The 2026 Tour de France was a brutal test for the rebranded Netcompany Ineos team. Crashes, punctures, and injuries left the team in disarray, with Geraint Thomas admitting it was one of the worst campaigns in the team's history. From the very start, when the team narrowly missed victory in the Montjuic team time trial, it became clear this edition would be challenging. As the team's racing director, Thomas described the overall experience as 'tough going' and acknowledged the many setbacks that came with it.
Geraint Thomas admits it's 'tough going'
Geraint Thomas, now the frontman for the team since Dave Brailsford stepped down, said the Tour was a difficult period. 'I’m happy to not be racing any more, because I suffered way too much,' he said, adding that he is still involved in the team's operations. This was Thomas's first Tour de France as the racing director, a role that required him to quickly adapt and make major decisions. 'But it’s good to still be involved in the nitty-gritty of it,' he admitted, highlighting the ongoing contributions he continues to make.
Thomas's first experience managing the team was rocky. Their original leader, Oscar Onley, was injured and had to withdraw, forcing a hasty lineup change. Thomas said they were close to winning the team time trial in Montjuic but fell short. 'We were there or thereabouts,' he admitted, but 'just not quite clicked.' The injury to Onley forced the team to shift its strategy, leaving them scrambling to adjust their goals mid-campaign and without a clear leader to push for the podium.
A failed bid to lure Remco Evenepoel
The team's early optimism about securing Remco Evenepoel never came to fruition. Thomas admitted this was a missed opportunity for the team, leaving a void that Onley was expected to fill, but his injury in June prevented that from happening.
Instead, Ineos signed Onley, but his season never truly got started. With Onley out of the race, the team shifted focus to Egan Bernal to target the mountains. Yet Bernal wasn't able to replicate his 2019 Tour glory, while new signing Kévin Vauquelin also struggled. Vauquelin failed to match his previous successes, and without Onley as a podium contender, the team's ambitions were scaled back. The focus shifted toward stage wins and the mountain classifications, but the challenges of the race were too great.
Thomas acknowledged the challenge: 'There’s been a lot of learning on the job for me. It’s easy to talk about [winning] stages but there are so few anyway that it is tough.' The complexities of managing a cycling team during a multi-stage race were made clear, especially when unexpected setbacks and injuries forced quick adaptations. 'It’s not the easiest thing in the world when you’re in charge of eight riders and trying to win stages,' Thomas said, noting how the team often had to settle for survival.
Dominance of Tadej Pogacar
Tadej Pogacar, the five-time Tour winner, dominated the race in 2026, making it nearly impossible for Ineos to get any foothold. Thomas admitted it was unrealistic to challenge the Slovenian. Pogacar's team, UAE Emirates, was dominant throughout, and the course profile seemed to favor their climbing and sprinting capabilities. Ineos often found itself playing catch-up, especially in the key mountain stages and time trials.
The team's ambitions were further dashed by the speed and difficulty of the course. 'Racing evolves and you need to adapt with it,' Thomas said. 'Everyone’s been looking for opportunities because they’re few and far between.' With Pogacar setting record climbing speeds and dominating the race, the gap between the front and the rest of the field seemed insurmountable. This was especially clear during the double summit finishes on Alpe d’Huez, where Ineos had no chance to challenge.
The team's stage hopes were also hampered by the dominance of the UAE Emirates team, led by Pogacar, as well as the overall difficulty of the race. Thomas said the team was left focusing on survival, especially in the double summit finishes on Alpe d’Huez. 'Without being defeatist, you’re not exactly racing ‘Pog’ on days like that,' Thomas said, referencing Pogacar's dominance. The team had to regroup and refocus after these stages, often finding themselves further behind their rivals.
The 2026 Tour de France is now a distant memory, but for Ineos, it's a wake-up call. With Onley's next target likely to be the Vuelta a España, the team must reassess its strategy and ambitions for future races. Thomas admitted that this Tour was an educational experience, one that required learning on the job and adapting to the ever-changing dynamics of the sport. 'It’s not supposed to be easy,' he said, emphasizing the importance of resilience and adaptability in professional cycling.