15 wins and counting... Ineos Grenadiers start 2026 strong

INEOS Grenadiers are in tremendous form in 2026. The British squad has been working hard in recent years to rediscover the glory days of old. With fifteen victories in the first three months of the season, it's clear they're on track.

Wednesday afternoon saw that fifteenth win of the season, with Axel Laurance taking victory in the Tour of the Basque Country. The Frenchman won a stage in the Tour de la Provence and Coppi e Bartali earlier this season, but this stage in the Basque Country carried more weight.

The 24-year-old won at WorldTour level in the Tour of Catalonia in 2024, but he rated his Basque Country victory higher on Wednesday. 'I think this is my best victory so far,' the French puncheur told Cycling Pro.

'It is my second victory in the WorldTour, but for this one I really had to fight. It was like in the Tour de France, a very tough day to get away. I had crashed on Tuesday, but I had strong legs and stayed calm.'

Laurance ultimately came to the front alone from the breakaway group, with only Igor Arrieta from UAE Emirates-XRG alongside him. 'After the last climb I did struggle a bit to recover, because such an effort is harder for me than for a pure climber. But I had time to play.'

Laurance let Arrieta take the lead on the final ramp towards the finish before overtaking him. 'I knew what I was capable of and gave everything. I knew that Arrieta was giving everything and when he accelerated, I immediately got cramp. I was scared for a moment, but fortunately he couldn't go any faster.'

In the end, Laurance came past the Spaniard from UAE with 200 metres to go. 'I am really very happy and feel good. I get better every year and am also getting better at longer efforts. Previously I could mainly win sprints, now I can also do it head over heels from a breakaway group.'

Arrieta knew that a long effort gave him the best chance of winning, but it proved too far. 'I knew that Axel was the big favourite. I gave everything, but I was on the limit. I knew he was faster and I can only congratulate him.'