Brailsford's battle: Ineos Grenadiers are 'feeding on scraps' and have no bike deal for 2026

If Dave Brailsford thought trying to bring success to Manchester United was tough, he faces a similarly uphill battle trying to re-energise Ineos Grenadiers and their hopes of challenging for top honours at the Tour de France.

Going into the 2025 Tour, the team discussed racing aggressively, aiming for stage wins and supporting Carlos Rodríguez’s GC ambitions. 

Geraint Thomas was selected to strengthen the team in his final season as a pro, while recent British National Road Championships winner, Samuel Watson, was chosen to replace the unwell Ben Swift only days before the race began. 

Filippo Ganna returned to the Tour for the first time in several seasons, and there was genuine optimism within the camp with Brailsford's sudden return to the management structure. They even brought in Adidas to supply the team with non-race clothing. 

But exactly what Brailsford’s long-term vision for the team is remains a mystery.

As I reported on my Substack, Brailsford now steps off the Ineos team bus before and after every stage, phone to his ear – always talking, but never to the media.

When approached, the message is politely firm: 'No thank you, I’m not here to talk'. He’s visible, ever-present, even theatrical in his silence – the not-so-secret weapon, as the team put it, who refuses to explain exactly what he’s doing.

The team hasn’t been entirely absent over the first 10 days of racing, but it’s been an underwhelming Tour for Brailsford’s big-budget squad. And beyond the 11 stages still to come, Ineos – with Brailsford back in the fold – face two significant issues: the need to sign or develop a bona fide GC leader, and the need to confirm a bike sponsor for 2026.

Daniel Benson is a Tour de France veteran, having covered 14 editions of the race as editor-in-chief of Cyclingnews and Velo, and now running his Substack newsletter. Through the 2025 Tour de France, Daniel will be writing a series of dispatches exclusively for BikeRadar, bringing you his unique insight into cycling’s greatest race and, as the Tour develops, a behind-the-scenes view that only a reporter with his contacts book can bring.

Feeding on scraps

Ten stages in and, while the Tour hasn’t been a disaster for Ineos Grenadiers by any means, the stark reality is the first half of the race has shown just how far behind they are compared to the best teams in the world. 

Losing Ganna to concussion on stage 1 was, of course, a major blow. He was probably the team’s best chance for a stage win, either in the flat time trial in Caen or on one of the less undulating breakaway days. 

Sam Watson has impressed on his rookie Tour debut, but expectations for the British road champion are relatively low. 

The best result the team have produced so far has been Thymen Arensman’s second place on stage 10 to Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy, when he finished nine seconds down on the winner, Simon Yates. 

We saw Thomas infiltrate a break on the stage to Mûr-de-Bretagne, but other than that, it’s been a relatively meek showing from the once-great Tour de France team. 

Sky, and then Ineos, won this race seven out of eight seasons between 2012 and 2019, and here they are feeding on scraps and suffering at the hands of UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma-Lease a Bike – the two teams that have taken over Ineos’ mantle in the last few seasons.

Carlos Rodríguez, the team’s GC hope, has lost time at almost every critical juncture in this year’s race, leaving him 5:15 down on the yellow jersey and in 18th place overall, while the lack of a bona fide sprinter has ruled the team out of competing for almost half the stages in this year’s race so far. 

Rodríguez, who has regressed from the point at which he was competing for stage wins and podium places in the Tour a few years ago, personifies where Ineos find themselves in the Tour pecking order. 

While the team will no doubt continue to plug away at this year’s Tour, the tasks facing the management and the returning Brailsford are huge.

Develop or sign a GC leader

With Thomas set to retire, and Arensman, Rodríguez and Egan Bernal unable to mount GC challenges in Grand Tours, chief among the team’s issues is the need to find a genuine contender – and Ineos needs to act in the transfer window. 

Reports suggest the team has missed out on long-term target Remco Evenepoel, with the Belgian set to move to Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe in either 2026 or at the start of 2027. 

With the top two Tour riders in the world – Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard  – both tied down to long-term contracts, Brailsford needs to scout the next generation of winners. That’s easier said than done, but the team is set to unveil an U23 squad soon, which will at least offer a pipeline of talent. 

In the short term, acquiring another Grand Tour leader out of contract remains the only realistic way to compete at the Tour over the next two or three years, but there are very few options available. 

Oscar Onley could be a target – the young Scot has impressed – while Juan Ayuso could also be considered if Ineos can lower the rider’s reported release clause of around €100 million. No, that’s not a typo – that’s what UAE Team Emirates have in the rider’s contract. 

Solve the equipment situation

Brailsford also urgently needs to resolve the team’s bike situation. 

Escape Collective reported last week that the team have no bikes secured for next year under their current deal with Pinarello, which dates back to 2010 and is now set to expire. 

I spoke to Fausto Pinarello a few weeks ago, who informed me that fresh contract negotiations were nearing completion, but we have also heard that Ineos is still exploring other options. 

There has been speculation that Canyon or Specialized might step in, but I can dismiss those two brands after speaking to them directly. 

At present, a new deal with Pinarello appears to be the most logical outcome, but until a contract is signed, nothing is concrete. 

Overall, the challenges facing Brailsford and Ineos Grenadiers are immense, and while the return of Brailsford as their leader has undoubtedly given the team a fresh impetus on the road, that will only take them so far.