Brailsford: I’m uncompromising but I wasn’t vindictive

Sir Dave Brailsford has issued an impassioned defence of his methods as the independent review into the culture of British Cycling nears a conclusion.

The UK Sport-british Cycling commissioned review, led by British Rowing chairman Annamarie Phelps, followed allegations made against Shane Sutton, who last April resigned from his position as British Cycling technical director over claims of discrimination which he continues to deny. Sutton was the right-hand man to Brailsford, British Cycling performance director until April 2014, as Great Britain won eight gold medals at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics.

Brailsford, pictured, accepts he is “uncompromising”, but the Team Sky principal insists he ensured the highest of standards to propel Britain to the top.

“What I would imagine is that people who feel wronged will shout about it,” said Brailsford, anticipating a “spread” of contributions to the review. “Listen, I’m demanding. I’m uncompromising in trying to achieve performance. But I don’t think I was vindictive, I don’t think I was biased, I don’t think I was malicious. I don’t think I treated people wrongly.” Brailsford, 52, became performance director in 2003 and masterminded a British revolution on the bike.

He added: “We started off as a British team who were second-rate, nowhere in the world, attitude of gallant losers and all of the rest of it… and we thought actually ‘why can’t we be the best in the world?’

“And to be the best in the world, you have to set some standards. You’ve got to have some ambition. And then you’ve got to be pretty full-on in terms of making sure those standards are achieved.

“That’s not to say that you personalise or be vindictive or malicious. But you do have standards.

“And I am uncompromising, I know that. Some people can cope with that environment, and some people can’t. And those who can’t – it’s not a judgement but they shouldn’t be in it.

“When I took over at British Cycling I tried to push hard. And there were some people I felt who should be there. And some people quite clearly didn’t have the skills or the capabilities to be at the level where we wanted to go. So you get people who go. I’ll never make any excuses about that.”

Brailsford left British Cycling to concentrate with his role at Team Sky, having previously juggled both roles.

Team Sky, through Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2012 and Chris Froome in 2013, 2015 and 2016, have won the Tour de France four times in the last five editions, but still have detractors, particularly as a UK Anti-doping investigation into allegations of wrongdoing in cycling is ongoing.