Cycling, Ineos Grenadiers close to TotalEnergies. With the Evenepoel dream in the background

Rome, May 12, 2025 – Once upon a time there was the colossus TeamSky that in the transition to Ineos Grenadiers has gradually lost its superpowers, economic and on the road. While waiting for the latter to speak, perhaps already with a good result at Giro d'Italia 2025, the British team is moving in the first area, hunting for a new sponsor who, in turn, could bring the dream of a cycling market called Remco Evenepoel.

The new possible sponsorship with TotalEnergies

According to the head The Times, the agreement with is imminent TotalEnergies, which therefore starting from 2026 could become the second sponsor, also leading to a change of name of the team Egan Bernal, Filippo Gana e Geraint Thomas. The French energy giant has been active in cycling for some time now, with a team of the same name which, like many French teams, is in less than positive economic conditions. If this new partnership were to come to fruition, as everything at the moment suggests, Jim Ratcliffe, patron of Ineos, could focus much of its resources on Manchester United, entrusting a large part of the cycling sector to TotalEnergies and its new support. There would still be several issues to be resolved that are far from marginal.

Above all the fate of the current Team TotalEnergies, today category training Professional and without any possibility of moving up in the category World Tour in the next three years: the hypothesis of a merger or that of the simple migration of the sponsor is being examined, which in turn could mean the end of the current Team TotalEnergies if a new partner does not come out. Premature discussions, as would be the possible hunt for evenepoel, which however will not be released from the Soudal Quick Step before the end of the 2026 and which by the way is also liked by the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, which has already advanced a first approach in the past. First, in fact, the current season must be concluded and then, possibly, the next one must be started under new auspices: the general manager knows this well John Allert, which to the microphones of CyclingNews he didn't go out on a limb on the matter.

"We can confirm that Ineos has no intention of increasing the volume of its sponsorship commitment to the team. They want our team to be on par with the other giants, but they also know what it takes for this to happen. I won't talk about figures, but I can say that it is a much higher sum than what Ineos is currently spending. So, yes, we are trying to involve other people in our journey. There is the possibility of creating value for other brands". In summary, Alert confirms what has been known for a long time, that is, that the Ineos Grenadiers is looking for new partners, but without revealing their names, as the newspaper did instead The Times: on the horizon a 2026 from a double new sponsor, to return to the old glories and maybe even to attract the old craze once and for all evenepoel.