Despite setbacks, INEOS is determined to perform well in the Tour: "The first week is important for Ganna"

The intended Tour core of INEOS Grenadiers did not have a smooth run-up. There was the crash of Geraint Thomas in the Tour de Suisse, in which the Welshman injured his knee. Thymen Arensman then fell ill after the Giro. Also, Filippo Ganna did not have a perfect run-up to the Baloise Belgium Tour, where he was beaten in the time trial by Soudal Quick-Step rider Ethan Hayter.

Carlos Rodriguez, the lead rider, is back in shape after being injured for much of the spring. The other riders tipped for a place in the Tour squad also seem to be getting fit just in time. However, there is still a question mark over Michal Kwiatkowski, who has not raced since Tirreno-Adriatico.

Arensman is training hard again in Andorra, while Thomas announced in his podcast that he is also ready for the Tour de France. De Plus already showed good things in his first training sessions after his withdrawal from the Tour de Suisse, including on the Madone in Monaco, so we can expect him to be back in action too.

In the run-up to the Tour de Suisse, De Plus was at altitude with the INEOS Tour team, where they completed more than 50,000 meters of elevation gain. “Everything went smoothly there, so that was perfect. However, it is not yet entirely clear who exactly will be going to the Tour.”

Although the general public may not have noticed it, De Plus is riding at an incredibly high level. In February, he finished third in the highly competitive Tour of the Algarve and sixth in the Tour of Catalonia. “If I can continue on this path, that would be great.”

This different approach to racing suited riders such as Arensman and Egan Bernal very well, and Magnus Sheffield also reaped the benefits this spring. “We have a lot more freedom from the team management, which makes racing fun. The fact that this also makes us more attractive is a bonus. But we didn't have much choice, of course. We don't have Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogacar or Jonas Vingegaard.”

The DNA of the team has changed from one year to the next. “We are reinventing ourselves, but to achieve success, we have to,” explains the Belgian, who wants to continue on the same path with his team in France. “For me, it will mainly be a matter of looking forward to that last week, but I want to support the lead riders as best I can. And the first week is obviously very important for Ganna.”