News editor at Cycling Weekly, Adam brings his weekly opinion on the goings on at the upper echelons of our sport. This piece is part of The Leadout, a newsletter series from Cycling Weekly and Cyclingnews. To get this in your inbox, subscribe here. As ever, email adam.becket@futurenet.com – should you wish to add anything, or suggest a topic.
There is a famous sports team, recently taken over by a billionaire who made his money from petrochemicals, who in the last decade have gone from being one of the best in the world to being on track for their worst season ever. Behind the scenes, things seem to be difficult, with staff moving on and confusion over management. The team seems unable to secure top athletes. Those in charge speak of following the plan, of building back, and trusting the process, but this is slow.