After a frustrating 2024 season and amid a near constant stream of stories hinting at chaos behind the scenes, the Ineos Grenadiers have announced structural changes and a flurry of hirings meant to bolster the team’s performance. The changes come following a lengthy review by Performance Director Scott Drawer.
“I’ve spent six months listening, observing, and working with the team to determine what’s needed to set ourselves up for excellence for 2025 and beyond,” Drawer said. “I’ve been looking at every element of how we race, how we train and how we support our riders in the changing landscape of professional cycling.”
One of the changes that the team will make in the scope of that review process is a new approach that will “focus on three distinct performance streams – Grand Tours and Stage Racing, Classics and One Day Racing, and Future Talent,” according to a team statement. In conjunction with that approach, several notables have been brought on board to the team staff.
Former pro Kurt Asle Arvesen – who worked with the team in its Team Sky days before moving to Uno-X – will be the Lead sport director while former pro Leonardo Basso, who worked as a freelance DS in 2024, is also coming on fulltime. Sports scientist Tom Helleman is coming over from DSM-Firmenich-PostNL as Lead performance coach. Dr. Mehdi Kordi, who has worked with the Dutch national team, will be the new Head of Performance Support and Innovation. Dr. Luca Oggiano, who has worked with the Ineos Grenadiers as an aerodynamicist, will be the Director of Research and Development.
According to the team, a Head of Engineering and Technology and other roles remain open.
“Scott has conducted a thorough review of every element of performance with his trademark energy and focus,” said team CEO John Allert of the changes that Drawer is implementing. “He has come up with a clear plan and the decisive changes needed to set us up for success in the coming years.”
Allert said that the team is “determined to get back to the top step of the podium.” It’s not entirely clear what level of results would constitute such a return to form for the squad that was once the dominant team in cycling, but it’s fair to say that even modest success would represent a step in the right direction for the Ineos Grenadiers after an underwhelming 2024 season, among the worst in team history in terms of results on the road.
Whether the new staff can help turn things around remains to be seen, but at least the team has done something to shake things up after so much disappointment and mounting reports on uncertainty behind-the-scenes.
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