Geraint Thomas will line up for the final time at the Tour de France this summer, as Ineos Grenadiers confirm an experienced and well-rounded team built around Carlos Rodríguez for the general classification.
The 39-year-old Welshman will ride his 14th Tour, 17 years after making his debut in 2007. Now the oldest rider in the race, Thomas will take on a support role in his farewell appearance, having overcome a crash and injuries at the Tour de Suisse to make the start in Lille.
“It’ll be my 14th, which sounds mad,” Thomas said. “I never thought that when I first lined up back in 2007, I’d still be going. I’ve certainly had my ups and downs, but it’s an amazing race – the biggest and best in the world, and my favourite. It’s never straightforward, but my approach will be as it always is – to give everything out on the road for the team to be as successful as possible. We’ll all have important roles to play, and I will definitely be playing mine.”
Thomas added that he couldn’t wait to get into the spirit of what he called “a three-week all-inclusive bike holiday around France”, describing the Tour as a rollercoaster of an event.
At the head of the team, 24-year-old Carlos Rodríguez will lead the GC effort. The Spaniard has finished in the top ten of every Grand Tour he’s entered and comes into this year’s Tour with solid form following ninth at the Critérium du Dauphiné and sixth at the Tour de Romandie, despite breaking his collarbone at the UAE Tour earlier in the season.
Photo Credit: Getty“Carlos will be our leader, given his consistent climbing performances and his unwavering drive and resilience,” said performance director Dr Scott Drawer. “He has been focussed on building towards the Tour all year and he is coming into the race in good form.”
Rodríguez added, “Of course, it’s going to be a tough race against the best in the world, but we will be coming out fighting and aim to be right up there at the front.”
Alongside Rodríguez and Thomas, Ineos bring Filippo Ganna, Thymen Arensman, Tobias Foss, Axel Laurance, Connor Swift, and British champion Sam Watson. Ganna will play a key role on transitional terrain and in the team time trial, while Arensman and Foss provide mountain support. Swift and Watson offer protection across the flat and early rolling stages, with Laurance making his Tour debut as another attacking option.
Drawer said the selection reflects the team’s aim to race aggressively, pointing to their 2025 campaign so far. “As a team, we have been racing this season in the way we love – aggressively and with freedom and flair – and we are ready to bring more of the same to the biggest race of the year,” he said.
With their line-up now confirmed, Ineos Grenadiers complete the full list of 184 riders set to start the 2025 Tour de France.
Ineos Grenadiers 2025 Tour de France lineup
- Carlos Rodríguez
- Geraint Thomas
- Filippo Ganna
- Thymen Arensman
- Tobias Foss
- Axel Laurance
- Connor Swift
- Sam Watson
