"You want to be at the big races and have a shot" - Tao Geoghegan Hart opens up on departure from the INEOS Grenadiers

With Tao Geoghegan Hart's near decade-long spell at the INEOS Grenadiers coming to a close, the 28-year-old, former Giro d'Italia winner has opened up on the move and why Lidl-Trek was the right choice for his next step.

“It felt like a moment to try,” said Geoghegan Hart of his transfer in an open and honest interview with British newspaper, The Times. “I was quite open with INEOS and I think they understood… cycling is getting more and more competitive every year. You want to be at the big races and have a shot. I don’t think I would ever regret not doing something results-wise but I think not giving it a go is what you would regret.”

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Despite having three Vuelta a Espana's and three Giro d'Italia's in his legs, only once before has Geoghegan Hart been at the startline of the Tour de France. That was back in 2021 and it's fair to say things didn't go to plan. Describing his Tour de France debut as 'far from ideal', the Brit was almost immediately ruled out of GC contention by a crash on the opening stage.

“Those are the things you want to change," Geoghegan Hart continues, referencing the fact that this year, he will hopefully get the chance to challenge for the Maillot Jaune with Lidl-Trek. “There is a big push towards the Tour. That is exciting, it’s really motivating. Cycling at this level is finite. I’ve been a professional for 10 years and it’s flown by. And I definitely don’t have another ten years ahead of me. It’s all about getting back to the level I was in May and doing the most with what I can.”

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At the 2023 Giro d'Italia, Geoghegan Hart was given co-leadership of the INEOS Grenadiers alongside eventual runner-up Geraint Thomas. Things could have been so much different though had the younger of the two Brit's managed to avoid his race-ending crash.

“It felt like the race hadn’t really begun and I was holding back,” Geoghegan Hart reflects. “It was what we’d spoken about since January: the only thing that was going to matter was the last three stages and that it would flip on its head, which transpired. That’s probably the only regret I have. I just didn’t feel like I’d really shown what was in the tank.”

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