'However you view Oleg Tinkov you cannot see his departure as anything but bad for cycling'

Velon CEO Graham Bartlett sees Oleg Tinkov's departure from cycling as bad for the sport, but a potential wake-up call for those in the sport to work together on its future

Oleg Tinkov at the 2015 Tour de France (Sunada)

(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

Love him or loathe him, Oleg Tinkov will be missed in cycling when he departs at the end of 2016, or at least his passion for cycling and his willingness to pump money into the sport will, according to Velon CEO Graham Bartlett.

The Russian millionaire has divided opinion during his tenure as a team owner, first with Tinkoff Credit Systems and more recently with the Tinkoff team. It's not just the fans whose feathers he ruffles either, its fellow team owners, rival sponsors and even the sport's governing body the UCI.

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1