Despite being only 23 years old, Axel Laurance will already enter a cooperation with third professional team as the French all-rounder with a strong final kick pens a deal that will see him wear the INEOS Grenadiers colours in next two seasons.
In 2022, Laurance entered the professional ranks with B&B Hotels who, at the time, had aspirations to become WorldTour in the near future. However after just one season, the project folded and young Laurance had to look for a continuation of his career elsewhere. Luckily he had strong results including a 2nd place at the Bretagne Classic and stage win at CRO Race (2.1) helping him find a shelter at the Alpecin-Deceuninck for next two years.
Last year, he had a number of strong results at all levels again, but his season culminated with an impressive solo win at the U23 World Championships in Glasgow. This year, Laurance finally seemed to have found his place in the WorldTour with a stage win at the Volta a Catalunya and debut at his home three-week race - Tour de France.
"I’ve always admired the Team and it’s the best fit for me and my ambitions for the future. The Grenadiers have a rich history and I want to add to that; I’m here to win races and to get results," Laurance declares ambitiously in a press release.
"In all our discussions I’ve been very impressed with the set-up. The plans they have in place for the future and the expertise involved mean that it’s an exciting place to be. I believe that I’ll quickly find my feet and together we can achieve both my personal dreams and realise those of the Grenadiers. I can’t wait to get started."
Ineos performance director Scott Drawer is no less excited to have the young Frenchman on-board: "Axel reflects the modern bike rider - he is hungry, motivated and curious. Most importantly he is a winner, and we can’t wait to see him grow and play a role shaping the future of this team."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- provoke change, lol. this is a discussion board. nothing is going to change by what I say here. just commenting that it didn't look like MS impeded Brand. beyond that not trying to go too deep.mij09-11-2026
- as excellent as maga rednecks chloe dygert (and quinn simmons)?Ketterechts09-11-2026
- so what i understand is: i left a comment calling out the endless author CVs for being an unnecessary flex of expertise, and you responded by lecturing me (and others) on discrimination and value systems. hats off to you. you definitely lost me!Ketterechts09-11-2026
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- It’s off-season mate, I’m bored and fed up with the mediocrity of people unwilling to provoke change when they admit things aren’t right. What have you done lately to make anyone realise you won’t put up with things? What conversation, are you dictating to me which part of the incident I have to be interested in or telling me other parts are taboo? That’s what I guess the UCI would really like, let them moan, let it blow over for them pass on to the next thing, let’s keep the status quo, let’s try our best not reviewing or revealing anything about decision-making just like every time before, they’re used to it by now so we can take the risk they’ll never give us grief.Jumpyjohn09-11-2026
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🔥 A X E L 🔥 We're excited to announce the signing of the under-23 world champ on a two-year deal. Welcome to the Grenadiers, @laurance_axel 👊
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