Team Sky have announced their new sponsor Ineos, which will take over the team from the start of May.
Rumours have been circulating for a few weeks about who would take over the British WorldTour outfit as Sky pulls out.
The answer, the team revealed on Tuesday (March 19), is Britain’s richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Sir Jim is the chairman and chief executive of Ineos, a chemical company based in London.
As ever with Team Sky news, the announcement has sparked a strong reaction online.
Brilliant news for cycling in the UK! 👍👍
— robbie (@robbieb41856260) March 19, 2019
No question a great day for cycling!👍🚴♂️👍
— BronxBoy32 (@BronxBoy32) March 19, 2019
Fantastic! So relieved you are all together in the new team. Wishing you all much success as Team INEOS 👏👏🎉🎉 What is my twitter name going to be now? 😉🤣
— Mandie 🦄 (@GoTeamSky) March 19, 2019
So pleased that the team will continue together. It will take a while to get used to the new name but PLEASE keep the current kit colours !! 🖤💙🖤
— Carol Nairn (@CarolNairn) March 19, 2019
There has been plenty of support for the team, run by Sir Dave Brailsford, as existing fans welcome news the outfit will continue.
Team Sky faced an uncertain future beyond 2019 when its main backer announced it would be pulling out at the end of the year.
Sir Dave was tasked with finding a new owner and sponsor as Sky plc was due to leave cycling after a decade.
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The announcement came when Sky plc was bought out by American communications giant Comcast.
Company chairman James Murdoch, a driving force in Sky’s cycling sponsorship, departed shortly after.
But not everyone has been supportive Sky’s announcement, with many highlighting the environmental impacts of the work carried out by Ineos.
Extreme mismatch: A low-carbon, energy-efficient method of transport in #cycling, & proponent of #fracking, #plasticpollution and #climateinaction in @INEOS. Although given both's reputational issues, maybe inevitable https://t.co/M3Z67Yw5tz
— Natalie Bennett (@natalieben) March 18, 2019
Really disappointed with this Brexit billionaire sponsor who manufactures plastic. So much for the Team’s ethos with Sky to #PassOnPlastic
— Ann Chapman (@galanthophile) March 19, 2019
Could you be any more insensitive! Ineos are intending to frack across North Yorkshire, possibly starting in Kirby Misperton this year, against the wishes of the vast majority of people! You may well face a significant backlash from current supporters!
— John Ryan (@welburnoldfart) March 19, 2019
Wow. Launching this in Yorkshire, where INEOS are trying to frack right now, is a spectacular mis-judgement. This could be messy.
— Henry Chown (@HenryChown) March 19, 2019
Cycling team sponsored by uks biggest petro chemical plant. Ffs, at least sky used to promote green ventures with the team.
— jockholmsyndrome (@minty_dave) March 19, 2019
Sad day for the world tour and watching the sport. Sky only offer dull viewing. Apart from last years tour but that’s because Thomas raced without any support from the team until the last few days.
— LitespeedLee (@LitespeedLee) March 19, 2019
And of course there are those that feel Sky’s dominance in Grand Tour’s is bad for the sport and that the new sponsor will prolong their reign at the Tour de France.
Sky have now won all three Grand Tours, with Chris Froome taking four Tour de France titles since 2013.
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Their first Tour victory came in 2013 with Sir Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas took their most recent win in France last year.
Froome also won the 2017 Vuelta a España and the 2018 Giro d’Italia.
Sad day for the world tour and watching the sport. Sky only offer dull viewing. Apart from last years tour but that’s because Thomas raced without any support from the team until the last few days.
— LitespeedLee (@LitespeedLee) March 19, 2019
The Ineos deal has raised hopes that a women’s team could follow the buyout.
Also, a missed opportunity that the increased team budget of Team Ineos will apparently be spent on trying to strangle the Tour de France even harder, rather than on, let's say, a women's team. #teamsky
— Michael Hutchinson (@Doctor_Hutch) March 19, 2019
One sure-fire way for Ineos to garner some positive PR, of course, would be to start that women’s team which Sky never managed to do
— Tom Cary (@tomcary_tel) March 19, 2019
