the next generation of cyclists.
“I’m passionate about helping the next generation come through, to pass on that experience and keep pushing the team forward towards our mission of winning Grand Tours again,” he told AFP.
The squad was Team Sky before British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe took over, and was then named Team INEOS.
It was rebranded as INEOS Grenadiers from 2020.
It last won the Tour de France in 2019 with Egan Bernal.
The rider from Colombia would also secure the team’s last Grand Tour victory in 2021 at the Giro d’Italia.
Aiming for Tour de France title
In the Watts Occurring podcast Thomas shared with former pro and fellow Welshman Luke Rowe, he emphasised his vision for the team, which is winning another Tour de France title.
Part of this vision is creating healthy competition amongst riders and staff.
“There’s always competition for places and it’s kind of the same for staff, how are they impacting performance this week… it’s not just going through the motions,” he told Cycling News.
Thomas said he wanted to put the team in a “super-strong position” that will allow them to challenge the Tour title – whether it means beating world number 1 Tadej Pogačar or another rider.
“This is the start, we’re going towards it, everyone’s clear.”
Thomas was a celebrated professional cyclist, winning stages in the Tour de France and snatching victories in other road races like the Paris-Nice in 2016, the Critérium du Dauphiné in 2018, the Tour de Romandie in 2021 and the Tour de Suisse in 2022, just to name a few.
His biggest glory, however, was winning the Tour de France in 2018, becoming the first Welshman to do so.
Helping him to the top had been Rowe, his childhood friend and former domestique.
Rowe, who retired in 2024, now serves as a sports director for rival cycling team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, a contrast to Thomas, who he affectionately calls ‘G’.
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Elia Viviani, Daryl Impey join INEOS
INEOS Grenadiers also revealed over the weekend that Elia Viviani and Daryl Impey will join management as their new sports directors for the 2026 season.
Viviani, who won stages in the Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a España and Tour de France, spent three years in INEOS from 2022 to 2024 and moved to the Lotto Cycling Team before retiring this year.
He said in a press release that he was “thrilled” to be back and vowed to give his “absolute best” to support cyclists as the team enters a new era, according to a press release.
Meanwhile, Impey won a stage in the Tour de France and was the first African rider to wear the yellow jersey in 2013.
He retired from professional cycling in 2023 but was later appointed as sports director of Israel-Premier Tech, which was recently rebranded as NSN Cycling Team.
Impey also reunites with Thomas, with whom he was teammates at the start of his career when they both raced with British Barloworld.
Thomas was seemingly satisfied with the new addition to the team, calling them “excellent additions”.
“They will also bring fresh ideas and perspectives into an established environment which is really important for our growth as a team, as we continue to challenge ourselves in every area”, Thomas said.
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