Ineos Grenadiers have confirmed three important modifications of their administration construction for the 2024 season following the departure of workforce supervisor Principal Rod Ellingworth and former sports activities director co-ordinator Roger Hammond.
Steve Cummings has been named as the brand new director of racing, Scott Drawer is the workforce’s new efficiency director and John Allert steps up from managing director to CEO of the British WorldTour workforce. Former Movistar rider Imanol Erviti has additionally joined the workforce as a directeur sportif.
Drawer labored as Head of the Efficiency Hub at Sky and Ineos Grenadiers between 2016 and 2018 and has 25 years of expertise in excessive efficiency sport.
He joins Ineos from the Millfield personal faculty the place he was director of sport and is more likely to deal with discovering and managing the marginal beneficial properties that when helped the workforce dominate in Grand Excursions.
Cummings lead Ineos Grenadiers from the workforce automotive as directeur sportif in 2021 and 2022 however will now have a extra strategic function.
Allert was the one remaining senior supervisor concerned totally with the workforce after the lack of Ellingworth and Dave Brailsford’s transfer to handle the totally different sporting actions at Ineos, together with the anticipated funding in Manchester United soccer membership.
Ineos Grenadiers are at present holding a coaching camp in Mallorca, Spain, the place they introduced the modifications.
As Head of Analysis and Innovation at UK Sport, Drawer was reportedly concerned in a secret ketones trial for the 2012 London Olympic Video games, which concerned varied cyclists. He has additionally labored for England Rugby, in addition to time with Workforce GB, the place he led analysis and innovation throughout 5 Olympic cycles.
“When the chance got here to return to this workforce, I jumped on the likelihood,” he mentioned.
“The Ineos Grenadiers are coming into an thrilling part, they’ve some huge targets for the longer term and I can’t wait to be part of it. It is a performance-led workforce with innovation at its coronary heart, and I’m trying ahead to working with a gaggle that’s so centered on excellence and competing to win.”
Cummings was clear concerning the workforce targets.
“We’re completely focussed on getting again to the highest step of the rostrum,” the previous Tour de France stage winner mentioned.
“We’ve a formidable depth of expertise mixed with an thrilling mixture of younger proficient riders on this workforce, all complemented by a world class group of workers. We’ll give completely every little thing to realize our targets and I can’t wait to begin the brand new season.”
As CEO, Allert could have duty for the day-to-day operating of Ineos Grenadiers, reporting to Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc at Ineos Sport.
“This workforce has created an unbelievable and profitable legacy, however our ambitions for the longer term are higher than ever. The strengthening of our efficiency workforce is completely aligned with these ambitions,” he mentioned.
The overhaul of Ineos senior administration comes within the wake of the affirmation of the departure of Ellingworth in mid-November.
The 51-year-old Englishman was a part of the workforce since its inception as Workforce Sky in 2009 after working with Brailsford at British Biking. Pressure between Brailsford and Ellingworth reportedly arose in the course of the summer season as Ineos Grenadiers tried to signal Remco Evenepoel after once more struggling to be aggressive on the Tour de France.
Evenepoel finally opted to stick with Soudal-QuickStep for 2024 after the failed merger with Jumbo-Visma and Ineos Grenadiers confirmed Geraint Thomas, Carlos Rodriguez and Tom Pidcock as workforce leaders, whereas quite a lot of proficient riders, together with Tao Geoghegan Hart, Ben Tulett, Pavel Sivakov and Luke Plapp moved to rival groups.
The British WorldTour workforce have gained seven editions of the Tour de France, in addition to the Giro d’Italia on three events and the Vuelta a España twice and three of the 5 Monuments – Paris-Roubaix, Milan-Sanremo and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Nonetheless the rise of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Workforce Emirates), Jonas Vingegaard and Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) since 2020 has impacted the success of Ineos Grenadiers within the Grand Excursions and different main races.
