'Always a rollercoaster' – Geraint Thomas confirmed for final Tour de France with Ineos Grenadiers supporting leader Carlos Rodríguez
British team announce eight-man roster with an eye on stage wins and the general classification with leader Rodríguez

Ineos Grenadiers have confirmed their team for the 2025 Tour de France, with Carlos Rodríguez, Filippo Ganna and 2018 yellow jersey winner Geraint Thomas as the standout leaders, focused on stage wins and a strong general classification placing with the Spaniard.
As the oldest rider at the start, it will be 39-year-old Thomas' final Tour before he retires at the end of the season, having raced the French Grand Tour 13 times since his debut appearance in 2007.
There were fears Thomas wouldn't start after he crashed out of his last race at the Tour de Suisse, suffering injuries to his knee and hamstring, but even that wasn't enough to keep him out of one last lap around France with the team where he's spent 16 years of his career.
"It’ll be my 14th [Tour], which sounds mad, I never thought that when I first lined up for it 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," said Thomas in the team announcement.
"It’s never straightforward, but this year 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.
"I just can’t wait to get to Lille and into the spirit of what’s always a rollercoaster of an event. A three-week all-inclusive bike holiday around France, what’s not to like?!"
Team captain Thomas will be one of 24-year-old Rodríguez's key helpers in Ineos Grenadiers' GC challenge. The Spaniard finished fifth on his Tour debut in 2023 and seventh last season.
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Rodríguez has had mixed fortunes in 2025, suffering a collarbone break at the UAE Tour before finishing sixth at the Tour de Romandie and ninth at the recent Critérium du Dauphiné. But he has consistently stepped up at the Grand Tours, finishing in the top 10 of all four of his three-week race appearances.
"Carlos will be our leader, given his consistent climbing performances and his unwavering drive and resilience. He has been focussed on building towards the Tour all year and he is coming into the race in good form," said Performance Director, Dr. Scott Drawer.
“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," added Rodríguez.
Alongside Rodríguez, Thomas, and Ganna, Ineos' roster includes Thymen Arensman, Tobias Foss, Axel Laurance, Connor Swift, and newly-crowned British champion Sam Watson.
"Supporting Carlos is a group that have the experience to handle whatever the race throws at us," said Drawer. "Geraint, as a previous winner, with all his knowledge and his cool, calm head will be critical support to Carlos and the whole team, both on and off the bike.
"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."
As the last to announce their eight riders, the 184 starters for the 2025 Tour are now confirmed.
The Tour de France is the biggest race in cycling, and a Cyclingnews subscription offers you unlimited access to our unrivalled coverage. Get all the breaking news and analysis from our team on the ground in France, plus the latest pro tech, live race reports, and a daily subscriber-only newsletter with exclusive insight into the action. Find out more.

James Moultrie is a gold-standard NCTJ journalist who joined Cyclingnews as a News Writer in 2023 after originally contributing as a freelancer for eight months, during which time he also wrote for Eurosport, Rouleur and Cycling Weekly. Prior to joining the team he reported on races such as Paris-Roubaix and the Giro d’Italia Donne for Eurosport and has interviewed some of the sport’s top riders in Chloé Dygert, Lizzie Deignan and Wout van Aert. Outside of cycling, he spends the majority of his time watching other sports – rugby, football, cricket, and American Football to name a few.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.