Netcompany Ineos launches post-Tour analysis: no stage wins, but focus already on 2027

The 2026 Tour de France concluded on Sunday on the Champs-Élysées, but at Netcompany Ineos, the analysis of a race with less than stellar results immediately began. Leading the critical and constructive reflection is Geraint Thomas , Head of Racing for the British team, who hasn't wasted his time complaining and has already charted a course for the future.

The numbers speak for themselves and are merciless: the team finished 17th in the prize pool , taking home just €23,760 compared to Tadej Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates' €611,980. That's even less than the teams that won stages and ProTeam Pinarello-Q36.5. A figure that, in Fantacycling, tells us everything about the real contribution of the riders in the race.

The trouble began even before the start: Oscar Onley , the designated leader, had pulled out due to injury. Kévin Vauquelin had suffered health problems in June, while Josh Tarling had been racing against time to recover from a broken collarbone. In the race, Thymen Arensman was unable to repeat his stage wins from 2025, and Egan Bernal finished a disappointing twentieth in the general classification.

The Barcelona team time trial had given rise to hope: second place, just eight seconds behind Visma-Lease a Bike, despite the unfortunate outcome of Vauquelin's puncture. But from then on, it was a constant chase for missed opportunities, with crashes, punctures, and breakaways that remained empty of any concrete results.

Thomas didn't shy away from the analysis: "It was a tough race. We wanted to achieve something more," he admitted on the Champs-Élysées, the same place where he had raised his arms as the Tour winner in 2018. "The TTT started well, then a bit of bad luck complicated everything. The guys did what we wanted: they attacked, they rode aggressively, they tried everything possible. When you're aiming for stage wins, however, mountain stages, individual time trials, and sprints eliminate most of the opportunities. Only five stages ended in breakaways. We were always present, but the result didn't come. You can't really criticize their commitment."

Thomas, in any case, looks ahead with the clarity of someone who has won and lost many battles: "It hurts, but when you're suffering, that's when you really focus on improving. The season overall, up to this point, has definitely been a huge positive. This month has been tough, but we have to stay focused and keep pushing. You make a new plan, get back up, and go get it."

The big news, however, is already written on the calendar: the 2027 Tour de France will start in Great Britain , with stages in Edinburgh, Liverpool, and then Cardiff, Thomas's hometown. A historic opportunity for a British team that dominated the race for a decade between 2012 and 2019. "We're a British team, and we want to go there and perform, capitalize on this momentum. It's an extraordinary goal. I personally can't wait," said Thomas, his eyes already set on the future.

Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency