Ineos Grenadiers have tried to attract a line below the mysterious absence of senior directeur sportif Steve Cummings on the Tour de France whereas refusing to elucidate his absence and why he’s not within the workforce automotive managing race technique.
Cummings was promoted to the function of ‘Director of Racing’ when Rod Ellingworth left the workforce in the course of the winter and labored on quite a lot of races as directeur sportif this season, together with the Critérium du Dauphiné.
He has little question performed a key function in deciding the Ineos line-up and race technique for the Tour de France however is by some means working remotely in an undefined function, with Zak Dempster nominated as ‘Lead DS’ for the Tour de France simply two weeks in the past.
Cummings appeared to endure a troublesome relationship with Tom Pidcock in the course of the 2023 Tour de France as he pushed for a protected management function, in response to the not too long ago launched Netflix Tour de France Unchained collection. But after arriving in Italy for the Tour Grand Depart, Pidock dismissed the collection as ‘drama’ and mentioned he was “portrayed because the unhealthy man.”
Pidcock advised Cycling Weekly that the workforce will probably be “higher” with out Cummings, at this 12 months’s Tour.
“I don’t assume it’ll have an effect,” Pidcock mentioned. “Things change, it’s not likely for me to remark.”
Pidcock has a contract with Ineos Grenadiers till 2027 and a management function. Cycling Weekly urged that Pidcock has a say in key decision-making on the workforce. However, one other supply advised Cyclingnews that Pidock was not concerned within the choice to go away Cummings at dwelling and that Pidcock was unable to even persuade Ineos Grenadiers to convey his most popular soigneur to the Tour de France.
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The workforce advised Cyclingnews that “Steve shouldn’t be on race however supporting remotely.”
Team CEO John Allert agreed to speak to Cyclingnews and the Cycling Podcast earlier than the beginning of stage one however provided no additional particulars on why Cummings was left at dwelling and his undefined ‘distant’ function.
“I’m truly drawing a line below that utterly, to be trustworthy,” Allert mentioned.
“We’re right here firstly of three weeks of magical racing, with in all probability essentially the most thrilling Tour lineup we have had for years. We’ve acquired a improbable workforce right here. There’s nice unity within the workforce. So I do not actually have something so as to add.”
Allert caught to his line as Cyclingnews urged that Cummings’ absence may appear unusual from exterior the workforce.
“My focus is not how issues look from the surface, it is how issues look from the within. And I’m very comfy with the workforce we have got right here, the way in which that we’re arrange, the way in which that we’re approaching the Tour,” Allert mentioned.
He repeated his want to attract a line below the story.
“Like I mentioned, I’m drawing a line below it. I haven’t got something so as to add to what’s already been mentioned and what’s already been written.
“Our focus as a workforce is what is going on on on the Tour and it is a completely happy workforce, it is a harmonious workforce, it is a gifted workforce. We’re simply wanting ahead to getting on with the subsequent three weeks.
“I will not go into particulars about any particular person’s particular roles in terms of the race. I’ve mentioned earlier than, Steve’s engaged on the Tour, he is simply not on the Tour.
“Zach’s function is head DS, so his function is pretty self-evident. Zach and Steve work actually carefully collectively, philosophically they’re very aligned. They have fairly totally different types after they’re on race however each are very efficient. I feel each are on the prime of their recreation. We’ve acquired each confidence in what Zach’s going to do right here with a really gifted different group of coaches and directeur sportif.”
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