'I’m passionate about helping the next generation come through' – Geraint Thomas appointed Ineos Grenadiers director of racing

Geraint Thomas has been appointed as Ineos Grenadiers' director of racing, it was announced on Thursday morning.

The 39-year-old retired as a pro cyclist from the team at the end of his season, and it has long been trailed that he would be stepping into management at the squad.

He will work alongside Sir Dave Brailsford, who returned to Ineos in 2025, and Dr Scott Drawer, the performance director. There was no mention of the team's current CEO, John Allert, in the press release.

"This team has been my home since day one, and stepping into this role feels like a natural next step," Thomas said. "I’ve learnt so much from the people around me - fellow riders and staff - and I now want to continue building on our incredible past success into the future.

"I’m passionate about helping the next generation come through, to pass on that experience and keep pushing the team forward towards our mission of winning Grand Tours again. The Grenadiers will continue to race with purpose, humility and a commitment to excellence - and I’m excited to help shape that future."

According to the statement: "His appointment reflects the team’s long-term commitment to building from within, harnessing his immense knowledge of the sport and what it takes to win, for the benefit of his fellow Grenadiers."

Thomas has been at Ineos Grenadiers since 2010, when it was Team Sky, with his whole WorldTour career coming at the British squad. He won the Tour de France in 2018, and finished on podiums at Grand Tours on four other occasions.

Ineos won 28 races in 2025, up from their low of 14 in 2024, but have not won a Grand Tour since Egan Bernal at the Giro d'Italia in 2021.

In the press release, Brailsford said: "Geraint typifies what it means to be a Grenadier. He has lived and breathed elite performance throughout his career. He always set himself very ambitious goals and invariably went on to achieve them.

"He knows what the process takes, how to deal with the highs and lows of elite sport and his willingness to now share this and mentor others to do the same is a great asset for the team. The fact that he has stayed so humble and always maintained a great sense of humour are also great attributes to bring to his new role."

Director of racing is a role at the team which has previously been held by Steve Cummings and Roger Hammond; this season, there was no such role. Ineos are going through a staffing reshuffle, with sports directors Zak Dempster and Oli Cookson departing for Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe.

Ineos have signed Kévin Vaquelin, Dorian Godon, and Embret Svestad-Bårdseng for 2026, with question marks remaining over multiple slots in the squad.