New sponsors may base Team Sky abroad
Team Sky are likely to become a non-british team in 2020 if they continue in the sport.
Sources close to Sky claimed yesterday that Sir Dave Brailsford’s team had been “inundated” with requests to discuss potential partnerships since announcing on Thursday that the 2019 season would be their last with Sky Plc. And it is understood that most of that interest has come from abroad.
That Team Sky are based in Manchester is only for historical reasons because the team were born out of the partnership with BSKYB and British Cycling.
There is no particular need for the team to remain British-registered or based. Most of the riders already live abroad, many are foreign, and it is understood the team would favour a “total reset”.
James Murdoch, Sky’s former chairman and a staunch supporter of the team, always favoured an international outlook, as do current sponsors 21st Century Fox, albeit they are pulling out at the same time as Sky. Murdoch is believed to be helping Brailsford in the search for a new partner.
There is also a belief within the team that the controversies that have dogged Team Sky are very much a British obsession and far less of a factor to foreign investors.
There is said to be interest from the United States, while the CEO of the Chinese Global Cycling Project, Tim Kay, told cyclingnews.com yesterday that he would be open to taking over Team Sky.
Geraint Thomas, the 2018 Tour de France champion, told The Daily Telegraph yesterday that it would feel “strange” if Team Sky became non-british. “But also exciting,” he added. “An opportunity to start afresh. What is it they say about change being as good as a rest? I guess anyone who takes over is going to want to put their own stamp on things anyway.”
But Jonathan Vaughters, the head of EF Education First-drapac team, cautioned: “There’s never been a sponsorship sold for that much. These are very uncharted waters.”