INEOS Grenadiers cyclist Geraint Thomas has seen his team undergo a complete transformation in recent years, going from a super team that won multiple Grand Tours each year to a team that hasn’t won a Grand Tour since 2021. “We are a team in transition for several reasons, but now we are heading in the right direction,” says Thomas on his “Watts Occurring Podcast.”
The 2018 Tour de France winner explains that the change is mainly due to some significant changes in the team’s leadership. “Dave Brailsford saw his role in the team change due to health issues, as well as the departure of several key people. Fran Miller, Rod Ellingworth, Tim Kerrison: when you look at the list of people who left, it’s not a small change.”
The golden years of INEOS Grenadiers seem to be behind them for now. “We are clearly flanked. We are still hanging in there, but there are one or two teams better. It’s always tough to be on top because other teams are doing everything to dethrone you. We’ve gone from being the hunters to the hunted, and now it’s up to us to make it difficult again for these teams,” said Geraint Thomas.
Thomas admits inferiority
“It’s clear that Jumbo-Visma has surpassed us in the hierarchy. But I wouldn’t dare say that about UAE Team Emirates. If we exclude Tadej Pogacar from that team, of course, they still have several very strong riders. But look at the Vuelta a España; they didn’t stand out in anything.”