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Sir Dave Brailsford appointed Director of Sport at Ineos across whole portfolio

Sailing, rugby union and Formula 1 join cycling on his job description

Sir Dave Brailsford has been appointed Director of Sport across the entire portfolio that Ineos sponsors – including not only the cycling team which, as Team Sky and Ineos Grenadiers he has helped guide to 12 Grand Tour titles, but also in sailing, Formula 1 and rugby union, among others.

The move had been widely predicted since September, although in contrast to previous reports, it appears that he will still be principal of the UCI WorldTeam he set up ahead of its racing debut in 2010.

“For me there is no more exciting place to be in global sport right now than at Ineos given the extraordinary range of talents across the different teams,” said Brailsford.

“I am very pleased to have this new opportunity to work together with the other team leaders to look at how we can take advantage of these collective talents and develop a wider performance framework in partnership.

“It goes without saying I am really looking forward to learning more from each of them and their teams and looking at how to put their ideas into wider practice across the INEOS sport family.

“This culture and approach are at the heart of what makes Ineos such a successful business – a federal structure with clear responsibilities but a desire to cross pollinate new thinking and ideas across the group.

“The aim now is to replicate this model across the sports at Ineos. Alongside this new role I will continue to lead Ineos Grenadiers with Rod Ellingworth as my deputy.

“We are already deep into the planning for 2022 and are committed to going all in for next season,” he added.

Ineos, the petrochemicals giant owned by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, bought the Team Sky’s management company Tour Racing Limited from former owners Sky and 21st Century Fox in 2019, with the deal effective from 1 May that year, the eve of the Tour de Yorkshire.

In sailing, the company backs Sir Ben Ainslie’s Ineos Team UK, which earlier this year missed out on the opportunity to challenge Emirates Team New Zealand for the America’s Cup when it lost to Italy’s Luna Rossa in the final of the Prada Cup elimination series.

Ineos is also a main sponsor of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, and in July signed a six-year deal to sponsor New Zealand Rugby.

The company, which is keen to share knowledge and expertise across its sports portfolio, also staged the 2019 challenge which saw the Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge become the first person to run a Marathon distance in less than two hours, although the event in Vienna was not conducted under race conditions.

Ratcliffe, who is based in Monaco, personally owns the French Ligue 1 football club, OGC Nice.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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6 comments

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Blackthorne | 2 years ago
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Why exactly is a big oil company bankrolling these sports enterprises? I think I understand the ostensible reason but the true reason? Honest question.  

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Sniffer replied to Blackthorne | 2 years ago
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Having met the owner a few times I am certain it is just that he likes sport. He has got more money than he knows what to do with. He genuinely likes sport and he is buying his way in.

There may be many reasons not to like INEOS, but the idea that Jim invests in sport to improve his companies reputation doesn't ring true with me. He doesn't give a toss what the public thinks of him.

PS they are really a petrochemical company rather than an oil company.

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Welsh boy replied to Blackthorne | 2 years ago
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Ego?

Fun?

Tax avoidance?

Because he can (boys never grow up, they just get older and their toys get more expensive)

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Secret_squirrel | 2 years ago
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Makes you wonder how long Jimbob will tolerate sub-par performance from the expensive roster in the cycling team. 
Unless it's all a massive tax write off of course. 

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OnTheRopes replied to Secret_squirrel | 2 years ago
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I wouldn't call the following 2021 results sub-par exactly 

1  Giro d'Italia 
3  Tour de France 
1  Tour de Romandie 
1  Critérium du Dauphiné
1  Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 

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Welsh boy replied to OnTheRopes | 2 years ago
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"I wouldn't call the following 2021 results sub-par exactly "

Considering the money he has been throwing at the team over the last couple of years I would call it sub-par and I would certainl be expecting more of the highly paid riders to perform better than they are if it was my money.

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