"They’re racing with their hearts again" - Robbie McEwen sees newfound freedom within INEOS Grenadiers in 2025

There's no doubt that the INEOS Grenadiers have started 2025 with more success than has become expected over recent season. With 4 victories already this season, the British-based team are already almost a third of the way towards their entire tally of wins in 2024. But just what is the reason behind this positive start to the campaign?

According to Aussie sprint icon turned TNT Sports pundit Robbie McEwen, the answer is quite simple. Rather than the rigid formula INEOS had been clinging to since the Team Sky days, in 2025 the team is racing with a newfound freedom. "I think it’s the riders themselves who have brought about the turnaround. Obviously, they’re the ones pushing the pedals, but from the outside looking in, it seems like the riders have taken much more ownership of their roles within the team," he explains. "Before, everything was very structured—they were told exactly when to do things, there was a formula to follow. Now, it looks like they’re just out there racing their bikes, without overthinking it or waiting for instructions over the race radio."

Although it's somewhat understandable that INEOS were at pains to switch styles after the immense amount of success their rigidity brought them during their 2010s heyday, the honest truth is that things haven't been working well for a number of years now. "I think they were getting bogged down by all the planning and structure," McEwen analyses. "Now they’re racing with their hearts again. They’re throwing themselves into races and enjoying it, rather than going through a process that’s filled with pressure."

"I think it’s the veterans in the team, like Michal Kwiatkowski and Geraint Thomas, who are leading the charge with this new attitude," the sprint legend continues. "It really feels like a fresh mentality, and I think that’s driving the team forward, and I’m liking what I’m seeing."

Speaking of Aussie sprinters, McEwen's compatriot Caleb Ewan made a surprise late move to INEOS earlier this year. "The important thing is that Caleb feels confident, that he’s really welcomed into the team, and that the team is invested in having a sprinter who can win on flat stages. They’ve got the firepower to support him. He just needs to find one or two guys he can really gel with, and if they have some success together, I think that confidence will build. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out in the first few races," McEwen says on the 'Pocket Rocket'. "It might be a bit of a struggle at first, considering he hasn’t raced much recently, but I’m willing to give him a couple of months to find top form and start grabbing wins. It would be great to see an INEOS jersey back in the mix in the bunch sprints again."