It's no exaggeration to say Dave Brailsford's brand has become toxic in recent years. But his position within Team Sky has not been undermined, as a new arrangement suggests.
Dave Brailsford closes company for new Team Sky arrangement
Having been under pressure for 18 months following successive controversies, Dave Brailsford has taken on a full time role at Team Sky.
He has been team principal since its inception. But during that period he has had his own firm. And he has effectively sold his services to Team Sky.
But now he has closed the business he used to sell those services. Moreover, it held £5.6 million in assets when it closed three weeks ago. And he has become a full time employee of Team Sky.
The move is perhaps a surprise. Team Sky’s controversies have centred on a number of issues, including TUEs availed of by Bradley Wiggins.
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Furthermore, it also unable to prove the contents of a jiffy bag delivered to the team in France in 2011.
And now Chris Froome’s salbutamol difficulties have compounded the situation.
Through it all, though the star riders have been damaged, Dave Brailsford’s brand has become more toxic than anyone else on the team.
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There have been suggestions the team may fold; though no clear evidence that would happen.
It has also been suggested Brailsford would need to leave to begin repairing the damage to its reputation to date.
But his new arrangement ties him even closer to the WorldTour squad. And it suggests he is part of its long term future.
The developments have been reported by the Daily Mail. It has made much of the running on breaking Team Sky-related stories over the last 18 months.
When UK Anti Doping began an inquiry into the infamous jiffy bag; the genesis of the inquiry appeared to be in a query from the Daily Mail.
No wrongdoing proven
It put queries to Team Sky about the bag and persisted. Brailsford then decided to refer the matter to British Cycling. And he asked it to send it on to UKAD for inquiry.
Team Sky was unable to prove its claim that an over the counter decongestant was in the bag. That inflicted lasting damage to the team, and to British Cycling.
But in the end no wrongdoing was proven. Bradley Wiggins has demanded clear confirmation of the chain of events that resulted in the UKAD inquiry commencing.
He said in a statement last year he was keeping his legal options open. And last week he added he would have more to say very soon on the matter.
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