“We have a lot of cards to be offensive” - Kevin Vauquelin relishes INEOS firepower as Tour de France GC bid begins in Barcelona
CyclingWednesday, 01 July 2026 at 20:00
Kevin Vauquelin already knows what it takes to ride deep into the Tour de France general classification battle. Last year, he finished seventh overall with Arkéa B&B Hotels, doing so without the collective strength now surrounding him at Netcompany INEOS.
This time, the context is very different. Vauquelin starts the Tour inside an INEOS team built around power, versatility and an opening test in Barcelona that could immediately shape the race.
After Oscar Onley’s late withdrawal and Carlos Rodriguez’s omission from the final eight, the Frenchman is one of the clearest routes through which INEOS can keep a general classification presence alive.
Thymen Arensman finished fourth at the Giro d’Italia and won two mountain stages at last year’s Tour, Egan Bernal brings Grand Tour-winning pedigree, and Filippo Ganna, Josh Tarling, Tobias Foss and Michal Kwiatkowski give INEOS one of the strongest engine rooms in the race. For Vauquelin, that is the biggest difference from twelve months ago.
Vauquelin sees a different kind of support
Speaking at Netcompany INEOS’ pre-Tour press conference, Vauquelin admitted the change in surroundings is obvious. “It’s true that it’s really quite different,” the Frenchman said, according to Cyclism’Actu. “Compared with previous years, we have a team that is very solid on paper.”
That solidity matters immediately. The 2026 Tour opens with a team time trial through Barcelona, an exercise in which INEOS have invested heavily and one that suits the final shape of their selection. Ganna, Tarling and Foss are all elite time-trial engines, while Kwiatkowski adds experience and control on a stage that could create early gaps before the race has settled.
Vauquelin did not hide how much attention the team has given to the opener. “Especially with a start in Barcelona with a team time trial. We are really impatient to be able to show ourselves. The team has put a lot of resources into that,” he said.
Without Onley, INEOS no longer have the clear leader they expected to bring. With Rodriguez also absent, the opening TTT offers Vauquelin, Arensman and Bernal a chance to start from strength rather than wait for the mountains to rescue the race.
Kevin Vauquelin during the time trial at the 2026 Itzulia Basque Country
From Arkéa outsider to INEOS GC card
Vauquelin’s seventh place last year changes how his 2026 Tour will be viewed. He is no longer simply a French rider arriving with ambition and freedom. He has already produced a top-10 overall result at the biggest race in cycling, and he now has a team capable of influencing the race before the first summit finish.
That does not remove every question. His final approach to the Tour was interrupted by illness after the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, and INEOS will only know once the race starts how quickly he can settle into three weeks at full intensity. But his own message was not defensive.
“And then, as I have been able to do in previous years, day by day, we will do the first week properly,” he said. “And I think we have a lot of cards to be offensive and really play on defence.”
The cards are obvious from the selection. Vauquelin can be protected if the race opens well for him. Arensman can move in the mountains. Bernal brings experience and timing. Ganna and Tarling can shape the early time-trial narrative. Godon and Kwiatkowski give the team options when stages become harder to control.
Barcelona can reset INEOS’ Tour
The opening stage carries extra weight because of what happened before the race. Onley’s absence took away the rider who had been expected to carry the team’s new GC project. Rodriguez’s omission removed another rider with proven Tour top-10 consistency. Vauquelin’s presence, Arensman’s Giro form and the time-trial strength around them have become the alternative.
A strong ride in Barcelona would immediately change the tone. It would put INEOS into the race before the first mountain has even appeared, give their GC options a cleaner start, and reward a selection shaped around horsepower as much as climbing.
Vauquelin’s 2025 Tour showed he can survive near the front of the general classification for three weeks. His 2026 Tour begins with a very different kind of test: whether INEOS’ firepower can give him the platform that Arkéa B&B Hotels never could.
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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KerisVroom01-07-2026 - Agree Jonas not the same since his crash till maybe last years Vueltavaughanstar01-07-2026
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- were we told this by mus musculus or one of his many predecessors?Ketterechts01-07-2026
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- Favourites for the TTT for sureRafionain-Glas01-07-2026
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