Axel Laurance on the switch in mentality of INEOS Grenadiers: "It took some getting used to for everyone to not focus on GC anymore"
Cycling
Former U23 World champion Axel Laurance was kind of forced out of Classics team Alpecin-Deceuninck after last season and so he hoped to find his place with GC-focused INEOS Grenadiers. However with arrival of Laurance, the mentality of the British formation shifted and so Laurance is once again on the hunt (for victories).
"It's going well, I've started the season quite well," says Laurance in an interview with In de Leiderstrui with a sense of understatement. "The form is there, although it was a shame that we had to stop at the Etoile de Bessèges (due to a strike by the teams and riders, ed.) and that I was good in the Ruta del Sol, but had some bad luck. So I haven't been able to ride for the win yet, but I have been consistent."
INEOS out of the GC game
It is in line with almost the entire INEOS team, which has been taking the initiative, attacking and competing in finals since the first race of 2025. "Everyone in the team said: we have to win more again. No longer just focusing on the GC, that is the most important difference."
"With Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard there are two men who take the important places in the GC, so you can be as strong as you want, but then you are riding for top 3 or top 5. It was no longer about winning."
"We started racing without that focus," Laurance explains. "From the start of the season we rode to win and that took some getting used to for many. That focus on the GC was so ingrained, that everyone had to switch in the winter. The focus also had to be on every race, because the level is so high these days that every race is now very important. It's not just about the WorldTour anymore."
No change of diet for Laurance, because at Alpecin-Deceuninck he was already used to an attacking style. "At Alpecin-Deceuninck I always rode for the win, never for the general classification. That's why I wanted to go to INEOS Grenadiers, to help them with that. I always had that freedom, so for me, racing-wise, little has changed. The focus is now also on winning, although the riders I ride with are of course different now."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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