Netcompany INEOS have signed Clément Champoussin on a three-year deal from the start of the 2027 season, adding another proven climber and hilly-race specialist to a roster that is changing significantly for next year.
The Frenchman will join from XDS Astana Team and is contracted through the end of 2029. Netcompany INEOS confirmed the move in their announcement, making Champoussin the latest addition after moves for riders including Harold Tejada and Markel Beloki.
Champoussin brings a different profile to both of those signings. He has produced his best results on steep, selective one-day courses and in week-long stage races, with enough finishing speed to convert from reduced groups when the terrain has already thinned the field.
Champoussin arrives after another strong stage-racing season
The 28-year-old has spent the past two seasons with XDS Astana after moving across from Arkéa at the end of 2024. His 2026 campaign included fifth overall at Itzulia Basque Country, where he also finished inside the top 10 on two stages, and fifth overall at the Tour de la Provence.
He was eighth at the Gran Premio Miguel Indurain, 14th at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and 16th at La Flèche Wallonne during the spring. At the Tour de Romandie he finished fourth on stage two and eighth on stage three, showing the same ability to stay competitive when races become selective without being reduced to pure climbing contests.
A rider with proven wins on hard terrain
Champoussin’s biggest victory remains stage 20 of the 2021 Vuelta a España. He had been part of the day’s break before surviving the reshuffling of the race and attacking late to beat Primož Roglič and Adam Yates on the climb to Castro de Herville.
He added another notable win at the 2024 Giro della Toscana, beating Michael Storer after the race had been shaped by the Monte Serra climb. He also won the final stage of the 2023 Arctic Race of Norway and finished second overall at the same race a year later.
Those results explain where he fits within the Netcompany INEOS squad. Champoussin is not being signed as a pure Grand Tour leader, but he gives the team another rider capable of finishing strongly in hilly WorldTour races, supporting GC leaders and taking his own opportunities on days where the race breaks apart.
Netcompany INEOS continue to reshape the 2027 roster
The signing continues an active transfer period for Netcompany INEOS. The team have already confirmed Tejada and Beloki for 2027 as they add climbing depth and younger stage-race options around an existing group that includes Oscar Onley, Kévin Vauquelin, Egan Bernal and Thymen Arensman.
Champoussin gives them experience without removing flexibility. He has started seven Grand Tours, including three editions of the Tour de France and three Vueltas, while his strongest GC results have generally come over one week rather than three.
The three-year deal gives Netcompany INEOS another experienced option for hilly stage races and one-day events. Champoussin can support the team’s GC leaders while still taking opportunities of his own when the terrain suits.
His 2026 results also suggest there is still room for him to take significant opportunities of his own. Fifth at Itzulia and repeated top-20 finishes in the Ardennes show that he remains competitive at WorldTour level, particularly on courses where positioning, repeated climbing and a fast finish all matter.
