Bernal and Arensman lead Netcompany Ineos into new era at the Giro

The race, which starts in Bulgaria on May 8, marks the competitive debut of Netcompany Ineos after the Danish technology company came on board as co-title sponsor in late April. 

After dominating Grand Tour racing for much of the 2010s, Ineos have spent recent years trying to recover that authority. The Giro offers the first real test of where the team stands under its new identity.

Bernal returns to the race five years after winning the maglia rosa. The Colombian has shown encouraging form in recent weeks, finishing second overall at the Tour of the Alps before taking fifth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Arensman, meanwhile, arrives after a podium finish at the Tour of the Alps and gives the team a second genuine option for the general classification.

“It’s a new chapter for us racing as Netcompany Ineos, and the Giro feels like the right place to start it,” said Geraint Thomas, the team’s Director of Racing in a statement by the team. “We’ve got two good GC leaders in Thymen and Egan, who’ve both performed well at the Giro before.”

For Bernal, the Giro carries particular weight. It was the race he won in 2021, before the training crash the following year that altered the course of his career. His recent results suggest he is moving in the right direction again, even if he has been careful not to draw too many conclusions before the race begins.

“It means I’m good, but the Giro is something different,” Bernal told Domestique at the Tour of the Alps. “It gives me a bit of confidence, but the Giro is the Giro.”

Arensman will be Netcompany Ineos’ second card to play in Italy. The Dutchman has become one of the team’s most dependable Grand Tour riders, and his climbing strength, combined with his ability to grow into a three-week race, could prove crucial in a Giro expected to become increasingly difficult in the final week.

“I’m coming into the Giro in a good place and really motivated for this race,” Arensman said. “Sharing leadership with Egan gives us strength, and we’ve got a team that can support us throughout.”

That support group includes Filippo Ganna, who will target the stage 10 individual time trial in Tuscany while also playing a key role for the GC leaders. The Italian, a seven-time Giro stage winner, remains one of the team’s clearest routes to a stage victory.

“The Giro for me is always incredibly special, and such a source of pride for every Italian,” Ganna said. “I’m really happy about the opportunity that the individual time trial in Tuscany presents to go for a win.”

Jack Haig, Magnus Sheffield, Embret Svestad-Bårdseng, Connor Swift and Ben Turner complete the line-up, giving Netcompany INEOS a mix of climbing depth, experience, power and stage-hunting options.

For the team, the Giro is a first step in its bid to re-establish itself at the top of Grand Tour racing. Netcompany’s five-year commitment comes at a time when INEOS has been trying to close the gap to the sport’s strongest teams. Dave Brailsford has framed the partnership as a platform to return to the very top, but May will offer the first real measure of that ambition.