Ineos Grenadiers look to the future with new devo team

On Monday, British team Ineos Grenadiers announced a new partnership with German Continental team Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank, set to begin in 2025. The collaboration is an addition to the team’s existing “Ascent” development programme. That programme has already helped emerging riders like Josh Tarling, AJ August, and Canada’s Michael Leonard. Leonard signed with Ineos in 2022.

The goal of the new partnership is to offer more structured support to young riders preparing for the demands of WorldTour racing.

Racing with Lotto Kern-Haus but coached by Ineos

As part of the partnership, key riders will be selected to race with Lotto Kern-Haus. Those cyclists will also receive coaching and guidance from Ineos Grenadiers staff. The aim is to provide an environment where young riders can gain the experience needed to make the jump up to the big leagues: the WorldTour. This is similar to how loan systems operate in pro soccer.

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Scott Drawer, performance director at Ineos Grenadiers, spoke about the potential of the partnership.

“Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank provides a competitive environment that will give our youngest riders valuable racing experience,” he said. “We see this as a ‘finishing school’ for young talent before they move up to the WorldTour.”

Preparing them for bigger things

Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank’s head of sport, Torsten Schmidt, said it will be helpful for young riders. “It’s always rewarding to help riders in the early stages of their careers,” he said. “We’ve been pleased with the trust and shared goals in our partnership so far.”

For Lotto Kern-Haus PSD Bank boss Florian Monreal, the collaboration with a WorldTour team like Ineos Grenadiers is a significant step forward for the team. “It’s an important recognition of the work we’ve been doing over the years,” Monreal said. “It’s rewarding to see the riders we work with move up to the WorldTour after their time with us.”