Rumors are circulating that Ineos and TotalEnergies are ready to celebrate a sporting marriage ahead of the 2026 cycling season. The official confirmation is still missing, but in recent days, the whispers have been becoming increasingly persistent. A hint of the two teams' intention to join forces would come from the first cycling market approaches: Team Ineos is reportedly courting Benoit Cosnefroy, from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team, and Kévin Vauquelin, from Arkéa - B&B Hotels. The two French riders, protagonists at the Grand Prix du Morbihan, are at the end of their contracts with their respective teams and, according to Belgian and French media, the British formation's attention to these two "blue" cyclists would not be casual but a precise signal for the future.

Suggestions or reality? It's still too early to tell. What is certain is that currently, the British team has only one French athlete under contract, the 24-year-old Axel Laurance, who crossed the English Channel at the beginning of 2025 and has a contract signed until the end of 2026. Have Cosnefroy and Vauquelin already asked him for advice?

Meanwhile, in France, questions are being raised about the future of the team managed by Jean-René Bernaudeau, which would lose its main sponsor in case of an agreement between Ineos and TotalEnergies. The energy giant has a sponsorship agreement with the Vendée team until the end of 2026 and, according to the website le10sport.com, would be ready to complete the agreement by supporting the team through one of its controlled companies.