Rod Ellingworth on INEOS Grenadiers Giro d'Italia performance: "Possibly the best team I've seen so far"
Cycling
The 2023 Giro d'Italia has been a race of ups and downs for the INEOS Grenadiers. Geraint Thomas is in the Maglia Rosa with Thymen Arensman and Laurens de Plus also in top 10. That doesn't mean it's been all plain sailing however.
Both Tao Geoghegan Hart and Filippo Ganna have been forced to abandon the race and Pavel Sivakov also hit the deck hard on yesterday's stage 11. Nevertheless, Rod Ellingworth, general manager at the INEOS Grenadiers is more than happy with the team's performance to date. “The whole team has been brilliant so far. Possibly the best team I've seen so far," he tells Eurosport.
The loss of Geoghegan Hart in particular though was a bitter pill to swallow for the British-based team. “Tao has been sending messages to us and the boys. He's okay, this is obviously a huge personal setback for him. He was in top form and looking forward to the challenge," Ellingworth recaps. "So disappointing for Tao, but ultimately things like this happen in racing. It was just very bad luck. The other guys are okay and we're still at the top of the standings, so our target doesn't change."
Also injured in that crash was Pavel Sivakov. Although he was able to remount, finish the stage and carry on in the race, he is no longer in the top 10 of the general classification meaning INEOS now have one less card to play as the race reaches the high mountains. “He's okay. He fell on the same side he fell on the day before," Ellingworth says of Sivakov. “He was also shocked by the fall of Tao, I think, but in the end he moved on. He was between five and ten minutes behind and said he felt okay.”
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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The flag has dropped and stage 12 is live at the #Giro. Let's see if we get a big fight to get into today's breakaway...
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