Ben Tulett joins Ineos Grenadiers exodus and moves to Grand Tour rivals Jumbo-Visma
'In my eyes, this is the top team in our sport' says British climber
Ben Tulett has become the latest stage racing talent to join the exodus from Ineos Grenadiers after agreeing to ride for Jumbo-Visma in 2024. The Briton has signed a two-year deal with his new team.
Ineos have already lost Tao Geoghegan Hart to Lidl-Trek, Pavel Sivakov to UAE Team Emirates and Dani Martínez to Bora-Hansgrohe since the transfer window opened on August 1. The British team have yet to announce any new signings for next season, though rumours persist about their interest in acquiring Remco Evenepoel's services. Geraint Thomas is also expected to extend his contract.
Jumbo-Visma confirmed the signing of Tulett a day after they announced that Michael Hessman had been provisionally suspended after returning a positive test for “a diuretic product” in an out-of-competition doping control in June.
Tulett has spent the past two seasons with Ineos after turning professional with Alpecin in 2020. The 21-year-old showcased his ability with overall victory at the Tour of Norway in May, having placed second at the Tour of Hungary earlier in the month.
He made his Grand Tour debut at the 2022 Giro d’Italia, helping Richard Carapaz to second overall, but he has not been selected for a three-week race this season.
“I want to develop as a stage race rider,” Tulett said in a statement released by Jumbo-Visma to announce his arrival.
“This team has won the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France this year. I want to learn from the experienced riders and specialists in the team who have contributed to this. It will be a thrilling voyage of discovery. I am grateful to the team for their confidence in me.”
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Tulett is the third rider to leave Ineos for Jumbo-Visma in as many seasons after Rohan Dennis and Dylan van Baarle signed for the Dutch squad.
“In my eyes, this is the top team in our sport,” Tulett said. “So I am very motivated to be a part of it. I can't wait for the first training camp and race.”
Although Tulett has shown promise across all terrains in his career to date, Jumbo-Visma sports director Merijn Zeeman pointed to his ability in the mountains.
“We believe in his talent as a climber,” Zeeman said. “He has shown that he has special qualities and a lot of talent. We will help Ben get to the top of the WorldTour in the coming years.”
Earlier this week, Jumbo-Visma announced the arrival of Matteo Jorgenson from Movistar.
Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.