'A piece of the team is leaving' - How Ineos can fill the gap left by Filippo Ganna

Filippo Ganna's transfer to Lidl-Trek will strengthen his new team's Classics and time trial roster, while Netcompany-Ineos will hope that Josh Tarling and Dorian Godon can fill the gap left by the Italian.

The 22-year-old Tarling is already a world-class time trialist and Godon is hoping to target Milan-San Remo and Grand Tour stages in 2027 thanks to his power and fast finish. Together, they can potentially offset Ganna's departure.

Ganna turned 30 in July and there is an argument that he is past his best after ten years as a professional. It's perhaps a detail that team principal Dave Brailsford charted on the career trajectory graph he likes to use to judge rider performance and future signings.

The departure of Ganna is one of ten changes on the 30-rider Netcompany roster for 2027, as Brailsford return makes his mark on the future of the team. A number of veterans are retiring or moving on, while young talents Benjamín Noval and Markel Beloki are coming in. Egan Bernal took a break from racing in the latter part of 2026, and it appears that he has yet to make a final decision about racing on with Netcompany. 

Ganna won two world time trial titles, ten Grand Tour stages and was twice second at Milan-Sanremo during his time at Ineos. He snatched victory from Wout Van Aert at this year's Dwars door Vlaanderen, but he has only rarely been competive in the cobbled Classics.

He has been a cornerstone of the Netcompany-Ineos team, but his salary also took up a significant part of their budget. According to transfer expert Daniel Benson, Ganna was earning between €2.5-3 million per season. 

Domestique was told by a trusted source at Il Lombardia that Netcompany-Ineos did not secure a transfer payment for allowing Ganna to leave and may have even sweetened the deal to make it happen, as they did when Tom Pidcock left for Pinarello-Q36.5. Netcompany denied paying to help Ganna move to Lidl-Trek. 

Netcompany-Ineos will be unable to sign a rider of Ganna's calibre for 2027 but they could decide to invest the cash and future salary saving on other riders. Tarling is eight years younger than Ganna but on a similar career trajectory.

Tarling can be a time trial contender whenever Remco Evenepoel is not at his best and he could improve enough to challenge the Belgian. He has ridden four Grand Tours, finished his first Tour de France in 2026, and he appears to like the Classics and racing in the rain.

His current contract ends in 2027 but Brailsford will surely move early to ensure Tarling enjoys his best years with the British team. 

Godon joined Netcompany-Ineos in 2026, alongside fellow Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin, thanks to sponsorship from TotalEnergies. He could also help fill the gap left by Ganna.

He won eight races in 2026, including stages at Paris-Nice, the Volta a Catalunya and the Tour de Romandie. His time trialling power helped Netcompany finish second in the team time trials at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the Tour de France.

"Pippo is part of the history of the team. He's one of the most successful guys on the team and is a super nice guy. A piece of the team is leaving," Godon told Domestique in Italy last week, before revealing his ambitions and highlighting how the loss of Ganna will give him more opportunities. 

"I'm not Pippo… I don't have the same engine and everyone is different but I'm good in short efforts. Lets see what I can do in 2027, for sure I'd like to win a stage in a Grand Tour.

Godon does not see himself targeting the cobbled Classics due to the risks but likes racing in Italy and has seen how Ganna was able to fight for success in La Primavera.

"I'm thinking about Milan-San Remo for next year. It could be a nice step up for me," he said.

"Since pulling on the team jersey, I have so much more opportunity. When I arrived the team really believed in me and pushed me to race hard. Even when I win they want more from me, I want more too. That's good pressure to have. I can achieve more than eight victories in 2027."