INEOS Grenadiers
INEOS Grenadiers is a British professional cycling team competing at UCI WorldTour level. Originally launched as Team Sky in 2010, the team became INEOS Grenadiers in 2020 following a change in title sponsor. Over the past decade, it has built a reputation through Tour de France dominance and Grand Tour consistency.
Full official team name and common short name
The team's full official name is INEOS Grenadiers, though fans, media, and the peloton commonly refer to them as simply INEOS or the Grenadiers. The name combines the title sponsor INEOS with the Grenadiers suffix, added in 2020 to reflect the company's broader sporting portfolio and evoke elite military precision.
The team identifier is IGD.
What is the team category and status?
INEOS Grenadiers compete at the highest level of professional cycling as a UCI WorldTeam in the men's road racing circuit. This WorldTeam licence guarantees automatic entry to all WorldTour races and obliges the team to compete in all Monument classics and Grand Tours, whilst maintaining the sport's highest standards for rider welfare, anti-doping protocols, and financial stability.
Founding year and origin story
INEOS Grenadiers was founded in 2010 as Team Sky by Sir Dave Brailsford and backed by broadcaster Sky, with the publicly stated and ambitious goal of delivering Britain's first Tour de France winner within five years. That target was met ahead of schedule when Bradley Wiggins claimed yellow in 2012, launching a period of unprecedented British dominance in Grand Tour racing that reshaped professional cycling.
Who are the current title sponsor and key partners of INEOS Grenadiers?
British multinational chemicals and energy company INEOS serves as the title sponsor, having taken over from Sky in 2019. Pinarello supplies the Dogma F road frames and Bolide F time trial machines, Shimano provides Dura Ace Di2 electronic groupsets, wheels come from both Shimano and Princeton CarbonWorks depending on race demands, Continental furnishes GP5000 tubeless tyres, Castelli designs and manufactures all team clothing, whilst KASK and KOO supply helmets and eyewear. The team also maintains a nutrition partnership with Maurten for race fuelling and recovery.
Key achievements of the INEOS Grenadiers
The team has claimed seven Tour de France victories spanning 2012 (Bradley Wiggins), 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 (all Chris Froome), 2018 (Geraint Thomas), and 2019 (Egan Bernal), establishing the most dominant Tour era in modern cycling history. Three Giro d'Italia titles came via Chris Froome in 2018, Tao Geoghegan Hart in 2020, and Egan Bernal in 2021, whilst Chris Froome also delivered the team's sole Vuelta a España victory in 2017.
Beyond Grand Tours, the team has accumulated dozens of WorldTour stage race wins, including multiple victories at Paris-Nice, Critérium du Dauphiné, Tour de Romandie, and Tirreno-Adriatico. Monument success includes Michał Kwiatkowski's 2017 Milan-San Remo win and numerous podium finishes across the five Monuments.
The team has also claimed Olympic gold medals, World Championship titles in both road racing and time trialling, and established itself as one of the most successful squads in professional cycling history with well over 300 career victories.
Notable riders on the 2026 INEOS Grenadiers roster
The 2026 roster features a blend of established Grand Tour contenders and emerging talents. Oscar Onley arrives as a promising young GC prospect with stage race pedigree, whilst Spanish climber Carlos Rodríguez represents the team's future as a potential Grand Tour winner. Colombian Egan Bernal, the 2019 Tour de France and 2021 Giro champion, continues his comeback from serious injury as a key leader.
Italian time trial specialist Filippo Ganna remains one of cycling's most dominant riders against the clock, a challenger in the classics and monuments, and a crucial domestique on flat stages. British talent Josh Tarling brings world-class time trialling and emerging stage race ability.
Dutch climber Thymen Arensman provides GC depth and stage hunting capabilities, whilst Belgian Laurens De Plus offers versatile climbing support. American Magnus Sheffield adds punchy one-day racing prowess and developing GC potential.
British rider Ben Turner contributes as a climbing domestique, and Polish classics specialist Michał Kwiatkowski, a former World Champion and Monument winner, brings invaluable experience and tactical nous to the roster.
Together, this group gives INEOS options across Grand Tours, stage races, one-day classics, and time trials.
Key staff memebrs of INEOS Grenadiers
John Allert serves as CEO, overseeing all strategic and operational decisions. Scott Drawer holds the position of Performance Director, responsible for sports science and the team's marginal gains philosophy. Newly appointed Director of Racing Geraint Thomas, the 2018 Tour champion, brings racing experience to tactical and strategic planning.
Dajo Sanders leads as Head Coach, supported by Lead Performance Coaches Tom Helleman and Adrian Lopez. The sport director roster includes Kurt Asle Arvesen, Leonardo Basso, Imanol Erviti, Christian Knees, Ian Stannard, Elia Viviani, and Xabier Zandio, all former pros directing from team cars.
INEOS Grenadiers alumni
The team's alumni list reads like a who's who of modern cycling. Chris Froome, four-time Tour de France winner and seven-time Grand Tour champion, left for Israel Start-Up Nation in 2021 after a decade of dominance. Bradley Wiggins, Britain's first Tour de France winner in 2012, retired from the team in 2016. Geraint Thomas, the 2018 Tour champion, departed after the 2025 season, ending a partnership that began in 2010. Richard Carapaz, the 2019 Giro d'Italia winner, moved to EF Education-EasyPost.
Adam Yates left for UAE Team Emirates-XRG after winning stages and consistently placing in the top tens of Grand Tours. Tao Geoghegan Hart, the 2020 Giro champion, transferred to Lidl-Trek for 2024. Mark Cavendish spent time with the team, adding sprint victories to his palmares.
Other notable alumni include Richie Porte, Jhonatan Narváez, Ian Stannard (now a sports director), Luke Rowe, Wout Poels, Vasil Kiryienka, Mikel Nieve, Nicolas Roche, Ben Swift, Salvatore Puccio, Dylan van Baarle, and Gianni Moscon.
The team has also developed young talents like Tom Pidock, Pavel Sivakov, Tao Geoghegan Hart, and Eddie Dunbar before they moved on, whilst sprinters like Elia Viviani (now a sports director) contributed stage wins during their tenures.