Can the INEOS team disappear?

Since Dave Brailsford, founder and driving force behind the revolution of British cycling with Team Sky, left the INEOS Grenadiers cycling team to face a new sporting challenge at Manchester United, the situation of the British squad, both in terms of sports performance and internal struggles, has only deteriorated and, according to some voices, could even threaten the continuity of the team.

The situation with Tom Pidcock could be the last straw for Jim Ratcliffe's patience

What was once the most powerful team in the world is now in free fall, with only 14 victories in 2024, compared to 38 in 2023 and 39 in 2022; results that are difficult to justify for a team like INEOS Grenadiers, which has one of the largest budgets in the World Tour.

If the crisis of results were not enough, the departure of one of its reference cyclists, Tom Pidcock, seems to be confirmed with each passing day, especially after his last-minute exclusion from the team that took part in Il Lombardia or the statements made by the British cyclist in recent weeks.

A situation that seems to be derived from internal power struggles that were the origin of, for example, the resignation of one of the historical leaders from the Team Sky era, Ron Ellinworth. A situation that seems to have its origins from the moment of INEOS' main sponsorship in 2020 with what was, at the time, a significant financial injection from billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, owner of the multinational oil company.

Surely, the transition of Team Sky founder Dave Brailsford to more corporate roles within the sports conglomerate that forms INEOS Sports, which distanced him from the front line within the cycling team and his total disengagement from the team at the beginning of the year to take over Manchester United, the latest jewel in the crown of INEOS Sports, may have opened the door to an internal battle for control of the cycling team, which, as is often the case in these situations, has had a direct impact on the results.

A situation that, far from being resolved, could even be jeopardizing the continuity of the cycling team as the always controversial Johan Bruyneel pointed out in the well-known podcast The Move where he stated that "Jim Ratcliffe is tired of his toy" while basing this statement on the fact that the team has only signed young talents recently but has not been able to sign a superstar who can sustain the sporting project while their rivals UAE, Visma, or now Red Bull seem to be getting stronger. "I see it as the beginning of the end for the INEOS team. Next year they will still be there. I have my doubts about 2026," said the former director and rider.