"I think this is the year..." - Geraint Thomas thrilled with INEOS Grenadiers' new leader Ben Turner
Cycling
INEOS Grenadiers' future seems brighter in 2026 then it did in previous years. Not only do the signings of Kévin Vauquelin and Oscar Onley carry the potential of taking the team back into contention in Grand Tours; but also the development of some of its own home-grown riders can bring the British team extensive success. There are very high hopes deposited on the shoulders of Ben Turner, as said by Geraint Thomas himself.
Thomas is now in charge of the British team when it comes to racing tactics and communication, after decade and a half spent in the team as a rider. He continues to be very vocal and insightful, but despite his current busy position in the team, he has continued to host his own podcast with Luke Rowe where he provides insight into the team's developments. Once such is the transformation of Ben Turner from a classics rider into a sprinter, and currently as one of the team's absolute leaders.
“I think this is the year Ben finally delivers on his spring potential,"
Thomas said in the Watts Occuring podcast. The 26-year old, signed in 2022, was initially a puncheur, and a rider that was looked at as someone who could be performing in the cobbled classics above all. In 2024 however he stabilized into a domestique role in the team, being its road captain at the Tour de France most notably, and it cast doubts over Turner's potential in future years.
Last year however there was an apparent change in his training priority, whilst in competition the team began to support him as the team's new sprinter. With the departure of Elia Viviani and the retirement of Caleb Ewan, the British team was left without apparent options. Turner stepped in, and adapted to the new role perfectly. At the Giro d'Italia he was third in a bunch sprint, but his breakthrough came in August as he won a stage at the Tour de Pologne, finished second in two others and won the points classification.
Turner winning at the 2025 Vuelta a España
From domestique to clear leader
This earned him a last-minute call-up to the Vuelta a España later on, as he was removed from the Renewi Tour only 24 hours prior to the start. This was a wise decision from the British team, who supported him into his first Grand Tour win on the stage 4 sprint into Voiron.
Turner gained pure sprinting power whilst holding on to his climbing ability, making him a dangerous sprinter for hilly days, with a team that often back up his individual ambitions.
That was as clear as day at the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana last week, where his worst result was an 11th spot on the opening day - ironically, the day where the finale saw a bunch sprint. Whilst the race's time trial did not count towards the overall classification, he finished fourth on the day, and then confirmed that with an eighth spot in the race's queen stage to Teulada.
By two seconds, the peloton failed to catch the breakaway on the final stage to Valencia, but Turner won the sprint behind the breakaway in a stage where there was difficult climbing and there were also crosswinds. Turner was a constant in the race, and going into Omloop het Nieuwsblad he is expected to be one of the big favourites.
“On the last day, when that Movistar guy won, ‘Big Ben’ sprinted so convincingly… after a hard day into a top-ten place," Thomas pointed out. With Thomas putting his confidence in the Briton, the opportunities may keep on coming and into 2025, Turner's position in the team may grow even further.
Read also
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 5visitors 5
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment