Ineos Grenadiers extend Science in Sport partnership until 2026

Ineos Grenadiers have extended their partnership with endurance nutrition providers Science in Sport (SiS) until 2026, taking their working relationship to 11 years, having first partnered in 2015.

Provider of products such as energy gels and recovery drinks, SiS are perhaps the most notable business in the industry and have long provided two nutritionists to work with Ineos Grenadiers (formerly Team Ineos and Team Sky) all year round.

Pointing to the introduction of various products that have been developed in tandem with Ineos Grenadiers over the past eight years, Stephen Moon, CEO of SiS PLC, spoke with delight at the partnership extension.

"I am delighted to see our partnership with the most successful team in World Tour cycling history renewed for another three years,” he commented. “The unparalleled Science in Sport model of embedding expertise in partner teams, together with the Ineos Grenadiers relentless drive to improve every detail of their performance, creates a perfect environment to deliver the best endurance nutrition products in the world.”

Rod Ellingworth, deputy team principal of Ineos Grenadiers, joined Moon in looking to the continued partnership with optimism.

“In Stephen, James [Morton] and the team at SiS we know the passion they have for our organisation and the level of care and attention to detail that goes into delivering the very best for our athletes. The SiS products are second to none, but it’s the pursuit of genuinely scientific, performance-focused solutions that really distinguishes this partnership - which we’re delighted to extend for another three seasons.”

Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images

As a nutritional partner for the team, Science in Sport will have been used practically every day by Ineos riders since 2015

In mentioning Professor James Morton, Ellingworth alluded to the former leader of Team Sky’s performance nutrition programme and the now-advisor for Ineos Grenadiers.

Morton, the leader of SiS’s in-house science team, was part of Sky’s backroom staff for the Tours de France victories in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

2018 was likely the high point of their relationship to date, with Chris Froome winning the Giro d’Italia in remarkable fashion and Geraint Thomas taking his first and only Grand Tour title so far at the Tour de France. The role of nutrition and SiS in particular was highlighted on stage 19 of the Giro, in which Froome rode 80km alone and relied on an intricate feeding strategy to see him ride into the maglia rosa.

The renewed partnership will also involve the running of a three-year PhD study at Liverpool John Moores University in the UK, where Morton is a professor of exercise metabolism.

Ineos Grenadiers state that the project “will be dedicated to research into the specific performance challenges of Ineos Grenadiers, including a variety of focuses distinct to the needs of endurance cyclists”.

Alongside the PhD study, SiS will continue to supply nutritional products to Ineos Grenadiers and be seen prominently in the peloton adorning the team’s water bottles.