OFFICIAL: INEOS pounce amid Arkea chaos to sign one of Scandinavia’s hottest young talents

INEOS Grenadiers have confirmed the signing of 23-year-old Norwegian climber Embret Svestad-Bardseng, one of Scandinavia’s most promising young riders, on a three-year contract. The move marks a major step in the career of a rider who has quietly impressed during his debut WorldTour season — and is now being tipped as a long-term investment for the British super-team.

Svestad-Bardseng made his Grand Tour debut at the 2025 Giro d’Italia, showing maturity beyond his years across three demanding weeks. He also produced eye-catching rides at the Volta a Catalunya and Tour de Pologne, while his breakthrough came at the Tour of Oman, finishing fourth on the queen stage and eighth overall.

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining INEOS Grenadiers. This is a big and very exciting step in my career,” said Svestad-Bardseng. “I grew up watching this team dominate the Grand Tours in the mountains and always dreamed of one day being part of that. To now join the Grenadiers feels like that dream coming true."

“I want to thank Arkéa - B&B Hotels and Emmanuel Hubert for giving me the chance to step up to the WorldTour and for helping me develop as a rider over the past two seasons," he adds. “I believe being part of the INEOS Grenadiers can now help me take a big step forward as a rider and I’m looking forward to being part of one of the best performance teams in the world. I want to contribute to the team’s success, help them win and hopefully win myself along the way.”

Team boss Sir Dave Brailsford described the Norwegian as a key part of the squad’s next generation of climbers.

“Embret is a very exciting addition to our roster,” Brailsford said. “He’s young and ambitious, and is already showing the kind of climbing talent that is needed at the highest level of this sport. What stands out is not just his physical ability, but his hunger to learn and contribute to the team. We see real potential in him to grow within our environment and become a key part of our future.”

Svestad-Bardseng’s steady rise has been marked by a string of promising results. He finished second at the Gylne Gutuer (2021) and Sundvolden GP (2022), before climbing to fifth overall at both the Giro della Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia and Alpes Isère Tour in 2024. That same year he placed fourth at Il Piccolo Lombardia and 11th overall at Okolo Slovenska.

This season, the Norwegian rounded off a strong year with 14th overall at the Tour de Pologne and 22nd at the Giro d’Italia — underlining his consistency and potential to become a Grand Tour contender in the years ahead.