🚨Tom Pidcock joins Ineos teammates for the first time since Il Lombardia de-selection at Man United game. British team hit 30-rider limit but their transfer activity might not be over 🇬🇧🇬🇧 🔗 Click on the pinned Tweet in my profile for the full story
Much doom and gloom along with Pidcock assumptions at INEOS Grenadiers, but fortunately a ray of hope now emerges
CyclingFriday, 08 November 2024 at 10:46
The transformation of INEOS Grenadiers is ongoing. After conducting a staff overhaul, Steve Cummings is also leaving the British team. On the other hand, a dedicated development team finally seems to be on the agenda for 2025.
The 43-year-old Cummings' departure had been in the air for a while. His last job with INEOS Grenadiers was the Criterium du Dauphiné in the summer. He did not attend the Tour de France, after which speculation of a departure intensified. To Cyclingweekly, Tom Pidcock told me that the team would be "better" without the British sports director. The tension between the Olympic mountain biking champion and Cummings seems to be a significant factor in the decision to leave the team.
The transfer rumor surrounding Pidcock took a surprising turn: for a long time, the Brit seemed to be heading for the exit, but in the end, the Amstel Gold Race winner will stay. That impression exists, especially after an Instagram message earlier this week in which Pidcock can be seen with his teammates enjoying a team outing. And last week, the Briton was present when INEOS was at Old Trafford, the stadium of soccer club Manchester United, for another team event.
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Cummings: "It was time to leave this team"
So sports director Cummings does leave, as does Xabier Artetxe, the highly regarded Spaniard within the team. Luke Rowe would become sports director for the British but now does so in French service with Decathlon-AG2R. The performance of INEOS Grenadiers, or instead its failure to perform, thus caused significant changes. Therefore, Kurt Asle Arvesen was brought in from Uno-X Mobility to reinforce the technical staff, as was Mehdi Kordi, former coach of the Dutch track cyclists. He will take over Dan Bigham's role as Head of Performance Support and Innovation. With the arrival of the new staff members and the departure of Cummings, the British formation hopes to move on from a tough year and begin a new chapter.
Cummings also seemed to have an essential place in the future of the British star formation, but that perception has changed completely. "There was speculation, so I wanted to clarify my situation. I have decided to step away from INEOS. This may seem like a big step, but I am now ready to start a new phase in my career. Working with such a talented group of riders and staff for the past four years has been a privilege. I really would like to thank everyone for their support and dedication." Next, Cummings explains more specifically that he will now look for a new challenge in cycling.
According to Scott Drawer, speaking on behalf of the team, the former rider's departure is part of a major overhaul. So, according to him, an incident with Pidcock has nothing to do with it: "We are going to spend the rest of this year making further positive changes: setting the team's performance levels and goals, running some essential training camps, and getting the whole team ready to race hard in January."
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Tom Pidcock
INEOS Grenadiers embarks on collaboration with German continental team
Still, it's not all doom and gloom because while many staff members have gone, some are being added. For years, INEOS has been without its development team. Where other big teams structurally invest in developing their future riders, the British multi-million dollar formation has long failed to do so. As a result, British talents emerged as part of other teams, such as Groupama-FDJ.
INEOS Grenadiers did contract young talents, but they were immediately assigned to the main squad. Not always convenient for development. Consider, for example, riders like Andrew August, Michael Leonard, or Peter Øxenberg. However, cycling journalist Daniel Benson now reports that the team seems to be changing this approach. Indeed, the team is reportedly teaming up with Team Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank, a German continental squad. Riders like Jonas Rutsch, Kim Heiduk, and Max Walscheid rode for this team before moving to the WorldTour.
Benson bases this news on an announcement from the International Cycling Events in Rhodes on Facebook, which listed six participating development teams, including "Team Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank/INEOS Grenadiers Devo Partner." With this, the British star formation seems to be taking a structural step toward its own development team.
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Latest Comments
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024