INEOS Grenadiers close to multimillion pound merger deal with TotalEnergies

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.