22 July 2020

Team Ineos to change name to Ineos Grenadiers ahead of Tour de France

Team Ineos will change their name to Ineos Grenadiers before this year’s Tour de France.

The outfit named Team Sky until 2019 are owned by billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, who is re-naming the team after a new model of car which will be released in 2021.

Ineos rider Bernal became the youngest rider to win the Tour in more than 100 years when he triumphed last year, aged 22 (ABACA/PA Images)

It is expected that a new colour kit will also be unveiled, although this will not be made public until the week before the Tour.

The re-scheduled Tour, which was postponed by two months due to the coronavirus pandemic, will now begin on August 29.

Ineos boast three former winners in their current squad in four-time champion Chris Froome, 2018 winner Geraint Thomas and last year’s champion Egan Bernal.

When the outfit was called Team Sky back in 2012, they also produced the first British Tour in Bradley Wiggins.

However, it was recently confirmed that seven-time Grand Tour winner Froome would not have his contract renewed beyond the 2020 season.

The 35 year-old has subsequently announced he will join Israel Start-Up Nation for the 2021 campaign.

Ineos’ squad has not yet been announced for the postponed 2020 Tour, but Froome, Bernal and Thomas are all expected to be selected.

The team’s general manager Sir Dave Brailsford has adopted the tactic over the years of waiting until the race unfolds to decide who should be the team leader.

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