Gabriel Rasch will leave Ineos Grenadiers after a decade - first as a rider and then as a directeur sportif - amid reports of a management shake-up at the British squad.
The Norwegian, who joined the team as a rider in 2013 before retiring part-way through 2014, has spent the past eight and a half years behind the wheel as a directeur sportif. This season, however, will be his last, with a move to Uno-X, the Norwegian second-division outfit, announced on Monday.
"I am delighted for this opportunity to join the journey that Uno-X has started," Rasch said. "I have watched the team grow and admire how they work to develop young Norwegian and Danish talents. I can’t wait to be a part of this."
Uno-X have made great strides since rising from Continental level to ProTeam level in 2020, with invites to bigger and bigger races and an ambition to hit the WorldTour in the long-term future.
They have a focus on young Norwegian talent and have a 2023 roster that includes the 2021 Tour de l'Avenir winner Tobias Halland Johannesen and new veteran signing Alexander Kristoff.
Rasch's move was first mooted by Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws in a report on a management shake-up at Ineos Grenadiers.
Servais Knaven, the former Paris-Roubaix winner who has steered the team's Classics squad as well as being a regular at the Tour de France since 2011, was also said to be on his way out. The same was said to be the case for Australian director Brett Lancaster, who joined the staff in 2016, with former rider Ian Stannard said to be one of the replacements. He has worked as a directeur sportif with the Trinity Racing team since retiring at the end of 2020.
Ineos Grenadiers have yet to comment on any changes to their management staff.
The HLN report had also suggested that QuickStep-AlphaVinyl director Davide Bramati was on his way in to Ineos Grenadiers. However, the Italian has since dismissed any such move.
"You will have seen in the media that there are some rumours around my future," said the 54-year-old last week on Instagram, who rode for QuickStep team before joining the directing staff mid-way through 2006.
"I have known [team boss] Patrick Lefevere for a long time and he has backed me as both a rider and as a young sports director, and we have remained very loyal to each other for a long time. I am also part of the family that we call the Wolfpack. We have made so memories together, even more so in recent months, and I want to make many more with them.
"I am flattered that my name has been mentioned in these stories, but my heart is with Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, where I will stay, and I am looking forward to a successful future."
Ineos Grenadiers have Steve Cummings, who joined this year and instantly became their lead directeur sportif for the Tour de France, as well as fellow directors Matteo Tosatto, Dario Cioni, Christian Knees, Oli Cookson, and Xabier Zandio.
Roger Hammond is the team's Head of Racing, with the Performance group of staff including nine directeur sportif and ten other staff members.
