INEOS reveal new plan to return to Grand Tour victory: “Our work has to be on young talent”

The INEOS Grenadiers had a dismal 2024 season, and a currently going through a transitional period with management staff and riders currently walking through the exit dour. However, the team has partnered with German Continental team Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank, to launch a new rider development programme.

“Our owners are hell-bent on developing our own talent. We're not going to buy the top guys in, we’re going to develop our own,” Performance Director Scott Drawer told Cyclingnews, “If we're going to win Grand Tours again, our investment and work has to be on young talent."

Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank currently has just four riders signed to race in 2025, however by working with a team with the budget and resources of INEOS, they’re bound to boost their numbers in the coming weeks.

"There will be a press release next week, otherwise you would have to contact Ineos if you want to know anything beforehand,” the team owner, Florian Monreal, said.

This is certainly an unexpected move from INEOS, which perhaps reflects the difficult period they are currently going through. But perhaps it should not be so much of a surprise, as the team has lacked a development team for many years. The current teams that are dominating the World Tour, such as Team | Visma-Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates, often dip into their development team’s talent pool to strengthen their sides.

"The traditional pathways of becoming a WorldTour cyclist have changed. It all starts at a younger age. We're thinking deeply about how to get that right," Drawer added. "Rider development will be a big part of the team in the future."