Imagine a sporting dynasty, built on ambition, cutting-edge technology, and a relentless pursuit of victory. That's INEOS Grenadiers, formerly known as Team Sky. But who are the absolute titans who've propelled this British World Tour squad to the pinnacle of cycling? Get ready to dive into a controversial ranking of their top 10 riders – a list that's sure to spark debate!
INEOS Grenadiers (formerly Sky ProCycling and Team Sky) isn't just a cycling team; it's a modern cycling institution. Since its inception in 2010, this British outfit has consistently boasted the sport's largest budget, attracting a constellation of stars: Tour de France champions, World Champions, Olympic heroes – you name it, they've likely had it. But with such a wealth of talent gracing their ranks, identifying the ten best riders in the team's history is a monumental task. This ranking considers not just individual victories but also the riders' overall contribution to the team's success. Let's begin!
10. Mark Cavendish
Okay, let's address the elephant in the room: Mark Cavendish might not have amassed the staggering UCI points of some others who could have been on this list. Nor does he hold the record for the most wins with the team. But hear me out! The "Manx Missile" spent only a single season with INEOS (in 2012), but it was a season of explosive impact. He racked up 15 victories, and these weren't just any wins! They included three stage wins at the Giro d'Italia and three at the Tour de France.
Think about it: that 2012 season was a crucial stepping stone in Cavendish's journey to breaking the all-time Tour de France stage win record. His time with Team Sky was instrumental in paving the way for that historic achievement. Beyond his own victories, he selflessly worked for the team's first yellow jersey in that year's Tour, and who can forget his iconic victory on the Champs-Élysées, expertly led out by Bradley Wiggins and Edvald Boasson Hagen? That's a moment etched in cycling history forever.
Including Cavendish on this list is arguably more fitting than some other deserving names, such as Tom Pidcock, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Richard Carapaz, Elia Viviani, Carlos Rodríguez, Ethan Hayter, Mikel Landa, Adam Yates, or former time trial World Champion Vasil Kiryienka. This just goes to show the sheer depth of talent that has passed through the team's ranks over the past decade and a half!
9. Sergio Henao
A loyal servant of the team from 2012 to 2018, Sergio Henao's value mirrored that of Wout Poels: his domestique work was among the very best of the era. As INEOS swept up Grand Tour victories, the Colombian was often in the thick of the action, providing crucial support for Chris Froome and other team leaders. His best Grand Tour result was a strong showing in his first attempt, the 2012 Giro d'Italia. After that, he became instrumental in two of Froome's Tour de France wins and his Giro triumph.
But Henao wasn't just a domestique. He also enjoyed periods of greater freedom and secured impressive victories in his own right during his time with Sky. This explosive climber won an edition of Paris-Nice, secured stage wins in several World Tour races, and finished on the podium of prestigious events like Flèche Wallonne and Itzulia Basque Country. Overall, he proved to be a consistent and high-quality asset to the team.
8. Wout Poels
From 2015 to 2019, Wout Poels was an undeniable force within the team. While he may lack a Grand Tour or World title to his name, his contributions are indelible. Poels was Chris Froome's trusted lieutenant, particularly in Grand Tours, where his climbing prowess and exceptional recovery abilities made him an invaluable asset in every three-week race.
Poels' individual palmarès includes a prestigious Liège-Bastogne-Liège victory, as well as stage wins in races like Tirreno-Adriatico, Paris-Nice, Volta a Catalunya, and others while riding for the team. However, it was the seven Grand Tours he contested for the team that truly defined his career. Poels was an integral part of six Grand Tour-winning teams, including Froome's second and third Tour de France victories, his second Vuelta a España, and his Giro d'Italia triumph. He also played a key role in supporting Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal in their respective Tour de France victories in 2018 and 2019. The only Grand Tour the team won without Poels on board was his final one: the 2019 Vuelta a España. His time with the team was truly memorable, and his climbing performances could have earned him podium finishes if he hadn't selflessly dedicated himself to supporting his teammates.
7. Filippo Ganna
Filippo Ganna has amassed an impressive 34 victories with INEOS, a feat surpassed only by Chris Froome in the team's history. And at his current trajectory, Ganna could very well surpass Froome's record in the coming years. The Italian joined the team in 2019 and immediately began making his mark. To date, he boasts two time trial world titles, two additional second-place finishes in the same event, an Olympic silver medal, countless national time trial titles, seven stage wins at the Giro d'Italia, and two at the Vuelta a España.
The list of Ganna's achievements goes on and on. He has consistently achieved success across various races, and at the age of 29, he has plenty of time to further extend his list of accomplishments. But Ganna's talent extends beyond time trials; he also excels in classics races, having secured a second-place finish at Milano-Sanremo, where he came close to ending the team's drought in Monument victories.
Beyond his individual triumphs, Ganna readily supports both GC leaders and sprinters and classics riders within the team. This versatility has made him an invaluable asset. Throughout his seven-year tenure with the team so far, he has willingly devoted considerable time to supporting more experienced riders who had established leading positions before him.
6. Egan Bernal
Egan Bernal's story is one of resilience and inspiration. Now 28 years old, he's still within the age range where he could reach his prime, but his performances already surpass even those from his most successful period. Bernal's career was profoundly affected by a devastating accident in 2022, where he suffered nearly two dozen fractures and narrowly avoided paralysis and even death. His presence in the peloton today is a testament to his determination. Bernal has remarkably won three races this year and remains competitive at the World Tour level.
However, Bernal's placement on this list is solely based on his accomplishments from 2018 to 2021. The Colombian was a brilliant investment, one the team could certainly benefit from again today. Joining the team in 2018, he initially served as a superb domestique for Geraint Thomas's 2018 Tour de France victory. He then seized the opportunity to win the 2019 edition in impressive fashion, becoming one of the youngest riders in modern cycling to win a three-week race and ushering in a new generation of young riders achieving world-class status at such a young age.
In 2021, Bernal added another Grand Tour to his name by winning the Giro d'Italia before his life-altering crash. In the intervening years, he secured overall victories at races such as Paris-Nice, Tour de Suisse, and Tour of California. Bernal has the potential to climb even higher on this list, but his accomplishments to date are more than sufficient to warrant his inclusion.
5. Richie Porte
Richie Porte's inclusion on this list, like Wout Poels and Sergio Henao, is attributed to his extensive domestique work combined with significant success when racing for himself. He joined the team in 2012, immediately becoming part of the Tour de France squad that secured its first yellow jersey, and remained with the team until 2015. Each year he raced the Tour de France, and each year the team won, he played a crucial role. In 2013 and 2015, he served as Chris Froome's most vital support rider in the mountains, logging countless kilometers climbing at a high level to support the team's ambitions.
While he achieved considerable success after leaving for BMC, his time with Team Sky saw him win a lot and big. He won Paris-Nice on two occasions, the Volta a Catalunya, Volta ao Algarve, and the Tour of the Alps. He also secured stage wins at the Tour Down Under, Itzulia Basque Country, and national championships, in addition to stages in all of the above (except Catalunya). Porte was simply a top rider who could often rival Froome if he wasn't working for him. This became evident after 2015 on several occasions, and the "King of Willunga's" stint with the British team has left a lasting impact.
4. Bradley Wiggins
While his relationship with the team may have soured after his departure in 2015, Bradley Wiggins's success and influence with Team Sky in the early 2010s are undeniable. To put it simply: Wiggins was the team's first Tour de France winner, and his victory in the 2012 edition marked the beginning of the "Sky Train" era, which dominated Grand Tour racing for an entire decade. Wiggins, signed when the team was founded in 2010, was their ambitious project.
Wiggins was already an excellent time trialist, but in 2011, the team focused on improving his climbing ability. This resulted in a formidable combination that, at the time, was unmatched in stage races. Wiggins won the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné and finished third at the Vuelta a España (officially, second place today, behind Chris Froome as both benefited from the disqualification of Juan José Cobo). In 2012, Wiggins dominated the competition, leveraging his abilities and a strong Team Sky squad to win the Volta ao Algarve, Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie, Critérium du Dauphiné, Tour de France, and the Olympic Games time trial race. This was one of the most successful years in modern professional cycling for any athlete. He also won the time trial world title in 2014 and achieved several other high-quality results throughout his career.
3. Geraint Thomas
Geraint Thomas is a legend in the sport. He is the only rider to have raced with the team from its inception to the present day. He may be retired now, but he has left an indelible mark, primarily through his victory at the 2018 Tour de France, a well-deserved triumph for a rider who had spent so many years as a domestique. He narrowly missed adding the 2023 Giro d'Italia title to his palmarès, but with 25 professional wins to his name, he has no reason to complain.
Thomas has secured numerous high-level wins, including GC triumphs at the Critérium du Dauphiné, Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie, Tour de Suisse, Volta ao Algarve, and Tour of the Alps. He excelled as a stage racer, time trialist, and even a classics rider for several years, winning the prestigious E3 Saxo Classic. Thomas's success is substantial, and he competed in 22 Grand Tours throughout his career.
His success is both individual and collective, as he supported the team in five other Tour de France victories. It took him over 10 years to finish in the Top 10 of a Grand Tour for the first time, and he immediately achieved it with a victory at the Tour. But his crucial domestique work from 2010 to 2025, a constant even when he wasn't at his peak, significantly elevates his position on this list.
2. Michał Kwiatkowski
Michał Kwiatkowski's tenure with INEOS Grenadiers has been one of the most successful in modern cycling history. Few riders have had such a positive influence within the team for so many reasons, including individual success, mentorship of young talent, and, above all, selfless domestique work. The Polish rider had already been a World Champion when he joined the team in 2016, but his work ethic never wavered. The 25-year-old played a vital role in the team's Tour de France dominance, assisting in the 2017-2019 victories for three different riders. Each time, he delivered world-class performances on climbs, hills, and flat terrain, establishing himself as one of the best domestiques in the world for many years, a reputation he maintains to this day.
Kwiatkowski's selflessness in Grand Tours is commendable, as he dedicated many years of his prime to supporting his leaders and contributing to collective success. Despite this, his palmarès is impressive, and he has amassed a remarkable number of top victories throughout his time with the team.
These include two stages at the Tour de France, Milano-Sanremo, Strade Bianche, Amstel Gold Race (twice), E3 Saxo Classic, Clásica San Sebastián, GC victories at Tirreno-Adriatico, Tour de Pologne, Volta ao Algarve, and several national titles. Kwiatkowski is arguably the most successful rider in modern history among those who have dedicated so much time to domestique work, striking a perfect balance between individual achievement and team support.
1. Chris Froome
The best of the best for the British team, the leader of the "Sky Train," and the 2010s' bogeyman for any rider aspiring to win the Tour de France. Froome is a four-time winner of the Tour, a two-time winner of the Vuelta a España, and a one-time winner of the Giro d'Italia (the 2018 edition, his last victory). Froome needs no introduction; he has defined an entire generation of cycling.
His extensive success during his time with the British team, from 2010 to 2020, will forever be remembered, characterized by both the quantity and quality of his achievements, which few others can match. He also boasts three GC wins at the Critérium du Dauphiné, two at the Tour de Romandie, and even in non-World Tour events, he engaged in memorable battles, such as the 2015 Vuelta a Andalucía against Alberto Contador.
Froome was the face of many rivalries, most notably against Nairo Quintana, but also against Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali, Romain Bardet, and several others. Froome's name is etched in the history books, and he is undoubtedly INEOS Grenadiers' greatest rider ever.
So, there you have it – our controversial ranking of INEOS Grenadiers' top 10 riders! Do you agree with our choices? Are there any riders you think we've overlooked? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! We're eager to hear your perspectives and engage in a lively discussion about the legends who have shaped this iconic cycling team. Who do you think deserves a spot on this list?
