Ineos Grenadiers, who finished the season with 14 wins, the lowest since their inception, have renewed their manager and performance coach. Luke Lowe and Daniel Bigham have left the team that once enjoyed a golden era, and Kurt Asur Alvesen has returned as top manager.
Ineos Grenadiers have been in a slump with just 14 wins this year photo: CorVos
There has been no overall Grand Tour victory since the 2021 Giro d’Italia, and 2019 was the last time he won the Tour de France. In 2023, they made a breakthrough with 38 wins, but this year they have won 14, less than half that number, and their once winning team is suffering from a slump.
The reason for this is not only the rise of Visma Liesabake and UAE Team Emirates in the Grand Tours, but also the fact that ace-class players are leaving the team one after another. Last year, Richard Carapaz (Ecuador) and Dylan Fanbare (Netherlands) left the club, and this year we have Daniel Martinez (Colombia), Pavel Sivakov (France), Teio Geiganhart (Great Britain), and Luke Plapp (Australia). ) left for a new world.
Thomas Pidcock (England, Ineos Grenadiers) won his first Amstel Gold Race in April photo: CorVos
Also, in January of this year, Dave Brailsford, who led the Golden Era, left the team and John Alert was appointed as the new representative. Under the new system, things went well in the first half of this season, with Thomas Pidcock (GB) winning the Amstel Gold Race and two wins in the Giro section, but in the second half he had no wins. In addition, Pidcock, who was reported to have had a falling out with the team, was removed from the Il Lombardia squad at the last minute, giving the impression that the team, which was known for its discipline, was about to collapse.
Furthermore, coach Daniel Bigham (UK), who contributed to the improvement of time trials, moved to Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe, and Luke Lowe (UK), who had been dedicated to the team for 13 years, retired from active duty and moved to the Decathlon AG2R La Mondial. His appointment as director has been announced.
Luke Lowe (UK) retires and takes over as manager of Decathlon AG2R La Mondial photo: CorVos
Meanwhile, Ineos announced the addition of new staff, including a manager and performance coach. Kurt Azul Alvesen, who previously served as manager, has returned from Unoex Mobility as the top manager, and Leonardo Basso, who retired last year, has also been appointed as manager. Tom Hermann from DSM Firmenich Post NL was also invited as the head performance coach.
Mehdi Kordi, a track and sprint expert, will be appointed Head of Performance Support and Innovation. Luca Oggiano, who helped Filippo Ganna (Italy) achieve the world hour record as an expert in aerodynamics, will now be more closely involved with the team as a technical partner.
Kurt Azul Arvesen came to the Japan Cup as a coach in 2013 during his Sky Pro Cycling days photo: Kei Tsuji
Additionally, Scott Drawer, who has been serving as performance director since this spring, has spent the past six months reviewing the racing and training environment, and is also preparing for the new top position in the engineering and technology department. It is said that the announcement will be made before the opening of the festival.
Managing director John Alert said: “Scott (Drower) has thoroughly reviewed the performance aspects of (the players) and presented a clear plan and proposed changes for the next few years. I am very proud of this team. “We have a legacy of success and are committed to returning to the top of the podium. The new structure and approach will be key to building the next chapter of the team.”
text:Sotaro.Arakawa
