Rod Ellingworth will take over as race director of the Tour of Britain, his first position 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 position at Workforce 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 girls’s Excursions of Britain in 2024 and past.
“One among my early biking reminiscences is being on the UCI Street 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 beneficial and lifechanging the expertise and reminiscences of main biking occasions will be, and really feel extremely privileged to now have the chance to play such an important position in the way forward for the Excursions of Britain,” Ellingworth mentioned in an announcement 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 workforce 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 vitality across the occasions, and wish 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 girls’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 Ladies 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 workforce that features route director Andy Hawes, Mark Leyland, Paul Knight and Lucy Jones.
“I’m extremely pleased with the work our workforce has completed in a brief area of time to progress plans for the occasions, and we look ahead to sharing additional particulars of the Tour of Britain Ladies 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 help being proven in the direction of the occasions.”
Ellingworth had served as deputy workforce principal of Ineos Grenadiers in current seasons after rejoining the workforce 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 hand over the title of workforce principal, whereas John Allert has been appointed as workforce CEO.
“This can be a new position 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 great portion of my life on the highway on the sport’s greatest races, and can 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 additionally big pleasure in regards to the begin of a brand new chapter and problem within the sport.”
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