Britain’s Chris Lawless leaves Ineos Grenadiers to join Total Direct Energie
Lawless will be the only Brit on the French-dominated team


Britain’s Chris Lawless will be leaving Ineos Grenadiers after three seasons to join Total Direct Energie.
The 25-year-old pro will join the French ProTeam to become the only British rider on the squad, which is dominated mostly by French riders.
Lawless, a former Axeon Hagens Berman and Team Wiggins rider, has taken some impressive results since joining Ineos in 2018, including the overall at the Tour de Yorkshire in 2019 and consecutive third-place finishes in Scheldeprijs.
He said: “I can't wait to join my new team! It's a bit of a leap into the unknown because I've always been on English-speaking teams with team-mates that I knew well.
“I can't wait to take on these new challenges and see what this team can do for me. I want to improve even more on the Classics. I felt this year that I had taken a step forward and that I was able to run even more in these races.
“Alongside Niki Terpstra , I will be able to learn even more and always go further. I don't know exactly what my role will be yet, but I know that I have a lot to learn from the experience of other riders. I think I will have the opportunity to get even more victories on my own.”
Total had made some major signings for 2021, including Pierre Latour, Alexandres Geniez, Cristian Rodríguez and Victor de la Parte, who will join the likes of Niki Terpsta and Niccolo Bonifazio.
>>> Alex Dowsett’s Strava offers insight into his Hour Record training
Team manager Jean-René Bernaudeau, said: “The recruitment of Chris is a real big deal in this transfer window. He's a talented runner, with a strong character and a great state of mind. He appreciated our offensive speech and wants to be able to express himself in a team that gives him the possibility.
“For Total Direct Energie, it is a real achievement to attract a rider like him: the winner of the last Tour of Yorkshire, British, and from the Ineos Grenadiers team, we have something to be proud of! We have great ambitions for 2021. ”
This great ambition is also shown as the team announced, shortly after announcing the signing of Lawless, that they had also signed Norwegian star, Edvald Boasson Hagen from NTT Pro Cycling.
The former Norwegian national champion joins as he looks for more victories in the Tour de France and the Classics saying "I can't wait to join the team and meet them all at the training camps. Hope we have a normal season this year."
Boasson Hagen is the last of eight signing made by the Total Direct Energie squad for the 2021 season with Bernaudeau adding "I think we can stop there, right?"
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Alex is the digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter and now as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output.
Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) and joining CW in 2018, Alex has covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers.
Away from journalism, Alex is a national level time triallist, avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
-
-
Sprint teams mess it up in Treviso: Five talking points from stage 18 of the Giro d'Italia 2022
This was supposed to be a bunch sprint, right? Right?
By Adam Becket • Published
-
CamelBak MULE Commute 22 backpack review
There is a lot to like about the CamelBak MULE Commute 22 backpack: it works perfectly for a variety of tasks from work, to travel, with all errands in between
By Paul Grele • Published
-
Is this Ineos Grenadiers' Tour de France team? Geraint Thomas teases with eight-man training squad photo
It would not be a surprise to see the same faces in Copenhagen
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Richard Carapaz is ready for whatever the Giro d'Italia final week throws at him
Ecuadorean's confidence bolstered by the strength of his Ineos Grenadiers team
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers insist they had a 'good day' on stage four of the Giro d'Italia, amid confusing tactics
The train returned, but Pavel Sivakov was dropped on Mount Etna
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Pavel Sivakov: 'I’m really happy to be back to my level'
Ineos Grenadiers rider in break at Tour of the Alps, caught with under 10km to go
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Bradley Wiggins: Ineos Grenadiers victory at Paris-Roubaix was 'typical Dave Brailsford'
Former Tour de France winner spent the day on a motorbike covering the race
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'You gotta love bike racing don't you, it's the best thing in the world' — Ben Turner after a dramatic first Paris-Roubaix
Ineos Grenadiers rider claims 11th after crashing, but sees teammate win race
By Adam Becket • Published
-
From finishing outside the time limit to winning Paris-Roubaix, Dylan van Baarle 'buzzing' after victory
Dutch rouleur claims first Paris-Roubaix for Ineos Grenadiers after 12 years of trying
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers head to Paris-Roubaix without one 'pure leader', but lots of options
Filippo Ganna is a favourite for the race, but says he doesn't know why
By Adam Becket • Published