2021 Tour de France: Team INEOS GRENADIERS full squad, top riders, predictions

Team INEOS, one of the favorite and most-sought-after teams, have announced their eight-member rider squad for the 2021 Tour de France which will begin on 26th June from Brest in Brittany, France.

Unsurprisingly, Geraint Thomas of Wales and Great Britain will be leading from the front. The three-time World Champion is hoping that the time trial events will provide him with an advantage in his quest for his second Tour de France victory.

READ: 2021 Tour de France: Schedule, routes and terrain

Team principal Sir Dave Brailsford, a known figure in the British cycling, said:

“We won’t win this Tour by sitting in the wheels. We have the team to make it a racers’ race, take the initiative, seize every opportunity and make our opposition focus for every kilometer of every stage. We have changed our race philosophy this season to being more open and aggressive. Our performances have built all season and a joy of racing has infused the whole team. This more adventurous approach has led us to fearless racing and this is exactly how we will hit the Tour. We will seek out every moment in every stage where the race is on and try to exploit it. Key for us this Tour is our collective strength and camaraderie to the end.”

A Tour de France 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 like no other, ready to take the initiative.Expect the unexpected.Our #TDF2021 lineup. pic.twitter.com/D9wh4tzvJt

— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) June 18, 2021

Expect the unexpected - Team INEOS Principal

Team INEOS’s biggest 2021 Tour de France competitors will be the two Slovenians, Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic. Geraint Thomas will be 35 when he starts the race on 26 June but coming off a Tour de Romandie victory, Thomas will be high on energy and will look to dominate from the start.

The biggest advantage TEAM INEOS have in 2021 Tour de France is their team strength and depth. Porte, Carapaz, and Geoghegan Hart all finished on the podium in 2020 Tour de France.

Look who's back! Don't tell the neighbours 👀@GeraintThomas86 is leading tonight's @GoZwift group ride with the help of club member Ann Kitchen 🥳See you tonight at 6pm 💪https://t.co/eZLJnz1Nks pic.twitter.com/31u1BkSMYK

— Geraint Thomas Cycling Club (@gtcc_) May 12, 2021

TEAM INEOS 2021 TOUR DE FRANCE: FULL SQUAD, TOP RIDERS AND PREDICTIONS

Full squad: Geraint Thomas, Richard Carapaz, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Richie Porte, Michal Kwiatkowski, Jonathan Castroviejo, Luke Rowe, and Dylan van Baarle.

Top Riders: Geraint Thomas, Richard Carapaz and Tao Geoghegan Hart.

Predictions: Geraint Thomas may be a favorite but he isn’t as explosive as the two Slovenians. At the end of the race, one might see him in third position behind Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic.

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About Team INEOS

Team INEOS GRENADIERS is a British professional cycling team that competes in all the major cycling races. The team is headquartered as the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, England, and has a logistics base in Deinze, Belgium. The team is managed by British Cycling's former performance director, Sir Dave Brailsford.