Highly critical Rowe leaves INEOS Grenadiers behind: "Welshman signs with top French team"

The news that broke late Monday night reveals that Luke Rowe is set to become a directeur sportif at Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale. The French team, which has been performing strongly this year, is further bolstering its growth ambitions, even as Ben O'Connor departs for Jayco-AlUla. The 34-year-old Rowe is well-known as a sharp observer of the sport, partly thanks to his role on the Watts Occurring podcast.

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If confirmed, the switch to a predominantly French team like Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale comes as a surprise, considering his recent remarks about his current team. During the final stages of the Vuelta, Rowe expressed his concerns in an interview with Eurosport, stating, "I'll try to say this politely, but it's hard to justify. This is a team with a massive budget. Riders are paid to win big races, and that's just not happening right now. We're not delivering. It's not that one person is failing, but things haven't been going well for a while."

Rowe also highlighted that INEOS had struggled to maintain their dominance, adding, "Staying at the top is tough, we were being chased. Now we have to chase the others." His upcoming role at AG2R aligns with this sentiment, as he'll join a team aiming to climb to the top of the sport.