"The years I had at Ineos were so blurry": Leo Hayter starts a new chapter with US based Modern Adventure

Leo Hayter was not long ago one of the brightest and most talented British prospects, as he won important races such as multiple British U23 time trial titles, a bronze medal at the U23 World Championships, Liège-Bastogne-Liège U23 and the Giro d’Italia Giovani.

All those performances convinced INEOS Grenadiers to sign him, reaching the World Tour at just 20 years old. However, his trajectory was disrupted when anxiety, depression, and physical strain forced him off the bike shortly after turning 23.

He spent almost a year away from racing before coming back to the peloton in September 2025, signing for the contintental level Voster ATS Team, and a few weeks ago he was confirmed as one of the brand new additions to George Hincapie's Modern Adventure Pro Cycling for the 2026 season.

"I still feel very inexperienced as a rider, and I feel like I missed out on a lot of opportunities and time to grow in those last few years that I had at Ineos. The years I had at Ineos were so blurry. I thought those would be the years where I really figured out my niche, but I didn't. It never really happened." Hayter said in an interview to Cyclingnews.

He acknowledges, however, that he still compares himself to his best days. "As an under-23, I could perform in a lot of different kinds of races, but I hadn't really figured out exactly where that would bring me. I still think that I'm in the same position now. I still see myself as a young guy, even if they see me as someone else. So the world is my oyster."

His recruitment by Modern Adventure began with a July phone call from George Hincapie and Bobby Julich, a conversation that unexpectedly led to a contract in just a week. Hayter now joins a 21-rider roster preparing for its inaugural season as a UCI ProTeam in 2026.

"When I first talked to George and Bobby in July, I think they really undersold the team to me, and they made it sound that the first few years were really going to be kind of like basic and cut back. It actually made me quite unsure about joining the team in the first place. They just didn't make it sound as good as it was. I spoke to George today, and he said that was the whole point, it was kind of always better to undersell."

The camp brought Hayter his first experience riding in the US outside New York City. Despite being the only British rider, he said the integration process was unusually smooth. “People have called me a veteran for the team [he is 24 years old]. I don’t know if I should be offended or not,” he joked.

He praised the open and welcoming atmosphere of the group. "I was honestly a bit surprised at just how open and welcoming everyone has been. Seemed quite easy to integrate as well, especially considering, as a Brit, I am a minority. I've been to teams in the past where, you know, all the Germans will sit on one side of the table, and all the Dutch will sit on another table. But no, it's nice. I feel happier."

Hayter will have a say in his racing calendar, pending UCI’s final approval of the team’s licence. British Road Nationals stand out as a key goal, while early-season plans will be settled soon. "I am really happy to do a whole set of new races that I haven't done before. I'm excited just to race in new places and have some new experiences."

"As much as on paper I'm a pro who's done big races, I still feel like there's so much to learn and figure out. There's a lot of races I still think I can win or try to win," he concluded.