Felix Lowe runs the rule over pro racing’s big pre-season transfers – including the clear-out at Ineos Grenadiers
LEADOUTPro racing comment
Not since reigning Giro d’Italia champion Richard Carapaz swapped Movistar for Ineos Grenadiers in 2020 has a Grand Tour winner switched teams. It’s no surprise, then, that Primož Roglič’s statement move to Bora-Hansgrohe marks the biggest transfer of the off-season.
Not only did the triple Vuelta winner and current Giro champion have another year left on his contract, but his departure will significantly weaken Jumbo-Visma. It will also give fans the prospect of seeing the Slovenian go head-to-head with ex-teammate Jonas Vingegaard at next year’s Tour de France.
American Matteo Jorgenson and Britain’s Ben Tulett reinforce Jumbo’s ranks from Movistar and Ineos respectively, but the departure of climber Sam Oomen to Lidl-Trek and Rohan Dennis to retirement leaves them a little thin. And while Vingegaard will be spared potential internal conflict with Roglič, he will have to cope without room-mate Nathan Van Hooydonck, the Belgian domestique who helped him to both his Tour wins but has been forced to quit cycling due to a heart issue.
Roglič, meanwhile, joins an already robust Bora squad strengthened further by the arrival of Dani Martínez from Ineos Grenadiers. The loss of the versatile Nils Politt, however, is a blow to Bora. The German rouleur will bolster the UAE Team Emirates squad of Roglič’s compatriot and rival Tadej Pogačar, along with yet another Ineos rider, French all-rounder Pavel Sivakov.
Ineos are a bafflement. For a while it looked like the British team were the ones angling for a merger with Soudal-QuickStep given how many bodies both teams were shedding. But no. Patrick Lefevere fluttered his eyelids at Jumbo, and now both Ineos and Soudal’s stables look threadbare.
With the 2020 Giro champion Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek) and Australian champion Luke Plapp (Jayco-AlUla) joining Sivakov, Martínez and Tulett in the departure lounge, Ineos have focussed on closing their borders and tying down their remaining talent (two more years for Welsh veterans Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe, for example). They also welcome climber Óscar Rodríguez from Movistar to provide extra support for his namesake Carlos, who has prolonged his stay until 2027 after tearing up a pre-contract agreement with Movistar.
Still, there’s no denying that Ineos could have done with some Remco stard
