Ineos set for shake-up as Dempster eyes Red Bull and Thomas prepares for leadership role

Zak Dempster could leave his current role as sports director at the Ineos Grenadiers and join Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe for the 2026 season, according to Ciro Scognamiglio of La Gazzetta dello Sport, although there is no official confirmation currently from either team.

The Australian former professional retired from racing in 2019, and transitioned into becoming a sports director with the team with which he retired, Israel Start-Up Nation, now known as Israel-Premier Tech, before making the move to the British team in 2023.

During his fourteen-year racing career, Dempster spent four seasons with the team from 2013-2017 in its former inception as Team NetApp-Endura, and then Bora-Argon 18 before the team had even reached WorldTour status. 

Dempster was part of the squad that represented the team in their debut Tour de France in 2014, participating as a wildcard squad with Leopold König finishing 7th in the general classification. 

In 2025, Dempster provided the role of sports director for the British team at races including Paris-Roubaix, the Giro d’Italia, and the recent Tour de France, where the team won two stages via Dutch climber Thymen Arensman. 

With the transfer of Remco Evenepoel from Soudal-QuickStep to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, there have been plenty of staff changes announced at the German team for the 2026 season, including the departures of Enrico Gasparotto and Rolf Aldag, as well as the arrival of the former Belgian national coach Sven Vanthourenhout and Klaas Lodewyck. It appears that Dempster will become another important cog in the machine for next year.

Ciro Scognamiglio also reported that Geraint Thomas is set to take on a new role as ‘Head of Racing’ for the 2026 season with the Ineos Grenadiers once he retires after his final appearance at the Tour of Britain in September. 

After an impressive 19-year professional career, Thomas announced in February that he would be retiring from racing in 2025, before later revealing his intentions to move into a management role at the British team. 

The reports shed more light on the 2018 Tour de France champion's possible role in 2026, though, as with the Dempster report, there isn't yet official confirmation.