INEOS Grenadiers may have found new title sponsor - €100 million deal looks to take British team back to the top

INEOS Grenadiers, formerly known as Team Sky, was the most influential team of the 2010's, conquering multiple Tour de France editions with four different riders and providing Great Britain with another golden era in the sport. However in the 2020's, it has been overtaken in terms of quality and budget by several riders, with the overall budget growing significantly in the peloton. However, there is potential for change, as a report suggests the team has found a new long-term deal with a brand new title sponsor that is to be unveiled this summer.

According to Cyclingnews and Gazzetta dello Sport, a deal has been secured with a Danish software and IT services company, with the total value of €100 million throughout five years - all the way into 2031, securing the team's long-term future, and its ability to remain a top team. This would equal to €20 million a season, with the goal of fully replacing INEOS Grenadiers as a title sponsor.

The team should remain under a British license and continue to be owned by INEOS itself - and its owner Jim Ratcliffe - however the new Danish sponsor would join TotalEnergies as a title sponsor within the coming months. TotalEnergies itself will become one in 2027, having a similar investment of €20 million a year, as well as a lot of French influence.

The change is expected to come ahead of the 2026 Tour de France, seizing the momentum of the sport's biggest race, as did Red Bull in previous years. This could be a very significant step for the British team who have in recent years lost the battle for the top of the sport; seeing UAE Team Emirates - XRG's soar in budget; Team Visma | Lease a Bike's rise to the very top a few years bacK; whilst now having both Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, Lidl-Trek and Decathlon CMA CGM Team with multi-million deals that make both teams very competitive even for the brightest leaders and young talents in the market.

The team currently has Filippo Ganna and Joshua Tarling signed, remaining powerhouses in the time trialing market; however in other fields they lack behind their rivals, despite the team's budget never having diminished. Egan Bernal's injury in 2022 and Carlos Rodríguez' lack of evolution since 2023 have seen the team's Grand Tour plans come to a halt; but the signings of Kévin Vauquelin and specially the multi-million euro investment to buy out Oscar Onley's contract this winter provides new potential for the team to rise back up the standings once again.