With one bound, Sir Dave Brailsford is free. Confirmation that the team he has built over the last 10 years would continue has come early, as the petrochemical firm Ineos confirmed it will be Team Sky’s replacement name sponsor from early May. In December Brailsford seemed set for the biggest challenge of his 30 years in cycling: finding a new backer prepared to announce sponsorship in good time, and willing to finance the team to the level that had delivered six Tour de France wins with three different riders in seven attempts.
Getting this done early was critical to avoid pressure coming to bear on Sky’s marquee riders as their agents got the jitters. The level of finance mattered as well, because it was hard to imagine the attraction for Brailsford in putting a team on the road that would function at a lower level than Sky.
Written by William Fotheringham
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/mar/19/team-sky-ineos-mixed-emotions-peloton-cycling under the title “Team Sky’s Ineos deal will prompt mixed emotions in the peloton | William Fotheringham”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
