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British road race champion Ethan Hayter has become the latest in a growing number of INEOS Grenadiers riders to air their frustration over Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’ management of the WorldTour cycling outfit.
Earlier this year, Ratcliffe completed his partial 27.7% investment into Manchester United. As part of his deal with the Glazers, the billionaire assumed full control of sporting operations.
He has since embarked on a campaign to restore United to their former glories but in the process, has made some controversial decisions that have not been too popular with a section of the fanbase.
Ratcliffe made around 250 United employees redundant, in a ruthless cost-cutting exercise intended to ensure the club remains compliant with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
He also cancelled several perks that United staff previously used to enjoy.
More recently, it emerged that legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s ambassadorial contract with the club was terminated.
While this is going on, INEOS are also struggling in cycling.
Team INEOS, formerly Team Sky, dominated cycling throughout the 2010s. However, since Jim Ratcliffe took over in 2019, their performance has significantly declined, culminating in a difficult 2024 season. Despite having the joint-second largest budget in the peloton, INEOS managed only six WorldTour victories, ranking them eighth among teams for the year.
Geraint Thomas and Tom Pidcock have questioned INEOS’ management. Another rider – Luke Rowe – also slammed the team’s poor performance while departing Grenadiers engineer Dan Bingham admitted that the team was not being managed properly.
Hayter, an Olympic silver medallist, is now set to leave INEOS Grenadiers to join Soudal QuickStep in the coming year.
The 26-year-old spoke to Eurosport and said, “I think it’s time for a change.”
“The team [Soudal QuickStep] really has passion for racing, and I’m excited to get started.”
On INEOS’ struggles and what is happening behind the scenes, Hayter brutally remarked, “I don’t really know what’s going on to be honest.”
“I’ve had a tricky year working with them and once I was leaving it was even trickier.”
“I wish them all the best for next year, but they could do with a couple of changes.”
Hayter’s revelation could alarm United fans, as it raises significant concerns about INEOS’ ability to effectively run a successful sports organisation.
United return to action on Thursday when they face Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in the Europa League.
