The Vuelta a España was just about to get underway on Friday when it was officially confirmed that Ineos Grenadiers are set to lose two of their top riders in 2023, with Olympic champion Richard Carapaz heading for EF Education-EasyPost and Dylan Van Baarle moving on to Jumbo-Visma.
The exit of any major name inevitably leaves a vacuum to be filled, even more so when it’s a rider like Carapaz, who has already brought Ineos Grenadiers three Grand Tour podium finishes, or Van Baarle, who soloed to victory at Paris-Roubaix this spring.
The Ineos show goes on, with or without two of its main protagonists, but when it was pointed out to general manager Rod Ellingworth that these exits represented big losses for the team, he agreed fully: “They are.”
But Ellingworth also pointed out that other, younger Ineos Grenadiers riders are making big waves. “And Geraint Thomas is pretty young at heart too,” he joked.
“Richard has been fabulous for us, with three podiums at three Grand Tours and he’s Olympic champion, too, got a fantastic personality and always brings a lot of support from Ecuadorian fans,” Ellingworth told Cyclingnews.
“He’s got a nice story and we’ve enjoyed working with him, and I hope he goes away having learned a lot with the team.
“So he’s leaving it with the best will in the world on both sides. But it’s a business and we’re moving forward with the team. We’re still very ambitious and you’ve sometimes got to make way for different people.”
Ellingworth underlined that despite Carapaz’s desire to head for fresh fields and pastures new, the Ecuadorian had come to this Vuelta with “full GC ambitions and we’ll back him all the way. He’s an Ineos Grenadier right until December 31.” Van Baarle is part of Carapaz’s supporting cast at the Vuelta.
“It’s the same with Dylan,” Ellingworth said. “He’s been brilliant with us, and that win in Roubaix was phenomenal for us. But going where he’s going, I get it. It just makes sense.
“Given how passionate we felt about this team as a British team, I understand his transfer. And when you’re a Dutch team and you’ve built it like they have, then fair play to him.”
At the same time, Ellingworth pointed out, it was necessary to allow younger riders the space to develop in Ineos Grenadiers. “We’ve got plenty coming through,” he said. “Just these last few weeks, we’ve had Magnus [Sheffield] doing so well in Denmark, Pavel [Sivakov] in the Vuelta a…
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