INEOS Grenadiers strike in the transfer market! Colombian climber set to follow in the footsteps of Bernal, Henao, Martinez and more, signing three-year deal

INEOS Grenadiers are reportedly closing in on another Colombian climber, with respected journalist Daniel Benson indicating that a three-year deal is being finalised for Harold Tejada.

According to Benson’s latest transfer update, the 28-year-old, currently racing for XDS Astana Team, has emerged as a key target as INEOS look to strengthen their climbing unit, with at least two spots identified in that department.

Tejada arrives off the back of a strong run of results this season, including a stage victory at Paris-Nice and a fourth-place finish overall at the UAE Tour, underlining both his attacking instincts and growing consistency at WorldTour level.

Should the move be completed, Tejada would become the latest in a long line of Colombian climbers to feature within the INEOS setup. From the early influence of Rigoberto Uran and Sergio Henao in the Team Sky days, through to the emergence of Egan Bernal as a multiple Grand Tour winner, Colombian riders have regularly played a role in the team’s climbing core. Former Giro d’Italia runner-up Daniel Felipe Martinez raced for INEOS between 2021 and 2023, while the theme continues to the present day, with Brandon Rivera part of the 2026 roster alongside Bernal.

It’s likely that Tejada would not arrive with the same expectations as Bernal, nor purely in a support capacity, instead fitting into that increasingly familiar middle ground: a rider capable of contributing deep into the mountains while retaining the freedom to chase results of his own.

That balance appears to be exactly what INEOS are targeting as they look to rebuild their climbing depth in response to the demands set by rivals such as UAE Team Emirates - XRG and Team Visma | Lease a Bike.

Tejada’s profile aligns closely with that shift in approach. Rather than a pure, lightweight climber, he offers a more rounded skillset, capable of holding position in high mountains while remaining competitive in general classification scenarios.

His breakthrough victory at Paris-Nice earlier this spring highlighted that versatility, with a well-timed solo move on a lumpy stage rather than a traditional summit finish deciding the outcome. Combined with his fourth place at the UAE Tour, it points to a rider increasingly comfortable operating at the sharp end of major stage races.

With a Tour de France start also on his schedule this summer, Tejada’s trajectory is trending firmly upward at a point in his career where consistency often becomes the defining factor.

For INEOS, that reliability may be just as valuable as outright peak performance, particularly within a structure that has moved away from a single designated Grand Tour leader towards a more flexible, multi-option model.

If confirmed, the signing would not represent a headline shift in strategy, but rather a continuation of a long-standing theme that has quietly run through the team’s evolution for more than a decade.