Dutch wheel specialist Scope Cycling will become the official wheel partner of INEOS Grenadiers from 2026, as the British WorldTour team unveils a radically redesigned orange and white kit that has already split opinion.
Announced on 16 December, the three-year deal will see Scope supply all wheelsets for road and time trial racing from 2026 to 2028. The partnership is built around joint engineering rather than a simple supply contract, with shared wind tunnel testing and a clear objective: win the Tour de France and “the world’s biggest races”.
Scope, founded in the Netherlands in 2014, will put its flagship Artech wheels under the team, featuring Algorithm Enhanced Aerodynamics, textured “Aeroscales” rims and 3D printed hubs. Co‑founder Nieck Busser described the tie‑up as “the ideal foundation for rigorous testing, continuous improvement and a shared pursuit of excellence”.
INEOS Director of Performance Operations Carsten Jeppesen said Scope delivered “the best performance set-up available” after a detailed testing process, adding that the collaboration had already produced “extremely promising” wind tunnel results.
The move formalises something INEOS have long hinted at: a preference for performance‑driven equipment, even when that meant turning to non‑sponsor wheels from brands such as Princeton CarbonWorks at previous Tours. From 2026, the team will have a bespoke wheel partner aligned with its Pinarello frames, Shimano groupsets and Kask helmets.
White shorts, loud reactions
If the wheel deal fits the team’s marginal gains narrative, the new Gobik kit has prompted a more emotional response. The 2026 jersey features a vivid orange upper half fading into white, paired with bright white bib shorts and matching orange Kask helmets and Pinarello paintwork.
The design was, the team says, explicitly created to “stand out clearly and decisively”, and to accommodate key sponsor TotalEnergies, whose logo must sit on a white background (though, technically, the short colour is a light grey). No other WorldTour squad will look remotely similar in the bunch.
Reaction online has been fierce. Supporters of the look praise its boldness and visibility, arguing that pro teams should be instantly recognisable. Others have been scathing, suggesting the lower half of the jersey and the white shorts clash visually, and complaining that the team has created one of the “ugliest kits in cycling history”.
Traditionalists have also pointed to an unwritten rule that white shorts are for world champions only, while plenty of riders and fans have raised more earthy concerns about how white bibs will cope with rain, road grime and long days in the saddle.
Between a headline technical partner and a headline‑grabbing kit, INEOS Grenadiers have made it clear they intend to be noticed in 2026. The real judgement will arrive when those white shorts and Scope wheels hit the front of the biggest races.
Image credits: INEOS Grenadiers
