Matteo Tosatto: Leaving Ineos Grenadiers for Tudor was the best decision for me

Matteo Tosatto has confirmed that he will take up a sports director role at Tudor Pro Cycling next year, closing a six-year window at Ineos Grenadiers. The Italian has told GCN that he made the decision to move on for personal reasons and in order to seek out a new challenge in the sport.

“I decided to leave because it was the best decision for me. I have a new big opportunity now to go with Tudor and that’s the best for me at this particular moment,” the former pro rider told GCN in a call on Friday.

“I had a super time at Ineos for the last six years. Now it’s a bit of disappointment to be leaving but it’s the right time. I don’t know if the team is happy but like I said, it’s the best decision for me.”

Tosatto oversaw a number of high-profile victories within the British team but he highlighted Tao Geoghegan Hart’s surprise win at the 2020 Giro d’Italia as his fondest moment in team management.

“I have a lot of great memories from the team but the best for me was probably the 2020 Giro d’Italia that we won with Tao. That changed the mentality within the team. I decided the tactics in that race and I also really enjoyed the Strade Bianche win with Tom Pidcock, but my favourite memory was the Giro in 2020,” Tosatto said.

“It was special because we started as the big favourite for the race with Geraint Thomas but after he crashed we won the pink jersey, white jersey, team classification and several stages. We also saw the best version of Rohan Dennis that we’d seen for the last three or four years. It was the best moment.”

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Tossato is leaving Ineos Grenadiers after six years with the team

In the last few seasons Ineos Grenadiers have seen their stage-racing dominance eroded by the likes of UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-Visma. The British team has not won a Grand Tour since 2021 and they are on course to end the current campaign without an overall win in a WorldTour stage race. Tosatto pointed to a number of factors for the recent downturn but highlighted the crop of young riders coming through the ranks within the team as a reason for optimism.

“It’s a difficult question but Ineos is still a very strong team,” he said.

“If you look at the last three years, with Jumbo and UAE, these are the best three teams. For Ineos the Tour is super important, but with the crash for Egan Bernal we lost him, and it’s been difficult but they have still remained a very strong team.

"Many riders are leaving but they have a big sponsor, have good staff and will stay strong. More importantly they have looked to the future with a lot of super young riders who are strong. The next two years will see them take a lot of important victories. They have that quality.”

The move to Tudor in 2024 will see Tosatto link up with one of his former Fassa Bortolo teammates, Fabian Cancellara, who runs the second division team.

“I decided to go to Tudor because I spoke to them many times, and I spoke to Fabian Cancellara. They have had a big programme for many years and the big step in 2024 is to get into a big tour, maybe the Giro d’Italia. They’re ready for the first big Tour and they are waiting for a wildcard,” Tosatto said.

“There were many rumours after the Giro and Tour that I would leave the team and Rod called me and asked if they were true. I told him it wasn’t decided but it wasn’t just Tudor who were talking to me and I had two or three opportunities. But I waited until after the Tour de France and after August I decided, and I talked to Rod Ellingworth, made my decision and he didn’t ask me to stay because I had decided to leave.”

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