INEOS Grenadiers may get a new top sponsor for 2026 and it may lead to demise of a French team

INEOS Grenadiers was at the absolute top of the cycling world in the 2010's but it's reign of dominance ended as soon as we entered the 2020's. Whilst not fully a financial issue, the British team may soon have good news as it is in talks with TotalEnergies to co-sponsor the British team.

This has been reported by Escape Collective who claim that the sponsor of the French Pro Team is in conversations, according to several sources, to sponsor INEOS. The British team has over the past few years lost many of it's leaders without signing riders who could achieve the same kind of results.

Adding to the departures the injury of Egan Bernal caused a big setback for the team, and last season several staff members and one of it's prime leaders Tom Pidcock left the team far from the best terms. The need for a change was obvious, and a modest winter transfer season didn't do the team any favours.

However the team linked up with a German under-23 project to finally have it's own (collaborative) development team, and more good news may come soon. Jean-René Bernaudeau has already this morning argued that the energy and petroleum company has a contract until at least 2026, so it's unsure whether there will be a quick change, or if any. However with it being the sole title sponsor for the French Pro Team (home to last year's Tour de France stage winner Anthony Turgis) it creates a tense situation and a potential existential threat.