{"id":759377,"date":"2026-02-12T11:34:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T11:34:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/759377\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T11:34:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T11:34:13","slug":"dave-brailsford-has-a-huge-influence-in-this-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/759377\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cDave Brailsford has a huge influence in this team\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Brailsford\u2019s presence is not symbolic, nor nostalgic. It is structural.<\/p>\n

Leadership returning at the top<\/p>\n

Brailsford\u2019s renewed involvement at the back end of 2025 came at a moment when INEOS were reassessing not only results, but identity. The Tour de France ambitions remain intact, but the route back has been framed around leadership, standards and internal clarity rather than headline statements.<\/p>\n

Erviti is not the only one inside INEOS to have noticed the effect of Brailsford\u2019s return. Previously, development rider Davide Frigo spoke of the Brit\u2019s presence in similarly vivid terms<\/a>, describing how \u201cwhen he enters a room, you feel it\u201d, a reflection of the authority and direction now filtering through the organisation.<\/p>\n

From Erviti\u2019s position in the team car, that same effect is visible in more practical terms, shaping standards, expectations and the daily working environment without the need for constant intervention.<\/p>\n

Importantly, Erviti stressed that this has not meant tearing up the team\u2019s foundations. \u201cI believe the DNA is not lost,\u201d he explained. \u201cAt the same time, aspects can be modernised, and things can change. It\u2019s a constant process. We have to update ourselves and take a step forward in certain areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

That balance between continuity and evolution has become a defining feature of INEOS\u2019s reset.<\/p>\n

\"Sir<\/p>\n

Brailsford over an era of Grand Tour dominance for Team Sky\/INEOS Grenadiers<\/p>\n

A new layer of leadership behind the scenesAlongside Brailsford\u2019s return, INEOS have also undergone a quieter but equally important transition within the team car. Geraint Thomas<\/a>, who retired from racing at the end of 2025, has stepped into a new role as director of racing.<\/p>\n

Erviti\u2019s assessment of Thomas has been unambiguous. \u201cI\u2019m very happy with the work he\u2019s doing,\u201d he said. \u201cDespite how great he was as a rider, he\u2019s a very normal person who makes things easy. He\u2019s always attentive to the culture of the team and to tactical aspects.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a squad that lost senior road figures in recent seasons, Thomas\u2019s transition has added an important layer of lived experience back into decision-making. His understanding of race dynamics, pressure moments and leadership from within the bunch now feeds directly into strategy.<\/p>\n

Erviti was clear that this influence will not be immediate in headline results. \u201cHe\u2019s doing a good job that, little by little, will bear fruit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Stability during a period of change<\/p>\n

INEOS have reshaped their roster for 2026, bringing in younger riders with long-term potential while also accepting the departures of experienced figures such as Jonathan Castroviejo and Omar Fraile. Erviti described those exits as calm and player-led, underlining a sense of stability rather than upheaval.<\/p>\n

Within that context, the leadership structure now in place appears deliberate. Brailsford sets direction and standards. Thomas bridges the gap between rider experience and tactical execution. Directors like Erviti translate that vision day to day.<\/p>\n

Asked about objectives for the season, Erviti avoided specific targets. Instead, he framed success in terms of trajectory. \u201cThe desire is to grow, to progress and to feel that the project is moving in an upward direction,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s what motivates me the most.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is a telling answer. Not a promise of immediate dominance, but a clear articulation of purpose.<\/p>\n

As INEOS continue their attempt to rebuild towards the very top of the sport, voices from inside the team suggest that leadership, rather than signings alone, has become the cornerstone of that process.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Brailsford\u2019s presence is not symbolic, nor nostalgic. It is structural. Leadership returning at the top Brailsford\u2019s renewed…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":759378,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4104],"tags":[4230,11604,59413,221105,42457,79,16,15],"class_list":["post-759377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-cycling","tag-dave-brailsford","tag-geraint-thomas","tag-imanol-erviti","tag-ineos-grenadiers","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116057451059490051","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/759377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=759377"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/759377\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/759378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=759377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=759377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=759377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}