Geraint Thomas and rebranded Ineos face hard truths after Tour de France misery | Jeremy Whittle

The 2026 Tour de France campaign was marked by turmoil for Netcompany Ineos, the team formerly known as the Sir Lewis Hamilton-Backed Ineos squad. Multiple riders suffered from crashes, punctures, and injuries, resulting in a lackluster showing from the team.

Geraint Thomas, the team's director of racing and 2018 Tour winner, described the experience as "tough going." It was his first Tour campaign in the role, and he faced an uphill battle after the team's leader, Oscar Onley, was ruled out with an injury in June. Thomas was forced to rapidly realign the team's goals, but the Scot's arrival of a new co-sponsor, Netcompany, failed to bring the expected optimism.

Onley had been a crucial signing for the team, having finished fourth overall in 2025. His injury not only set the team back but also scuppered Thomas's original plans. The team's puncture issues and inability to compete with other top teams, such as Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and UAE Emirates, only added to their woes.

Despite the disappointments, Thomas was philosophical about the experience, acknowledging that learning from the team's mistakes and adapting to the evolving nature of the competition is necessary. Thomas' team was ultimately more focused on stage wins, but the likes of Tadej Pogacar dominated the general classification, making it an uncompetitive fight for third place.