Could Remco Evenepoel be linked with blockbuster move to INEOS Grenadiers for 2026?

Once again, transfer rumours are swirling. And once again, they center on Remco Evenepoel and a potential move to INEOS Grenadiers.

According to Riccardo Magrini on Eurosport Italia, the 25-year-old Belgian could be set to join INEOS Grenadiers in 2026. While nothing is confirmed, the suggestion has quickly reignited speculation that has followed Evenepoel throughout much of his young but already glittering career. And as is often the case in cycling, when there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Evenepoel remains the leading figure at Soudal – Quick-Step, a team he has grown with and helped define over the past half-decade. Yet, he has also long been linked with a move away from the Belgian outfit. The reason is simple: Quick-Step has always been better known as a classics specialist than a Grand Tour juggernaut.

Despite that, Evenepoel has achieved plenty in their colours. He won the Vuelta a España in 2022, claiming Belgium’s first Grand Tour title in 44 years. He’s a two-time Liège–Bastogne–Liège champion, a road race world champion, a double Olympic champion, and a two-time time trial world champion. Most recently, he impressed on debut at the 2024 Tour de France, finishing third overall, winning a stage, and taking home the white jersey. In doing so, he proved that Quick-Step could, in fact, build a GC campaign around him.

Still, questions persist. How sustainable is that model in the long term? Does the team have the budget, depth, and strategic expertise to rival UAE Team Emirates – XRG and Team Visma | Lease a Bike, squads that have built dynasties around Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, respectively? Evenepoel’s name is often thrown into the mix with INEOS Grenadiers or Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, both of whom possess the kind of financial and infrastructural weight that could support multiple Grand Tour bids per season.

For INEOS in particular, a move for Evenepoel would represent more than just a signing. It would be a statement of intent.

The British team are in the midst of a major transitional phase. The glory years of the 2010s, when Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, and Egan Bernal dominated the Grand Tours, are firmly in the rear-view mirror. In recent seasons, they’ve struggled to find a clear GC leader and have been left trailing behind the likes of Pogacar and Vingegaard.

Their 2024 season summed up this decline. Just one Grand Tour stage win, and a horrible season. And the loss of Tom Pidcock, one of their most exciting talents, who departed the team on reportedly sour terms. INEOS no longer dictate the Grand Tour narrative, they’re reacting to it.

Bringing in Evenepoel could change that, especially consider he is the closest to bridging the gap to Pogacar and Vingegaard. He’s not only one of the most talented and marketable riders in the peloton but also a genuine contender in grand tours, world championships, and classics.

He has the X factor that INEOS currently appears to be lack. Unlike some of INEOS’s recent projects, Evenepoel is already proven at the very top level.

But would he actually want to make the move?

That’s less clear. On the one hand, INEOS could offer him a more robust support structure for GC racing, deeper climbing domestiques, and arguably a more tailored race programme for peak Grand Tour form. On the other, Evenepoel enjoys the status of team leader and national icon at Quick-Step. He doesn’t just lead the team, he is the team. Any move would risk that centrality.

There’s also the question of control. At Quick-Step, Evenepoel reportedly has considerable influence over race decisions and scheduling. Would he enjoy the same autonomy at INEOS, a team known historically for a data-driven, top-down approach to strategy?

There’s also the fact that Evenepoel is a notoriously explosive character, which, as we saw with Pidcock, often doesn’t go down well with INEOS. But, INEOS have clearly looked in the mirror judging by their promising start to 2025, and are more willing to adapt.

Of course, much could depend on what Soudal – Quick-Step do next. If they continue to strengthen their roster around Evenepoel and commit fully to GC ambitions, he may see little reason to jump ship. But if the team fails to build on its 2024 Tour success or if resources start to thin, the allure of a bigger project elsewhere may grow, especially given the stacked teams his GC rivals have around them.

For INEOS, the question is whether they can rebuild around a rider like Remco, and whether they’re willing to pay the price, both financially and culturally, to centre their future around him.

It’s early days, and 2026 still feels a long way off. But make no mistake: if Evenepoel becomes available, INEOS won’t be the only ones interested, and it may be a question of who can present the Belgian with the best project going forward.