Dave Brailsford has responded to reports that he may give up his role as team manager at Ineos Grenadiers by saying he has “no intention of stepping away from the team.”
A report on the Tuttobici website in Italy claimed that Brailsford would move across to take up a wider leadership role at Ineos Sports, with Rod Ellingworth taking the team manager’s role at Ineos Grenadiers.
However in an internal message sent to riders and staff, and seen by Cyclingnews, Brailsford described reports of a move away from the team as speculation, while not confirming he would stay on as team manager.
“I don’t make a habit of commenting on media speculation but contrary to reports in the Italian press overnight I just wanted to let you all know that I have no intention of stepping away from the Team,” Brailsford wrote in his message.
Ineos sponsors the men’s cycling team, the Mercedes Formula One team, the New Zealand All Blacks rugby teams, the British America’s Cup challenge and owns the Nice and Lausanne, football teams. Ineos Sports claims it brings together “some of the best minds in global sport to “unlock performance gains to support their ambitions on the road, the pitch, the track and the water.”
Brailsford, 57, has overcome prostate cancer and heart surgery in recent years and told the Guardian in July that he may step away from the stressful team management role if his health worsened.
While not ruling out a role at Ineos Sports in his message and not specifying if he will continue his constant presence at major races, Brailsford insisted he was motivated to be part of the Ineos sport family.
“We have a great squad for next season, genuinely building for the future and I am really looking forward to being at the heart of this next challenge,” Brailsford said in his message.
“Doing that as part of the INEOS sport family is more motivating than ever as we welcome new partners to join us in it.
“For me, there is genuinely no more exciting place to be in world sport right now.”
“Looking forward to the road Worlds this weekend and the next block of racing and aiming to finish as No1 in the World Tour!"
Brailsford is overseeing a generation change at Ineos Grenadiers, with Chris Froome moving to Israel Start-Up Nation for 2021 and Tom Pidcock and Ethan Hayter quickly showing their talents. Geraint Thomas’ role at the team is still unclear while new signings for 2022 include 20-year-old Briton Ben Tulett, 19-year-old American Magnus Sheffield, and 20-year-old Australian Luke Plapp.
