Ineos Grenadiers to launch U23 development team in 2026
A major development for the British WorldTour team, who look set to have their own under-23 team for the first time since their inception in 2010.
Ineos Grenadiers have approved plans to establish an under-23 development team starting in 2026, as first reported on Daniel Benson's Substack, with the British WorldTour team now in the process of securing contracts with riders for the team.
Performance Director Scott Drawer and Performance Pathway Manager Simon Watts are leading the initiative, though the final leadership details for the development squad remain under discussion.
This project follows months of speculation about the team's future youth development strategy and represents a significant expansion of their talent pipeline. Earlier this year, Watts confirmed the team's intentions regarding this project without committing to a specific timeline when speaking to Daniel Benson's Substack back in February.
"Absolutely. We've been well behind the curve in some ways. I think that we can talk openly and honestly about that," Watts said back in February. "However, the sport has moved on quickly, and the intention isn't just to catch up, because by the time we do, the sport will have moved on again, but I think we can raise the game in terms of how we do off-bike education, development, support and welfare," Watts added.
On June 26, the British team announced the signing of the talented Benjamín Noval, a 16-year-old Spanish rider who is currently one of the biggest junior prospects in the sport, for the 2027 season. The creation of a dedicated under-23 team will allow the Ineos Grenadiers to develop talent in-house rather than relying solely on recruiting established riders from other teams or younger talents from other development programmes, and it's possible that Noval could benefit from racing with the new under-23 as part of his development to the WorldTour when he links up with the team in 2027.
In November last year, the team announced a partnership with German Continental side Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank as a development partner for 2025, but the introduction of their own under-23 side for 2026 marks a huge step up in the youth development strategy.
Further details about the structure, roster and racing programme for the new under-23 team are expected to be revealed later this year, though Benson's substack suggests that rider agents who have international clients have also been approached, so the team will not consist of only British riders.
