INEOS Grenadiers could be on the verge of a major structural
shake-up, as reports emerge of a potential multimillion-pound deal with French
ProTeam outfit
TotalEnergies. According to The Times, an agreement is nearing
completion that could see the two teams merge as early as 2026.
The development comes during a period of significant
transition for INEOS Grenadiers. The British WorldTour team, once the dominant
force in professional cycling, has in recent years been eclipsed by the likes
of UAE Team Emirates – XRG and Team Visma | Lease a Bike. With 2024 proving to
be a particularly underwhelming season, change appears to be on the horizon.
A report from Escape Collective in March revealed that
discussions between INEOS and TotalEnergies were already underway, and The
Times now suggests the merger is close. The potential deal reflects wider
changes in sporting investments by INEOS founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who also
owns Premier League club Manchester United, and that appears to be the current
priority. In 2024, Ratcliffe pulled the plug on INEOS’s sponsorship of New
Zealand rugby and implemented cost-cutting measures at United.
Now, it appears cycling may be next in line for a budget
rethink. “It’s fair to say that INEOS don’t want to spend more money,” INEOS
CEO John Allert
told Cycling Weekly. “So it depends entirely on what happens
with this commercial activity.”
“They very clearly do want us to be a super team and they
know what it takes to be a super team. I’m not going to put a number on that,
but it’s a number that’s greater than what we’re currently spending,” Allert
added.
The timing of this news is especially significant. Over the
winter,
Tom Pidcock departed the team following a disappointing 2024 season.
And with
Geraint Thomas set to retire at the end of 2025, INEOS are in urgent
need of a new identity and leadership core. This potential merger could provide
both financial clarity and a reset for a team in flux, although the team have
started the 2025 season with some far more positive results.
INEOS’s dominance in the early 2010s, built on the successes
of Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, and later Egan Bernal, has faded. Today, they
face the challenge of rebuilding in a landscape dominated by deep-pocketed
rivals and all-round superstars.
While no official confirmation has yet been given, the signs
point toward a transformative partnership between two major forces in cycling,
and potentially a very different-looking INEOS Grenadiers in 2026.