INEOS Grenadiers is the first team to unveil its lineup for the 2023 Vuelta a España. The British squad will head to Barcelona with a portion of the lineup from the recent Giro d’Italia, including leader Geraint Thomas and Thymen Arensman. Egan Bernal and Filippo Ganna will also be part of this formidable squad for the Spanish competition.
This will be Geraint Thomas’s second participation in the Vuelta a España; in the 2015 edition, he finished 69th in the general classification. Earlier this year in May, he contended for the overall victory in the Giro and fought until the last day, narrowly losing to Primož Roglič in the final mountain time trial, who he will reunite with in the Vuelta. The team considers Thomas as the primary leader for the race.
“This is a very strong group that is ready to fly. We start every Grand Tour to win, and I know that everyone will give everything for the team and for each other,” stated INEOS Grenadiers’ manager, Rod Ellingworth. Geraint Thomas himself isn’t placing too much pressure on himself: “I’m aiming for the best possible result. It would be nice to go for stage wins and the general classification.”
“But I first have to see how I am after the first half of the Vuelta,” Thomas said. “The initial part is very tough. Juan Ayuso is one of the best young cyclists at the moment. Remco Evenepoel will be there, Roglič too, and probably João Almeida. It’s like the whole Giro. Apparently, Jonas Vingegaard is also going, so it will be a star-studded competition. That also motivates me, though it’s tough,” Geraint Thomas concluded.
