Tao Geoghegan Talks Coffee & Cycling

Tao Geoghegan Hart is a professional cyclist, riding for INEOS Grenadiers.

Tao grew up in Hackney, London and has been a keen sportsman since a young age. His love of cycling began after his father bought him his first road bike, aged 13. He completed the legendary Dunwich Dynamo night-ride that same year, covering the 112 from Hackney’s London Fields to Dunwich Beach in Suffolk.

Since turning professional he has ridden several grand tours. His biggest success to date came in 2020 when he won the Giro D’Italia, winning 2 stages along the way too. Tao Geoghegan has been riding for INEOS Grenadiers since 2017.

Like the rest of us, Tao also enjoys a good cup of coffee. How could he not growing up in Hackney surrounded by incredible coffee shops? We caught up with him to find out what his favourite brew is, as well as where he would take the new INEOS Grenadier or a getaway.

Not to be confused with a road-going SUV, the INEOS Grenadier, the namesake of Tao’s cycling team, is a serious 4X4. Equally at home off-road and on it. The hotly anticipated 4x4 is now available to reserve.

Sign up and reserve your Grenadier >

Explore INEOS Grenadier Official Café Stops >

Judging by the Best Coffee App – East London’s the UK capital of speciality coffee – where is your go-to place?

Pophams in London Fields, Allpress in Dalston. Casey’s in Clapton & Esters in Stokey.

How about when you are overseas – do you have any favourite haunts in Andorra or elsewhere?

Nordest in Puigcerda

How heavily does coffee feature in your life? Does it dominate or are you partial to a cup of tea too?

I drink a lot of coffee and some builders’ tea too. In the evening I like herbal tea & fresh mint

Other than cycling what other sports do you enjoy?

Football. A little f1. Running.

Would you rather win another Grand Tour or have Arsenal win the Premier League?

A Grand tour

The team’s namesake is, of course, the INEOS Grenadier which has been with you on some of the races. What are your thoughts of it?

It’s a lovely car and we are all excited to see the final production model. It’s been great seeing the different test iterations through the last year and also seeing the places the team manage to park and take the Grenadier on-race….

If you could throw the bike on the back of the INEOS Grenadier and take it anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I recently did a three-week road trip with a friend to the alps and then Tuscany, Leguria and the Cote D’Azur. That was a lot of fun. I love travelling anywhere good to ride my bike and train, and eat and live well. I think next up would be a Pyrenees trip from Andorra, to San Sebastián and then along to Asturias and Cantabria.

Who is the biggest coffee enthusiast in the team would you say?

Probably Kwiato, or myself.

Quick fire questions

• Espresso or filter?
  Both.
• Milk or black?
  Both.
• Sugar or no sugar?
  Never sugar.
• Instant or freshly ground?
  Never instant.

Biggest change in cycling since you’ve been a pro?

Aerodynamics and equipment.

Hardest climb you’ve ever ridden?

Empire Grade in Park City Utah is up there.

Inner tubes, tubeless or tubs?

Tubs.

Favourite snack to find in a musette?

Crostata.

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Read and watch more interviews in our Coffee & Cycling blog, sponsored by INEOS Grenadier.