Lorenzo Milesi ‘50/50’ to break his dsm-firmenich contract for Ineos Grenadiers transfer

British team looking for new talent as they build for the future

17:18, Tuesday 31st October 2023

Daniel Benson

Editor in Chief

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Lorenzo Milesi (dsm-firmenich) in the leader's jersey at the 2023 Vuelta a España

Ineos Grenadiers are ‘50/50’ to land 2023 under-23 world time trial champion Lorenzo Milesi despite the rider having a multi-year deal with his current team, dsm-firmenich.

Milesi, 21, turned professional at the start of the year having graduated from the dsm’s development programme. A notable time trialist, and a stage winner in the 2022 edition of the Tour de l'Avenir, Milesi burst into the mainstream with his time trial win at the Worlds in Glasgow, Scotland earlier this year.

He immediately followed up that win with a team time trial victory on the opening day of the Vuelta a España that propelled the rider into the leader’s red jersey.

According to sources, the Italian isn’t unhappy with his current team, but Ineos Grenadiers have been scouting for new talent and have identified Milesi as a rider they can develop substantially.

Milesi’s agent is Giuseppe Acquadro. One of the most powerful agents in the sport, Acquadro’s books include several Ineos Grenadiers riders, including Egan Bernal, Carlos Rodríguez, and Michal Kwiatkowski. The talks with Ineos Grenadiers have involved both Dave Brailsford and Rod Ellingworth.

“We are talking but it’s not done yet,” Acquadro told GCN.

“He’s happy with dsm but he’s also looking at other opportunities. The team is not closed to the idea of keeping riders with contracts, and they listen to riders. They are open to talking. It’s a good mentality for their team. I think it’s 50/50 and in two weeks we’ll know if it’s yes or not.”

Should Milesi move to Ineos Grenadiers, it would be on a substantially long contract of between three to five years. The British team have been relatively quiet in the transfer market this year having this week extended deals with a batch of existing veteran riders including Luke Rowe, Ben Swift and Laurens de Plus.

Geraint Thomas and Carlos Rodríguez both signed contract extensions, while AJ August has been signed from the junior ranks. The team had shown interest in a number of Grand Tour leaders, including Remco Evenepoel, Primoz Roglic, Tadej Pogacar and Juan Ayuso.

GCN approached Ineos Grenadiers regarding the future of Milesi, and were given a firm, but friendly, “no comment".