After Thomas and in the shadow of Pidcock and Rodríguez: how INEOS is looking for a new Froome or Bernal

The concerns are clear. There is no superman like Tadej Pogačar or Remco Evenepoel in the team, who can single-handedly ensure a satisfying annual output. There is also no calculating champion like Chris Froome, who won many major races through shrewd and purposeful tactics. Egan Bernal is struggling after numerous injuries, and other top riders in the current team have proven class but are unable to make the leap to the true cycling elite.

Read more below the photo.

Because of this, attention in 2024 was mainly focused on Carlos Rodríguez and Tom Pidcock. The former combined the Tour and the Vuelta but didn't reach a podium form in either race. The same goes for Pidcock. He compensated for a particularly disappointing Tour with Olympic gold in mountain biking but had to conclude that 2024 did not yield the expected progress in notable results, with only a victory in the Amstel Gold Race.

However, when it comes to raw talent, we need to look beyond these setbacks. In the shadow of Rodríguez and Pidcock, we saw two top talents making significant strides. Magnus Sheffield finished in the top ten in a time trial six times this year, including races against Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel. A fifth place in the Tour of Poland, a podium in the Tour of Austria, and a sixth place in the Tour of Flanders demonstrate the American's progress as an all-rounder. And keep in mind that he was out of action for a long time after a severe crash in the Tour of Switzerland.

The same applies to the tall Josh Tarling, who burst onto the scene at the end of 2023. We saw the aspiring classics specialist frequently in action at the front, especially in March and April. With a bit more luck, he could have achieved more than just one time trial victory (first stage of O Gran Camino). Tarling is still only twenty years old and a definite bright spot for INEOS in 2024. For 2025, we can expand our focus to a number of other riders emerging in the British team. Patience seems to be the key word for INEOS in these times.

Read more below the photo.

Suddenly, there he was, in the breakaway at the GP de Québec. Artem Shmidt, twenty years old, was riding his first professional race for INEOS, having joined the team in August. Immediately in the spotlight, all day long. Did he enjoy it? Absolutely, as he told Cyclingnews. 'The team told me that I should go in the break today, so that was the plan, and I can say it was executed well.' This is how INEOS gives their talent a taste of real work right away. Experience or no experience, youth is the future.

With a new, tailored strategy for newly signed talents, they are slowly shaping the future to the right level. Shmidt, a natural escape artist in the youth ranks, was given the opportunity to show his stuff immediately. "I didn’t know what to expect, but he is positive and enthusiastic, committed, and strong. It was great to see him there," said INEOS sports director Ian Stannard after the Canadian race. He also added that we shouldn’t expect too much too quickly from the new talents. Again, patience...

Because there’s much more to come. What about Andrew 'AJ' August? The American who, at 18, was the youngest starter ever in Paris-Roubaix in April? He didn’t finish in time, but he made world news. In the strong, Marc Hirschi-winning Tour of Czech Republic, he finished seventh. A stunning result for such a young rider, who can handle the cobbles but also race for general classifications. He also finished the Canadian classics with ease. August is also American. This shows that INEOS’s scouting area has shifted significantly.

Many INEOS gems have already made their professional debuts, including Canadian Michael Leonard, winner of the prologue at the Tour de l'Avenir. He was immediately lined up alongside his fellow young talents in the Canadian classics. Expect him to feature in some major races in 2025. Besides America, Denmark is also proving to be a place where the Brits want to source their new stars. And who can blame them? The Danes, with Jonas Vingegaard, Mads Pedersen, and Mattias Skjelmose, show that training in Scandinavia is going well. We’ve seen little of Theodor Storm and Peter Øxenberg so far, but that will change soon.

Storm collected an impressive list of results as a junior. The 19-year-old Dane secured a podium place in Paris-Roubaix for the U23 category and won three one-day races. Additionally, he finished in the top ten twice in a tough multi-day junior race, took a victory in the mountains classification (Saarland Trofeo), and also finished close to the top in the points classifications in these races. This Danish super talent can almost specialize in any area he chooses. Øxenberg was picked up this summer from Team Coloquick and seems to be a sprinter. The 18-year-old finished second in Eschborn-Frankfurt for the U23 category.

Read more below the photo.

The latter responded earlier this summer with significant comments about his move to INEOS Grenadiers. "Everyone knows this team and the talent they have. They have a super-professional setup and everyone is very welcoming. I can't wait to get started. It’s great to see how the team works with young riders over the years and helps them perform at the highest level. It gave me a lot of confidence when I signed with the team."

And he wasn’t the first. INEOS Grenadiers is increasingly shifting its focus to the longer-term future. Towards tailored support and the careful development of the greatest talents. The change in direction is taking shape more and more. Perhaps it’s time we stop judging the team solely on missing out on the biggest prizes in cycling. A fine pool of talent is gradually getting its chance at its own pace. Eventually, a new Froome, Bernal, or Pidcock is bound to emerge.