INEOS Grenadiers‘ future seems brighter in 2026 then it did in previous years. Not only do the signings of Kévin Vauquelin and Oscar Onley carry the potential of taking the team back into contention in Grand Tours; but also the development of some of its own home-grown riders can bring the British team extensive success. There are very high hopes deposited on the shoulders of Ben Turner, as said by Geraint Thomas himself.Thomas is now in charge of the British team when it comes to racing tactics and communication, after decade and a half spent in the team as a rider. He continues to be very vocal and insightful, but despite his current busy position in the team, he has continued to host his own podcast with Luke Rowe where he provides insight into the team’s developments. Once such is the transformation of Ben Turner from a classics rider into a sprinter, and currently as one of the team’s absolute leaders.“I think this is the year Ben finally delivers on his spring potential,”
Thomas said in the Watts Occuring podcast. The 26-year old, signed in 2022, was initially a puncheur, and a rider that was looked at as someone who could be performing in the cobbled classics above all. In 2024 however he stabilized into a domestique role in the team, being its road captain at the Tour de France most notably, and it cast doubts over Turner’s potential in future years.
Last year however there was an apparent change in his training priority, whilst in competition the team began to support him as the team’s new sprinter. With the departure of Elia Viviani and the retirement of Caleb Ewan, the British team was left without apparent options. Turner stepped in, and adapted to the new role perfectly. At the Giro d’Italia he was third in a bunch sprint, but his breakthrough came in August as he won a stage at the Tour de Pologne, finished second in two others and won the points classification.
Turner winning at the 2025 Vuelta a España
From domestique to clear leader
This earned him a last-minute call-up to the Vuelta a España later on, as he was removed from the Renewi Tour only 24 hours prior to the start. This was a wise decision from the British team, who supported him into his first Grand Tour win on the stage 4 sprint into Voiron.
Turner gained pure sprinting power whilst holding on to his climbing ability, making him a dangerous sprinter for hilly days, with a team that often back up his individual ambitions.
That was as clear as day at the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana last week, where his worst result was an 11th spot on the opening day – ironically, the day where the finale saw a bunch sprint. Whilst the race’s time trial did not count towards the overall classification, he finished fourth on the day, and then confirmed that with an eighth spot in the race’s queen stage to Teulada.
By two seconds, the peloton failed to catch the breakaway on the final stage to Valencia, but Turner won the sprint behind the breakaway in a stage where there was difficult climbing and there were also crosswinds. Turner was a constant in the race, and going into Omloop het Nieuwsblad he is expected to be one of the big favourites.
“On the last day, when that Movistar guy won, ‘Big Ben’ sprinted so convincingly… after a hard day into a top-ten place,” Thomas pointed out. With Thomas putting his confidence in the Briton, the opportunities may keep on coming and into 2025, Turner’s position in the team may grow even further.