New detail from camsmajaco co-manager Ian Mansell-Thomas reveals how the team's INEOS partnership will operate in practice, why it replaces earlier WorldTour links, and what it means for junior men’s and women’s development.
The announcement adds substance to an increasingly joined-up talent pathway being assembled by INEOS, stretching from junior racing through to their newly announced Racing Academy and beyond. For camsmajaco, the link represents both external validation and a pragmatic response to the realities of modern European junior racing.
Speaking to The British Continental, camsmajaco Team Principal Ian Mansell-Thomas – who runs the programme alongside co-principal Giles Pidcock – explained that the decision builds on Tofauti Everyone Active’s earlier WorldTour-aligned partnership with Team DSM-Firmenich (now Team Picnic-PostNL) but reflects the need for a more embedded and tangible level of support as European junior racing continues to intensify.
We felt that we needed a closer partnership that gave more tangible support for our riders, against a backdrop of European junior racing becoming ever higher level
“After a few years partnering with Team Picnic-PostNL, we felt that we needed a closer partnership that gave more tangible support for our riders, against a backdrop of European junior racing becoming ever higher level,” he said.
Max Hinds in 2025 (now an INEOS Racing Academy rider, then of Fensham Howes-MAS Design). Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
That support, Mansell-Thomas explained, will be wide-ranging: equipment provision, education, access to INEOS staff and riders, use of the team’s service course, and a degree of financial backing. Crucially, he was clear that the partnership has been structured to avoid reinforcing the gender imbalances that have often characterised elite development links.
“I’m really pleased to say that the INEOS support will be equally split between our junior men and women,” he said. “All our riders will be racing on INEOS-supplied bikes, benefitting from knowledge and insight from their staff, and so on. We wouldn’t have agreed to the partnership if that hadn’t been the case, and we’re proud to be the first female team that they have supported.”
We are talking to a number of Women’s WorldTour teams around providing female-specific education work where that is needed
That equality comes with caveats. With INEOS currently operating solely in men’s cycling, camsmajaco are already working to fill the gaps on the women’s side.
“There will be a few gaps, we realise,” Mansell-Thomas acknowledged. “So we are talking to a number of Women’s WorldTour teams around providing female-specific education work where that is needed. Those teams will also be able to offer training camp opportunities for some of our junior women, which INEOS obviously can’t just now.”
Tofauti Everyone Active in 2025. Image: Mathew Wells/SWpix.com
The clarity extends to progression. Mansell-Thomas was keen to dispel any notion that the partnership creates an exclusive funnel into the INEOS system.
There is no obligation for any of our riders to progress to the INEOS U23 or WorldTour set-up
“There is no obligation for any of our riders to progress to the INEOS U23 or WorldTour set-up,” he said. “Nor is there an obligation on INEOS’ side to take on our riders as they age out of junior. Being part of the INEOS development structure through their junior years should mean progression can be pretty seamless – but only if both the rider and INEOS management agree.”
That emphasis on choice and flexibility reflects the ethos that underpinned the camsmajaco merger itself: fewer silos, fewer forced decisions, and a greater focus on readiness rather than reputation.
Placed alongside the launch of the INEOS Grenadiers Racing Academy for 2026, the partnership places camsmajaco within a more clearly defined development structure that now spans junior, under-23 and elite levels. While progression remains non-obligatory, the link provides a degree of continuity that has often been lacking in British junior pathways.
The arrangement also reflects the increasing demands of international junior racing, where access to equipment, education and professional infrastructure has become more significant in determining competitive readiness. For camsmajaco, the partnership offers that support while retaining flexibility around rider progression and future options.
How the model operates in practice – particularly in relation to women’s development and transition beyond junior ranks – is likely to be watched closely over the coming seasons.
The British junior development landscape took a significant step forward yesterday with confirmation that INEOS Grenadiers have entered a formal partnership with camsmajaco, the newly formed junior outfit created for 2026 through the merger of Tofauti Everyone Active Majaco and Fensham Howes–MAS-CAMS.
The announcement adds substance to an increasingly joined-up talent pathway being assembled by INEOS, stretching from junior racing through to their newly announced Racing Academy and beyond. For camsmajaco, the link represents both external validation and a pragmatic response to the realities of modern European junior racing.
Speaking to The British Continental, camsmajaco Team Principal Ian Mansell-Thomas – who runs the programme alongside co-principal Giles Pidcock – explained that the decision builds on Tofauti Everyone Active’s earlier WorldTour-aligned partnership with Team DSM-Firmenich (now Team Picnic-PostNL) but reflects the need for a more embedded and tangible level of support as European junior racing continues to intensify.
“After a few years partnering with Team Picnic-PostNL, we felt that we needed a closer partnership that gave more tangible support for our riders, against a backdrop of European junior racing becoming ever higher level,” he said.
That support, Mansell-Thomas explained, will be wide-ranging: equipment provision, education, access to INEOS staff and riders, use of the team’s service course, and a degree of financial backing. Crucially, he was clear that the partnership has been structured to avoid reinforcing the gender imbalances that have often characterised elite development links.
“I’m really pleased to say that the INEOS support will be equally split between our junior men and women,” he said. “All our riders will be racing on INEOS-supplied bikes, benefitting from knowledge and insight from their staff, and so on. We wouldn’t have agreed to the partnership if that hadn’t been the case, and we’re proud to be the first female team that they have supported.”
That equality comes with caveats. With INEOS currently operating solely in men’s cycling, camsmajaco are already working to fill the gaps on the women’s side.
“There will be a few gaps, we realise,” Mansell-Thomas acknowledged. “So we are talking to a number of Women’s WorldTour teams around providing female-specific education work where that is needed. Those teams will also be able to offer training camp opportunities for some of our junior women, which INEOS obviously can’t just now.”
The clarity extends to progression. Mansell-Thomas was keen to dispel any notion that the partnership creates an exclusive funnel into the INEOS system.
“There is no obligation for any of our riders to progress to the INEOS U23 or WorldTour set-up,” he said. “Nor is there an obligation on INEOS’ side to take on our riders as they age out of junior. Being part of the INEOS development structure through their junior years should mean progression can be pretty seamless – but only if both the rider and INEOS management agree.”
That emphasis on choice and flexibility reflects the ethos that underpinned the camsmajaco merger itself: fewer silos, fewer forced decisions, and a greater focus on readiness rather than reputation.
Placed alongside the launch of the INEOS Grenadiers Racing Academy for 2026, the partnership places camsmajaco within a more clearly defined development structure that now spans junior, under-23 and elite levels. While progression remains non-obligatory, the link provides a degree of continuity that has often been lacking in British junior pathways.
The arrangement also reflects the increasing demands of international junior racing, where access to equipment, education and professional infrastructure has become more significant in determining competitive readiness. For camsmajaco, the partnership offers that support while retaining flexibility around rider progression and future options.
How the model operates in practice – particularly in relation to women’s development and transition beyond junior ranks – is likely to be watched closely over the coming seasons.
Featured image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
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