There has been a change of management at Netcompany-Ineos, with John Allert departing from the role of CEO.
Allert’s departure was not announced by the team but doubts surrounding his future had been swirling for a number of months, and the team confirmed to Cyclingnews on Tuesday that he is no longer a member of staff.
Cyclingnews understands that Allert left his role in early May, shortly after the arrival of Netcompany as new title sponsor and financial backer.
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The exit is said to have been amicable and indeed in the works for many months before the Netcompany deal was signed.
There had been question marks over Allert’s role from last year, sparked by the return of Dave Brailsford and fuelled by confusion over the latter’s official role.
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Meanwhile, the team have slipped from their previously Sky-high standards in recent years, prompting several staff shake-ups, some soul searching, and a sponsorship search that has led to the arrival of Netcompany.
Brailsford was the Team Principal who headed up the team through their enormously successful period from inception in 2010 through seven Tour de France titles in the space of eight years.
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A post-pandemic slump for the team coincided with Brailsford taking a step back to take on a wider role in Ineos’ sporting portfolio, which notably saw him take on management roles in football at Nice and Manchester United.
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Brailsford was involved in transfer activity in 2023 and made a proper return to the fold last summer, although in an unspecified capacity. He was a prominent face at the Netcompany sponsorship launch, indicating that he has returned to the top leadership role.
Although he is still not listed as a member of staff on the team’s website, the team confirmed to Cyclingnews that Brailsford’s official title is now: ‘Team Principal and Director of Sport for Ineos’.
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This would indicate that he holds both of his previous roles, both heading up the cycling team and still taking responsibility for Ineos’ other sporting projects.
Management chopping and changing
Brailsford is still not listed on the team’s website, but it is otherwise up to date, with Allert no longer listed.
That leaves the team without a CEO. Fran Millar held the role from 2019 to 2020, while Allert was given the role at the end of 2023 having been brought on board in a consultancy role in 2021 and going on to hold the title of Managing Director before that.
Allert, who previously worked in a business capacity at Bahrain Victorious, was brought in at a time when Brailsford was taking a step back from the day-to-day running of the team.
Rod Ellingworth, Brailsford’s long-time deputy who left for a short stint as the chief at the Bahrain team, returned first as Director of Racing for 2021 and then as Deputy Team Principal. However, Ellingworth was shown the door at the end of 2023, just as Allert was promoted to CEO status.
The team have since lacked a clear leadership structure, that is only just starting to take shape again. At present there is no business-oriented CEO or Managing Director, but Brailsford appears to be back as the head of the operation – though this has not been explicitly spelt out.
Former rider Geraint Thomas is settling into his new role as Director of Racing, while other members of the senior leadership team include Performance Director Scott Drawer, Commercial Director Tom Hill, Director of Performance Operations Carsten Jeppesen, and Business Operations Director Alex Tominey.