INEOS Grenadiers announce Vuelta team

Who are the INEOS Grenadiers racing the Vuelta a España? 

After an emphatic win earlier this year at the Giro d’Italia, the Colombian will be back racing with INEOS Grenadiers with his eyes set on the top step of another Grand Tour podium. Having spent time back at home in Colombia training at altitude, Bernal is back and ready to light up the race alongside his teammates as one of the race favourites.  

What a year it has been for this racer! After making history at the Tour de France, being the first Ecuadorian to take a podium spot with his third place, he then went to Tokyo and won Olympic Gold in the road race, writing yet more history for his beloved nation. The newly-crowned Olympic champion will come to the Vuelta a España with his attacking style, doing his best to make the race as tough as possible for his opponents. 

In Tokyo he helped play a part in supporting his compatriot to take gold at the Olympic Games, now Narváez will be racing his second Grand Tour of the season, after being a strong support rider and helping Bernal take the win at this year’s Giro d’Italia. His climbing strength will be depended upon by the team leaders when the road starts to tilt upwards in the mountains.   

In his first season at WorldTour level Pidcock has made his mark, having already racked up podium places in the Classics at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Amstel Gold race and De Brabantse Pijl, the latter his first professional road race win. And off road he has achieved even more this year, taking the win at the MTB World Cup in Nové Město, before flying to Japan and winning an incredible Gold in the Olympic mountain bike race. Now the all-terrain rider will test himself across three weeks for the first time in his career.

‘Salva’ as he’s known amongst his teammates, is one of the most trusted domestiques at the team and was another key contributor to Bernal’s success at the Giro this year. About to embark on his 15th Grand Tour, all of which have been with this team, this will be his seventh Vuelta a España, where he will provide unwavering support for his team leaders and help captain the team on the road. 

After taking fourth in the general classification at Vuelta a Burgos this last week, Sivakov is looking to be in good form for supporting the team leaders ahead of the Vuelta. This will be his fifth Grand Tour, and after experiencing some bad luck at the Giro d’Italia this year, Sivakov is highly motivated to be lining up for his second time at the Spanish Grand Tour.

Van Baarle has shown his diversity in strength this year, from a 50km long-range attack to take the win at Dwars Door Vlaanderen, to guiding the Tour de France team across all types of stages. At the recent Olympic Games, he was there helping light up the race in the final kilometres in support of his Dutch team leader, eventually finishing an impressive 15th in his own right. Dylan is as dependable as they come.

Yates hit the ground running as a Grenadier and has enjoyed an excellent debut year with the team, winning the Volta a Catalunya, taking second at the UAE Tour and fourth at Itzulia Basque Country. He comes into the Vuelta as one of the favourites, and having raced nine Grand Tours during his career, he’s primed to take on the challenge of the next three weeks.