Young British hopefuls may need to look beyond Ineos
The rise of Bernal means the next generation could be better off with other teams, writes Tom Cary
Egan Bernal’s Tour de France coronation in Paris today will mean Team Ineos have won seven of the past eight editions of cycling’s biggest race. But it will be a first for them in one sense; their first with a non-British rider.
Given the Colombian’s age, and the team’s recent recruitment policy, it is unlikely to be their last.
Chris Froome, of course, may be back next year. And if he is, the seven-time grand tour champion will be gunning for a record-equalling fifth maillot jaune. You write him off at your peril. But Froome will be 35 by then. Even assuming he makes a full recovery from his crash last month, the odds are stacked against him winning another Tour. Only Firmin
Lambot (36 years and 130 days) has ever won the Tour aged 35 or older. And that was back in 1922.
Geraint Thomas? Same thing. He will be 34. Only four riders have won the Tour aged 34 or over, and three of them were before 1948. The Welshman may well decide to target the Giro d’Italia or a Vuelta a Espana next year, rather than take on a 23-year-old Colombian who will be riding with the No1 on his back. Bernal could dominate this race for years. And with 21-year-old compatriot Ivan Sosa already on the Team Ineos books, and Giro d’Italia champion Richard Carapaz, an Ecuadorean, set to join, there could be quite a Latin American flavour to the team’s future squads.
So where is the next British winner going to come from? Ironically, Ineos may not be the most likely source. While the team remain British, there is a sense that they are going for more of an international flavour. But they have some excellent young British riders. Tao Geoghegan Hart recently enjoyed co-leadership at the Giro. The 24-year-old could develop into a future grand tour winner. But the competition for leadership for that Tour team is fierce, and Bernal is not going anywhere. It may be that British fans need to look further afield. Simon Yates, who rides for Australian team Mitchelton-Scott, has already shown he has what it takes to win a grand tour. After going close to winning last year’s Giro, he bounced back with a comprehensive victory at the Vuelta a Espana. He was riding in support of twin brother Adam at this year’s Tour, and again caught the eye. After the latter’s challenge for yellow tailed off, he bagged two stage wins. He looks as if he could win this race one day. Adam Yates, meanwhile, has finished fourth in the past, although this was another disappointing Tour for him. Then there is Bahrain-Merida. The team are now co-owned by McLaren Applied Technologies, so it is not hard to imagine that as the British company’s involvement grows, so too does the team’s British quotient. Already they have Welsh youngster Stevie Williams, who had a stellar under-23 record, on their books.
Further down the ranks, there is Tom Pidcock, a 19-year-old sensation who rides for Team Wiggins Le Col and looks as if he could turn his hand to anything. Crucially, perhaps, Pidcock has that cyclo-cross hinterland that all up-and-coming road stars now seem to have.
Ethan Hayter is another British youngster making waves. The 20-yearold is focused on the track at Tokyo 2020 where he wants to “treble up” in the team pursuit, omnium and Madison. But he has road ambitions.
There is talent coming through. But the truth is British fans have become spoilt by success. Winning the Tour is a lot harder than it has been made to look. After six British wins in seven years, it could be a while before we see another.