Thomas refuses to fuel Vingegaard talk, but Netcompany Ineos’ ambition is clear

The arrival of Danish tech company Netcompany as a major partner has immediately changed the conversation around the former Team Sky and Ineos Grenadiers structure. For years, the team set the standard in stage racing, winning seven Tours de France between 2012 and 2019. 

That dominance has faded in recent seasons, with UAE Team Emirates and Visma | Lease a Bike moving ahead. Now, with new investment and a new name, Netcompany Ineos is trying to force its way back into the centre of the sport.

Thomas, now leading the team’s sporting management after ending his riding career, says the ambition is simple.

“We want to get back to being the number one team in the world,” the Welshman said to Gazzetta dello Sport. “It is part of our plan to get back to the top, to being an absolute benchmark. We have started well, this year began with a different gear, but it must only be the beginning.”

That new direction has inevitably led to one question in particular. Netcompany is Danish. Vingegaard is Danish. Ineos needs a Grand Tour figurehead. Could the two ever come together?

Thomas was careful not to push the speculation too far.

“Jonas rides for Visma, I can’t talk about him personally,” Thomas said. “But who wouldn’t want him on their team? He is a fantastic athlete. However, as far as I know, he has a contract until 2028.”

Thomas kept his answer within the usual boundaries. Vingegaard rides for Visma | Lease a Bike, and his contract runs two more seasons. But the Danish link is hard to ignore now Netcompany has arrived, especially with Ineos openly talking about a return to the top of the sport.

Bjarne Riis has gone further, calling the project a possible “dream team” for Vingegaard. That remains outside Thomas’s framing. From inside Netcompany Ineos, the message is broader: the team wants to strengthen, and it wants riders capable of winning Grand Tours.

“In general, on the market, we are simply trying to strengthen ourselves and improve constantly,” he said. “Also by trying to focus on young riders who can win Grand Tours.”

That brings Paul Seixas into the picture. The French teenager is already regarded as one of the most exciting prospects in the peloton, and his future has become one of the sport’s most closely watched storylines. UAE Team Emirates have been heavily linked with him, but Thomas suggested that nothing should be considered impossible.

“For now he is at Decathlon, but rumours like that are always circulating,” Thomas said. “I hope he hasn’t already signed for UAE. They are a team that is winning a huge amount, they are really strong, so it is understandable that a rider would be interested. But who knows. Could he one day ride for us? Never say never.”

Thomas also reflected on the shift into his new role, where the focus is no longer on his own preparation but on creating the right environment for others.

“As a top level athlete, you are mainly focused on your own performance, and you have lots of people around you helping,” he said. “Now I’m the one who has to think about others, between phone calls, computers, programmes and everything else. The rider mentality inside me is still fresh, and I hope it can help me understand the needs of the group.”

That experience could yet prove valuable for Thymen Arensman’s podium bid at this Giro. After an excellent time trial, the Dutchman sits third overall, behind race leader Afonso Eulalio and Jonas Vingegaard.