'We're best friends but he's technically my boss' – Ben Swift backs Geraint Thomas to return Ineos Grenadiers to former glories

Now under Thomas' leadership, Swift is confident in his old mate delivering in his new job, and having been part of the group who started the season well in Australia – where Sam Watson and Sam Welsford netted two early WorldTour stage wins – it's all about maintaining that momentum.

"Obviously, we're really good mates, and it's quite funny me being in that position, where in one way, we're like best friends, and then on the other side, he's technically, my boss now – but I don't let him know that," jokes Swift, talking to Cyclingnews before stage 1 of the UAE Tour.

"But no, it's been really good. I think we've made a good start this season. We've come out aggressively, and we've won quite a few races. So we just want to build on that, build that momentum, and get back to our place where we used to be."

Having raced together as early as 2007 on Barloworld, Swift and Thomas spent almost their entire careers together, bar a few years where the former raced for Katusha and UAE Team Emirates. Through the good times and the bad, Swift knows perhaps better than anyone what Thomas can bring, and why he was the man Ineos opted for.

"What you've got to realise with G is he's so passionate about this team, he's seen the highest of highs on this team, and we've been together on the lowest of our years, when we've been on the lowest lows," added Swift.

"So he definitely knows what it takes, and he wants to see the team succeed, and he's going to invest everything that he can."

In terms of what he can bring outside of his wealth of experience as a former Tour de France winner and consistent performer at the highest level for over a decade, Swift believes Thomas' knowledge of today's ever-evolving peloton could be his greatest asset.

"I think he's just going to hold that perspective of what it's actually like in the current peloton. There are shifts throughout the years – we saw a big one after 2020 and then there's another one happening now, so he's really fresh and knows it," said the British veteran.

"He's also got the experience from the past, with what worked back then and what works now. He knows you've got to evolve with the times."

Ineos Grenadiers bounced back from their worst-ever year in the 2025 season, doubling their win tally compared to 2024 and restoring some of their previous Tour de France pride, with Thymen Arensman winning two of the hardest mountain stages.

Winning Grand Tours isn't going to be instant; even with Thomas' addition, they know that, but bringing in supreme young talents like Oscar Onley and Kévin Vauquelin is a solid start, and for Swift, it's all about continuing on their current trajectory and rebuilding back to their standards of old.

"It's funny, yes, we had a difficult year for our standards in 2024. It still wasn't terrible in the grand scheme of things, but what we hold ourselves to and our level that we operate at, it was a poor year," he said.

"So it's nice to have that behind us, and we will continue to build. I think the last two years, we've shown that upward trajectory, and hopefully it continues."

In his return, Thomas has also been working with Dave Brailsford again, since the former long-standing team manager returned to a public leadership role with the cycling team ahead of last year's Tour.

Sports director Imanol Erviti commended Brailsford in a recent interview with Marca, saying how "he has a massive influence on the team", which Swift concurred with, noting how cycling was always Brailsford's first love.

"Dave is definitely hands-on. He's part of the team again. He's back with us, and he wants to see the team succeed as well," Swift told Cyclingnews.

"You know, he's been away working on different sports, and he's still a part of different sports, but his passion is cycling, and he wants to be back here, and he wants to be with us, and he wants to succeed."