INEOS Grenadiers pulls Ben Turner out of the Renewi Tour to replace Hamilton in the Vuelta

“Egan Bernal will lead the team in the last Grand Tour of 2025,” INEOS was quick to announce. “Alongside Bernal, a versatile and strong team has been selected, including former road world champion Michal Kwiatkowski and time trial world champion Filippo Ganna,” the team announced its second and third riders.

The other selected riders indeed demonstrate versatility. “Bob Jungels, fresh from a stage win at the Tour of Austria, and Magnus Sheffield, a Paris-Nice stage winner, add substantial firepower to the line-up. Victor Langellotti, a recent stage winner at the Tour of Poland, makes his Grand Tour debut as a Grenadier,” the team announced.

Brandon Rivera and Lucas Hamilton complete the eight-man INEOS Grenadiers selection. “With nearly 54,000 metres of elevation gain across the race, Brandon Rivera and Lucas Hamilton - who both raced this year’s Giro d’Italia alongside Bernal - are set to play key roles in supporting him across the three weeks.” However, Hamilton might not be fit enough to start, so the day before the start, a replacement was called in: Ben Turner. The choice of Turner is unusual, as the Briton competed in the Renewi Tour on Wednesday and finished sixth in the first stage. The 26-year-old rider was already scheduled to withdraw from the third stage on Friday.

Bernal is thus facing his third Tour of Spain, in which he finished sixth on his debut in 2021. "I’m relishing the challenge of leading the INEOS Grenadiers at this year’s Vuelta. It’s a race that always delivers aggressive, unpredictable racing - which is what I enjoy. My preparation has been good, and with the team we’re bringing - a mix of Grand Tour winners, strong support and guys hungry to show themselves - we can be confident. Starting in Italy also gives me extra motivation after so many special moments racing there,“ said the Colombian.

Director Scott Drawer agrees. “La Vuelta always produces unpredictable, aggressive racing and this squad gives us a variety of options. Egan comes into the race as our leader, supported by a group that mixes climbing strength, time trial power and experience. It’s a team that can fight for opportunities and race in a style that’s been consistent with our approach at both the Giro and the Tour de France. We can’t wait to get racing."