This second post on the full transcript of the interview between Brailsford and McRae will focus on some interesting points that Brailsford made on the Deloitte investigation and the changes the team are implementing for the new season.
One interesting piece of information that emerged from the interview was at the end of last season 19 people, out of a total 67 people working at Team Sky, left. With only two riders leaving, Calzati and Vigano, the majority of people who went were people who worked behind the scenes. Brailsford goes onto to state that they left because they did not ‘fit in’ and that all have been replaced. Again I ask who has taken over Brian Nygaard’s role in the team. Is it Fran Millar? If it is why is she not listed on the team’s website like Nygaard was last year.
The admission from Brailsford that money cannot buy the experience of riding a tour successfully is a welcome one. The acknowledgement that the Tour takes longer than one year to work out how to ride successfully as a team is important. Many times last year Brailsford made statements saying how the amazing staff and coaches at British Cycling where going to re invent how to win the Tour de France. They would apply their amazing thinking that led the track team to huge success in Beijing. These ideas have not really borne fruit yet or were rubbish like getting the riders to warm up behind black screens blocking the fans from watching. The success of British Riders on the track in the 2008 Olympics came after many years of hard graft, learning and getting beaten on the track calendar. This will be the same on the road and Brailsford still has not fully realised this yet and is still too keen to achieve too much too quickly.
The Deloitte investigation, for those who know little or nothing about it read this. Interestingly McRae did not ask Brailsford about it instead Brailsford mentioned it, William Fotheringham (also an excellent Guardian journalist) recently said to The Inner Ring that everyone he had spoken to about it had been very guarded about it. While the Inner Ring said: ‘re Deloitte report, I'm told it led to several points being raised between UK Sport + British Cycling’. Brailsford’s answer to the final question goes against both those views;
And outside opinion is so fickle – you're either a genius or an idiot?[Laughs] Exactly! I think there were doubts about me doing both jobs and there was a report done by Deloittes and they came up with nothing. Last year was difficult. But we know what we're doing, we know what people we've got, and we're focused on clear targets. We're looking healthy across the board. I'm still convinced we can be successful on all fronts.
There was already a hint of this attitude earlier in the interview when Brailsford alludes to the Majorca training camp that took place in January that saw Sky riders and the British men’s & Women’s pursuit squad all train together and benefit from the expertise of the Sky and British Cycling staff. He goes onto to state that ‘for the first time there was tangible evidence that this amalgamation of Team Sky and British Cycling is really, really working’. I do not have a problem with this but I was worried UK Sport and the Deliotte investigation would. The fact that Brailsford went ahead with such a camp must surely mean he knows that the Deliotte investigation is not going to report anything that damaging.
The amalgamation of Team Sky and British Cycling should be a good thing for both parties. However is it a good thing to have the same person being the performance director for both? Brailsford admits he over extended himself last year but says he now knows the right balance between his two roles. Surely it would be better to have a different person in each position instead of Brailsford in both. They are plenty of other suitable candidates who could take over in either role. Clearly Brailsford’s efforts would be better focused on one job.
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