TotalEnergies logo to appear on Ineos Grenadiers jersey for Tour de France in workaround of UCI title sponsor rules

The TotalEnergies logo will appear on the Ineos Grenadiers team jersey for the 2025 Tour de France as part of a sponsorship deal that will boost the British team's budget for 2025 and beyond after a solution was found to workaround the UCI sponsorship rules.

Cyclingnews has been told that the new jersey could be revealed on Tuesday July 1 as the team travels to Lille for the Grand Depart of the Tour de France.

L'Équipe splashed the news on Thursday morning after months of reports and rumours that Ineos and TotalEnergies were working on a deal. The French newspaper also reported that TotalEnergies will become the official 'energy' partner of the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes until 2028, as they invest significantly in professional cycling. TotalEnergies confirmed that agreement and said they would be part of the Tour publicity caravans.

A TotalEnergies merger with Ineos was never likely and Cyclingnews understands the Ineos set-up will remain as a British-registered team for financial and contract reasons.

UCI rules do not allow teams with the same main partner or title sponsor to compete in the same race, so TotalEnergies would not be allowed to become an official title sponsors or part of the official Ineos team name.

However they can become a simple, if big budget, jersey sponsor at Ineos as announced. For example, Red Bull appears on the arms of the Tudor Pro Cycling team jersey and also appear on different riders' helmets as well as being the title sponsor of the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team.

TotalEnergies confirmed the Ineos deal, Tour sponsorship and that they would continue their sponsorship of the TotalEnergies French ProTeam managed by Jean-René Bernaudeau until at least the end of 2026.

"As has been the case since 2016, we will be supportingJean-René Bernaudeau's team, to whom we have already confirmed our support for 2026 and our intention of opening up discussions for 2027, once the Tour de France is over," President-Director General of Total Energies Patrick Pouyanné said.

In the same statement, TotalEnergies explained the commercial sponsorship deal with Ineos, highlighting how internal regulations and UCI control would avoid any cross team influence or interference.

"Furthermore, given the strong industrial relationship between Ineos and TotalEnergies on an international level, particularly with regard to the petrochemical Amiral project in Saudi Arabia, we are making official our sponsoring of the maillot with Ineos Grenadiers from the Tour de France 2025 onwards," TotalEnergies said.

"TotalEnergies confirms that the agreements with the two teams are strictly commercial and exclude any influence or interference in terms of sporting relations or race strategies.

"The team will have internal regulations guaranteeing this separation, as well as the full and entire independence of both teams, overseen by the UCI and respecting its rules."

Escape Collective's Chris Marshall Bell first reported in March that TotalEnergies could come on board as a sponsor and in May The Times claimed that "a merger is nearing completion."

Ineos has recently boosted its backroom staff with a French-speaking partnerships manager, a number of French riders have also been linked to the team for 2026 but rider recruitment appears to be on hold until after July 1, when team management and rider agents will arrive at the Tour de France Grand Depart. The TotalEnergies sponsorship could give Ineos more funds to spend for their 2026 roster.

Remco Evenepoel has been linked to a high-profile transfer to Ineos Grenadiers for 2026, perhaps indicating the team's intentions to step up their Tour de France ambitions thanks to new sponsorship from TotalEnergies. Ineos is investing £2.5 billion in a new chemicals plant near Antwerp and employs 3150 staff across 12 R&D and production sites.

Ineos Grenadiers hired a sports marketing agency to hunt for a major sponsor that could contribute around £20 million in funding to ensure the team has a budget that can compete with UAE Team Emirates, Lild-Trek, and other super teams.

"It's fair to say that Ineos don't want to spend more money," team manager John Allert admitted in January when asked by Cyclingnews.

"They very clearly do want us to be a super team and they know what it takes to be a super team. I'm not going to put a number on that, but it's a number that's greater than what we're currently spending."

A sponsor since 2016, TotalEnergies had a notably successful 2024 Tour de France, claiming a stage win with Anthony Turgis on the gravel stage to Troyes. Turgis beat Ineos Grenadiers' Tom Pidcock in the sprint.

The Ineos Grenadiers' Tour team is expected to include Carlos Rodríguez as their GC leader, while Filippo Ganna expected to shine in the time trials. 2018 Tour winner Geraint Thomas is expected to be part of the eight-rider squad before retirement in the autumn and a management role at the team.

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