How Team Sky will treat their young riders differently in 2017
Team Sky coach Rod Ellingworth concedes that the squad's winning attitude has sometimes meant development of younger riders has suffered

Team Sky admit that they've altered their approach to developing young riders for the 2017 season, as fledgling British stars Tao Geoghegan Hart, Owain Doull and Jon Dibben all prepare to make their debuts with the WorldTour outlet.
Rod Ellingworth, Sky’s head of performance operations, conceded that the squad’s focus on winning the biggest races on the calendar has in the past been a downfall for the younger members of the team.
“Over the last few years we’ve been OK with some young lads, we’ve not been so good with others,” Ellingworth told Cycling Weekly at the team’s pre-season training camp in Mallorca.
“I think that’s a little bit of the nature of the game we’re in, because we’re a winning team we can’t stop winning. It puts extra pressure on the younger lads at times.”
However with six riders aged 23 and under on the squad this season – the most the team has ever had in one year – the coaches have tweaked their plan of how best to handle their development.
Alongside the three British riders joining Sky this year, Danny Van Poppel (23), Gianni Moscon (22) and Sebastian Henao (23) are all embarking on their second seasons with Sky.
Of the young British riders Sky has signed in the past, Josh Edmondson, who joined in 2013 as a 21-year-old, was released from his contract after two years, while earlier this month 22-year-old Alex Peters announced he was leaving Sky to rejoin development squad SEG Racing citing “personal issues”.
Ensuring the younger riders on the team have set race targets each year is important, Ellingworth stressed, and something that has been allowed to slip in the past to the detriment of riders’ learning.
“Key things [are important] like giving the riders some objectives, and giving them some winning objectives,” Ellingworth continued. “We’ve got a target of wins and we would like the younger group to contribute to that, so it gives them a focus.
“Try to manage their race programme a little bit better as well. You’ve only got so many riders on the team, if one or two of the riders who are domestiques or workers are sick or ill, it doesn’t have a massive impact on the race programme.
“If you have one of your key riders sick or ill it changes everything, and that’s where the young riders sometimes get thrown around into different races.
“Sometimes there’s a correlation between where we’ve had a bad season with our big players being sick or injured where the younger riders haven’t had a great development.”
Sky’s team principle Sir Dave Brailsford has referred to Geoghegan Hart, Dibben and Doull being the “second generation” of British stars on the team and Ellingworth reiterated he was looking forward to seeing them progress.
“That’s what we’re all about is getting the goals out of the lads and saying how are you going to do and how are we going to support them,” he said. “It’s pretty exciting really.”
Thank you for reading 10 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
-
-
The 'World's premier gravel event': What is Unbound Gravel and who's racing it
WorldTour roadies, track world champions and MTB Olympians joining thousands of participants, Unbound Gravel has grown to be the world's biggest gravel race.
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
Geraint Thomas 'helps a brother out', aiding Mark Cavendish's valedictory Giro d'Italia stage win
Cavendish now has one final Giro stage win. Will he get one final Tour de France equivalent in July?
By Adam Becket • Published
-
From drawing to Giro d'Italia in 2 months: How SunGod reinvented Geraint Thomas' iconic sunglasses
The glasses, GTs, have been seen on the Welshman's face throughout his impressive Giro d'Italia run
By Adam Becket • Published
-
21 things you didn't know about Tom Pidcock
According to the man himself, he's never had a hangover. It's alright for some.
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Tao Geoghegan Hart abandons Giro d'Italia after fracturing hip on stage 11
Ineos Grenadiers rider was sitting in third before falling heavily with 69km to go on Wednesday
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Blow to Ineos's Giro d'Italia as Filippo Ganna forced out with Covid-19
Time-triallist and super-domestique Filippo Ganna has had to leave his home Grand Tour due to a Covid-19 positive
By Jack Elton-Walters • Published
-
Complete Giro d'Italia 2023 start list: Who is still in the Grand Tour three days in?
There has not been one abandonment so far in this year's Giro, here's the complete start list
By Adam Becket • Last updated
-
Tao Geoghegan Hart ready for Giro d'Italia after sealing Tour of the Alps victory in Italy
British rider says he will savour his second-ever overall win, before turning his attention towards the fast approaching Italian Grand Tour
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
‘Just stay calm and relaxed’: Tao Geoghegan Hart one day from second-ever overall victory
Barring major disaster, the Ineos Grenadiers rider will wrap up overall victory at the Tour of the Alps in Brunico on Friday
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
‘I’m not going there as a favourite’ - Tao Geoghegan Hart plays down Giro d’Italia chances despite success
The British rider is two days away from winning the Tour of the Alps, but said he would be just one of many 'pieces in the puzzle' at the Giro
By Tom Thewlis • Published