'I'd rather find the next superstar than spend a fortune to buy success' says Ineos Grenadiers' Jim Ratcliffe

As the owner of petrochemicals giant Ineos and its accompanying sports empire - which now includes both Manchester United and Ineos Grenadiers - Jim Ratcliffe is a man with the financial muscle to shape the elite level of sports over the next decade.

With great power comes great responsibility, as they say, but Ratcliffe remains keen not to spend his way to success. On the latest episode of the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club Podcast, the British billionaire was asked whether he would rather sign Kylian Mbappé for Manchester United or Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) for Ineos Grenadiers.

It was an easy answer for Arsenal fan Geraint Thomas - "I'd have Pogačar!" - but Ratcliffe's answer hinted at the strategy for Ineos Grenadiers as they look to plot their path back to Tour de France success.

"What I would rather do is find the next Mbappe, rather than spend a fortune just trying to buy success. It's not that clever is it, buying Mbappe? Anyone could figure that one out, but what is more challenging is to find the next Mbappe or the next [Jude] Bellingham or the next Roy Keane."

Football analogies notwithstanding, Ratcliffe's answer was intriguing as his UCI WorldTeam have notably missed out on signing cycling's superstars in recent years.

Back in their heyday as Team Sky, the British outfit poached Bradley Wiggins from Garmin-Slipstream, snatched Mikel Landa from Astana and lured Michał Kwiatkowski from Etixx-Quick Step. The team were undisputedly the strongest team in the world throughout the 2010s, but in recent years, the biggest stars have gone elsewhere.

UAE Team Emirates discovered Pogačar, Primož Roglič achieved enormous success for Jumbo-Visma before transferring to Bora-Hansgrohe, and Ineos Grenadiers have failed to pull off a coup for Soudal Quick-Step's Remco Evenepoel.

Read more: Patrick Lefevere: Jim Ratcliffe can’t buy the whole world

With Evenepoel holding a contract until 2026, Roglič now firmly under the guise of the Red Bull-owned Bora-Hansgrohe and Pogačar not leaving UAE Team Emirates anytime soon - not to mention Visma-Lease a Bike's commitment to Jonas Vingegaard - Ineos Grenadiers are without a rider who could line up at a Grand Tour as a favourite to win.

Ratcliffe's remarks on Mbappe hint at Ineos Grenadiers' strategy to reclaim the throne as the best team in the world. Their signings over the last two seasons have been lowkey but clearly targeted at a younger generation of riders, with the likes of Josh Tarling, Magnus Sheffield and AJ August all brought in.

Read more: Watches, crosswinds and puppy fat: Josh Tarling eyes Olympics track debut in 2024

Both Carlos Rodríguez and Tom Pidcock have also been invested in for the long-term, but the jury is out on whether either of the pair can ultimately deliver Tour de France success.

'I was close to re-breaking Chris Froome's leg'

From one superstar to another, Ratcliffe revealed that he suffered a crash whilst riding with Chris Froome a few years ago. Ratcliffe had been enjoying a ride with Froome on the island of Corsica as the four-time Tour de France winner was on the comeback trail from his life-threatening crash.

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"We were doing a road trip in Corsica and he said 'do you mind if I join you for the weekend?'"

"I was cycling along with Chris and I was on the inside and he was on the outside," recalled Ratcliffe. "But you guys cycle really close [together] don't you? We don't do that because we're not as skilful on a bike. His handlebars were only 6" from mine whereas normally it'd be a metre.

"He still had his broken leg, he was still only half recovered so his leg was a mess. He was cycling one-legged really, so I winced as I went past [some] shrubbery and then before I knew it, I was sailing over the handlebars."

Read more:

• ‘Geraint Thomas proves that age isn’t a factor,’ says a resilient Chris Froome
• Chris Froome avoids surgery after wrist fracture and is back on the bike

The 71-year-old remembers that coiled wire fencing had been hidden within the shrubbery, grabbing his bike horn and pulling the front wheel from underneath him. Ratcliffe luckily avoided any major injuries, but it was Froome's fragile welfare that was of the most concern.

"I just missed Chris' front wheel! It was entirely his fault," he joked, "but I was so close to re-breaking his leg."

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