Ineos Grenadiers have made their first signing of the 2025 transfer window, with French national road race champion Dorian Godon joining the British WorldTour squad for 2026.
The 29-year-old puncheur pens a three-year contract with Ineos, leaving Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale after a seven-year stint with the French team.
Godon will bring strength in depth to both Ineos Grenadiers' Classics and stage racing departments, having experienced success in both formats during his WorldTour career.
Having won Brabantse Pijl in 2023, he then starred at the Tour de Romandie a year later, claiming two stage wins across the six days.
With victories at the Giro del Veneto and two editions of Paris-Camembert also on his palmarès, Godon provides the Grenadiers with added versatility across the season.
In June this year, the Parisian native edged out both Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) and another Ineos transfer target in Kévin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Hotels) to claim the national title.
Commenting on the move in a team press release, Godon acknowledged what a three-year deal meant to him.
"Signing a multi-year deal is a real show of trust, which I value deeply. This feels like the start of an exciting new chapter in my career, and I’m ready to make the most of it," he said.
He went on to highlight Ineos' recent aggressive tactics, such as Thymen Arensman's stage-hunting heroics at the Tour de France, as a key reason for the move.
"I want to make the French champion’s jersey – and the moustache – shine. The past few months I’ve watched the team racing with strength and unity in the bunch, and that’s really inspired me. I can’t wait to be a part of that," Godon added.
Commenting on the team's first signing of the summer, the team's Performance Director Scott Drawer said: "Dorian is a smart, decisive winner with the robustness to shape hard races and the speed to finish them off. His ability to read chaotic finales, position efficiently and deliver, gives us excellent options across a wide variety of races."
The return of Dave Brailsford to a more central role within the British squad is rumoured to have delayed the announcement of any new signings so far in 2025, according to reports by Daniel Benson, with Vauquelin and, more recently, Derek Gee heavily rumoured to be joining the team following the termination of his Israel-Premier Tech contract, as they seek a fresh look in the Grand Tours.
Cyclingnews will cover all of the 2026 cycling transfers from around the men's and women's pelotons with news, analysis, and an updated transfer index, to make sure you don't miss a thing this transfer season.
