Team INEOS – Lessons from the Tour de France – Lessons for our Teams
Team INEOS (previously Team Sky) dominated the Tour de France from 2012-2019 by winning the general classification (racer with the fastest time over the 21 stage race) seven times over that span. Although cycling may look like an individual event, team tactics and team drafting play a huge role in the outcome of a stage race, especially so for a race 3329 kilometers long.
Here are the lessons that go hand in hand with building our teams at work:
- INEOS has a clear goal – win the Tour de France
- The support riders take pride in achieving the team goal – even when only one teammate stands on the podium
- The domestiques (support riders) are the real winners behind any team. They provide the horsepower, seat belts and defense in an unselfish manner. These teammates are the glue that hold many teams together.
- Four-time winner and the 2018 favorite, Chris Froome, relinquished his chance to win in the later stages and offered his full support to Geraint Thomas, helping him win the race. (That is not only superb teamwork – that is great leadership.)
- As if that wasn’t enough, 2018 winner Thomas relinquished his chance to win the 2019 Tour to Egan Bernal. Like Froome, Thomas gave his full support to Bernal in the later stages of the race. Bernal went on to win, making him the third INEOS rider in a row to win the Tour. (And Solidifying INEOS as the poster team for superb teamwork and great leadership.)
- They have a plan and execute it. It looks simple – stave off attacks from contenders and protect their leader, However, when its 167 opponents vs 9 teammates the coordination and communication it takes to successfully execute that plan is extraordinary.
- It helps to have money, and INEOS has that. But to their credit, it isn’t squandered. It is applied to equipment, research, training and diet that yields the best return. INEOS understands the ROI on where their capital is invested.
- They set out to improve everything they do by 1%, thoughtful about the many small improvements that add up to large gains.
- Team INEOS management has maintained team unity by keeping the cyclist’s egos in check, knowing each rider well enough to position them as an important part of the team’s success.
- Here is quote from Geraint Thomas that speaks volumes about team effectiveness, ‘We’ve just been open and honest with each other from the start.’ Thomas said. ‘I think that’s the main reason for our success so far at this Tour.’
- They leave no stone unturned. Diet, sleep, equipment, cycling position, aerodynamics, mindset are all aspects the managers take into account to put their team in the best position to win. What’s left is training, planning and execution.
- Be agile and prepared to refocus the team when it’s called for. In the 17thstage when Chris Froome cracked all of INEOS’ team support, including Froome, went behind Geraint Thomas. There was no hesitation, lost time, or disagreement – the team was prepared for the new orders.
Here are some apt quotes made by members of Team INEOS:
“The domestique’s lay the foundation for their leader’s and the team’s success”
“The domestique’s must have faith in the leader they are working for”
“The domestique personal satisfaction comes from doing their job well and meeting the team’s goals”
“The leader must appreciate the support the domestique has afforded them”
“Celebrate successes together” (even though only one rider wins a stage its clear from the team celebration after a stage win that all teammates feel they contributed.)
“Prepare for moments when you have to overcome what seems like insurmountable hurdles” (our training must accommodate a mental state that will overcome these barriers)
“Doing your homework and hard work prepares you mentally for victory”
“Don’t forgot about the Grupettos – the last group of riders who rode as support early in the race and must still finish the stage to stay in the race”
There is so much to learn on collaboration and teamwork from the above. We are excited to apply these concepts to the CFO.University team and our collaboration partners. Use this list wisely and make your team a champion.
Learn more about high performing teams from this piece by Contributor Andrew Jenkins, “High Performance Teams - fact or fantasy?”
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