Rod Ellingworth has resigned as deputy team principal of Ineos Grenadiers, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph.
Ineos Grenadiers are still yet to react or confirm the report but have not denied it.
Cyclingnews understands that Ellingworth was active in his role as team manager on Thursday morning, as Ineos Grenadiers continue working to complete their roster and plan for 2024. His resignation would be a shock to the whole team.
A number of sources contacted by Cyclingnews dismissed the idea that Ellingworth would suddenly quit but others accepted there are reasons why it could be true.
Ineos Grenadiers have lost a number of key riders for 2024 and Cyclingnews understands that Head of Racing Roger Hammond has left the team, while Italian directeur sportif Matteo Tosatto has moved to Tudor Pro Cycling for 2024.
Ellingworth’s departure would represent a major shakeup at the British WorldTour team, which could also see Brailsford depart.
The Daily Telegraph reports that the team principal is about to take on a major role at Manchester United once Ineos owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe finalises his purchase of 25% of the football club.
Elllingworth’s departure hasn’t yet been communicated to the team’s riders, the Telegraph said, while the reasoning for him perhaps stepping away from his role is also unclear at this stage.
Tension with Brailsford arose during the summer as reports that Ineos Grenadiers were keen to sign Remco Evenepoel surfaced, but Brailsford and Ellingworth have worked together for over 20 years.
The 51-year-old Englishman was part of the team since its inception as Team Sky in 2009 after working with Brailsford at British Cycling. He worked as a coach and performance manager before making the switch to Bahrain-McLaren for the 2020 season. The next year he rejoined Ineos Grenadiers.
Since rejoining the team in 2021, Ellingworth has largely managed the day-to-day running of the team, while Dave Brailsford has taken on a wider-ranging director of sports role across Ineos’ sporting operations including teams in sailing, football, and rugby. Brailsford has, however, remained in his role as Ineos Grenadiers team principal, at least on paper.
Ellingworth has been a key figure in the rise of the team and of British Cycling, setting up the British Cycling Academy in 2004 and working with the likes of Geraint Thomas and Mark Cavendish along the way.
He was part of the Team Sky/Ineos setup that won seven editions of the Tour de France with Thomas, Bradley Wiggins, Egan Bernal and Chris Froome, along with countless other major races.
The team has been less successful in recent seasons, ‘only’ winning two editions of the Giro d’Italia with Tao Geoghegan Hart and Egan Bernal along with two podiums at the Tour.
With the rise of a new generation of Tour de France stars such as Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, the team has been in transition as they have sought a new name to deliver Tour glory as GC leaders Froome, Geoghegan Hart, Adam Yates, and Richard Carapaz moved elsewhere.
Ineos had been linked with a mega-transfer for Remco Evenepoel this season, but with the Belgian sticking with Soudal-QuickStep, they’ll head into 2024 with Thomas, Carlos Rodríguez, Tom Pidcock, and Egan Bernal as their top GC hopefuls.