Teams
Looking for: A spot on the podium and stage wins
Tour riders
l Egan Bernal (Col) 27
l Jonathan Castroviejo (Esp) 37
l Laurens De Plus (Bel) 28
l Michał Kwiatkowski (Pol) 34
l Tom Pidcock (GBr) 24
l Carlos Rodríguez (Esp) 23
l Geraint Thomas (GBr) 38
l Ben Turner (GBr) 25
Tour 2023 highlights
l Stage win for Michał Kwiatkowski
l Carlos Rodríguez fifth on GC
l Stage win for Rodríguez in the mountains
Ineos Grenadiers have been undergoing a transition phase since their senior management overhaul last autumn. After a second year went by without a Grand Tour win, Sir Dave Brailsford acted ruthlessly when restructuring the team as even his long-term second-incommand Rod Elligworth left.
John Allert, became the team’s new CEO, and in January admitted that in the wake of Jumbo-Visma’s dominant season, Ineos are “now the hunter, not the hunted”. In their former guise as Team Sky, the team swept up 11 Grand Tour victories with four different riders. But without someone capable of troubling Tadej Pogačar or Jonas Vingegaard they are now fighting for podiums.
This year’s Tour campaign is likely to fall on the shoulders of unassuming young Spaniard Carlos Rodríguez who has been quietly putting together a very solid season. Second at Itzulia Basque (after his main rivals had crashed out), first at the Tour de Romandie and fourth at the Critérium du Dauphiné all point to a rider developing in the right direction. But there is more to the team than that. Pidcock will be arriving at peak form in July as he bids for Olympic glory, but perhaps more
