They are more aggressive and maybe more attractive" - INEOS Grenadiers' change of attitude attracted one of its star signings
Cycling
INEOS Grenadiers are changing their focus fully and after a season where they have raced differently and put less emphasis on their Grand Tour results, the entry of TotalEnergies as a sponsor also means a change in signing priorities. The French national champion is something the French giant wished for and in Dorian Godon they got it. But it is a move that benefits both sides.
"Ineos are an exciting project for me. I always said 'I want to ride in a foreign team', as a French cyclist who has raced on French teams for 10 years. I want to discover a new team, and it's one of the most professional," Godon shared with Cyclingnews. His thoughts resemble those of several riders who grew up in French teams but in the latter phases of their career found themselves moving to top teams. The likes of Benoît Cosnefroy (UAE) and Bruno Armirail (Visma), still teammates of Godon currently, are good examples.
And after a stellar season, which included six wins - amongst them the national championships, but also four triumphs from late August to the end of the season - it didn't come as a surprise that Godon would have a lot of interest from the World Tour entourage: "It was not my only possibility, but the most attractive one. At one time, I didn't expect that I'd go to Ineos, but now there will be three French riders, so it will be nice to have a French touch in a British team".
He joins Axel Laurance and also the new signing of the team Kévin Vauquelin to form a French block, and he is eager to be part of the team, knowing he won't have to be in a domestique role in the Grand Tours as often used to be the case even with the brightest of talents. "Maybe three years ago, I didn't want to go, but now I'm very excited, because they have changed their strategy a little bit. They are more aggressive and maybe more attractive."
Clear goals
He also believes he can benefit from the current scene in the top competitions, where races are either very open, or there are very specific strategies to compete against the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel. "You need to move a little bit earlier to change the strategy. Cycling races have changed a lot now, and you need to adapt. Not focusing on one rider all the time, it's better to have a plan where everybody can have an opportunity."
Godon is eyeing a few top races already where he can perform, he has on the past won stages at the Tour de Romandie and De Brabantse Pijl, but he wants to add more quality to his 16-win palmarès. "I will have my chance, there are not so many riders of my profile, maybe Ben Turner. I can win from a small group sprint, and I can help with the GC and breakaways during a Grand Tour. I'm very versatile. I want to win a one-day race, for example, like the GP de Québec or a Belgian Classic".
Being part of the Tour de France's team is also a goal and he even goes as far as dreaming of a potential yellow jersey in the first few stages - which is not out of reach for a rider of his quality, in all fairness. The race opens up with a team time trial in Barcelona and then features two hilltop finishes again in Barcelona (Montjuic) and Les Angles.
"It could be a dream to win in Barcelona and take the yellow jersey. I'm not so bad in a time trial, and I will progress, for sure, with the team's development and their time trialing talents," he concluded.
Godon in the French national champion's jersey, which he will carry to INEOS Grenadiers. @Sirotti
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
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- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
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