Rod Ellingworth will take over as race director of the Tour of Britain, his first function since departing the administration of Ineos Grenadiers through the winter.
The appointment was introduced by British Biking on Tuesday afternoon. Ellingworth had beforehand spent 15 years working for the federation earlier than focusing absolutely on his function at Staff Sky forward of the 2017 season.
Ellingworth takes over as race director from Mick Bennett after British Biking terminated its settlement with earlier organiser Sweetspot in November in a dispute over licence charges. Final month, British Biking introduced that it aimed to organise each the boys’s and ladies’s Excursions of Britain in 2024 and past.
“Considered one of my early biking reminiscences is being on the UCI Highway World Championships at Goodwood Circuit in 1982, and that have lit a fireplace in me which has continued to burn day-after-day since. I understand how worthwhile and lifechanging the expertise and reminiscences of main biking occasions might be, and really feel extremely privileged to now have the chance to play such an important function in the way forward for the Excursions of Britain,” Ellingworth mentioned in a press release launched by British Biking on Tuesday, including that the federation was “in some ways like a second household for me”.
Ellingworth oversaw the British Biking academy programme that helped propel Mark Cavendish and Geraint Thomas to the skilled ranks, and he additionally served as crew director for the British squad when Cavendish gained the World Championships in Copenhagen in 2011.
“The game has modified a lot since we launched the academy in 2004, however I’m excited by the extent of ambition and power across the occasions, and need to play my half in defending and rising them for the following technology,” mentioned Ellingworth.
Though no sporting or sponsorship particulars have but been introduced, British Biking mentioned final month that the boys’s and ladies’s Excursions of Britain stay scheduled on the 2024 calendar. “The monetary place BC finds itself in is hard,” Chief Government Jon Dutton admitted final month.
The Tour of Britain Girls is slated for June 4-9, whereas the boys’s race is pencilled in for September 1-8.
British Biking confirmed on Tuesday that Ellingworth will work on the organisation of the occasions with a crew that features route director Andy Hawes, Mark Leyland, Paul Knight and Lucy Jones.
“I’m extremely happy with the work our crew has achieved in a brief house of time to progress plans for the occasions, and we look ahead to sharing additional particulars of the Tour of Britain Girls route over the approaching weeks,” Dutton mentioned on Tuesday. “It continues to be an actual race in opposition to time, however we stay excited by the chance and overwhelmed by the passion and assist being proven in the direction of the occasions.”
Ellingworth had served as deputy crew principal of Ineos Grenadiers in current seasons after rejoining the crew from Bahrain-McLaren, the place he had served as normal supervisor in 2020. The 51-year-old parted firm with Ineos on the finish of the 2023 amid a administration restructure that has seen Dave Brailsford formally surrender the title of crew principal, whereas John Allert has been appointed as crew CEO.
“It is a new function and a brand new set of expertise for me, however I’ve been inspired and supported by different Race Administrators within the sport. I’ve spent a very good portion of my life on the highway on the sport’s largest races, and will probably be drawing on all of that have to make the Excursions of Britain the easiest they are often,” Ellingworth mentioned.
“Because the son of an occasion organiser and the dad of a younger boy beginning his personal journey as a rider, I really feel an actual accountability to get this proper, but in addition big pleasure concerning the begin of a brand new chapter and problem within the sport.”
