Since replacing Peter Keen in 2003, Sir Dave has guided Britain to 30 Olympic medals at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and London 2012, including 18 golds, 49 Paralympic medals and more than 100 World Championship medals, almost half of them gold.

The Welshman took charge of Team Sky in 2009 and has masterminded Tour de France wins for Sir Bradley Wiggins in 2012 and Chris Froome last year.

The success of Team Sky has taken up more and more of his time, leading to his decision to concentrate all of his efforts on the road-racing team.

In the lead-up to this year's World Track Cycling Championships, Sir Dave hinted that he might have to make a decision between the two roles as the pressure of overseeing the elite track cycling programme and Team Sky was beginning to become too much of a workload.

British Cycling have said that the 50-year-old will continue to be available to the team for help and advice and will support the Great Britain cycling team road programme through the strong links between Team Sky and British Cycling.

Psychiatrist Steve Peters, recruited by Sir Dave prior to the Athens 2004 Olympics, will also leave his role with the team but not before developing and implementing a new support system for the team before his departure.

It follows an internal review carried out by the governing body following the World Championships in Cali which saw Britain claim gold in the women's individual pursuit and team pursuit events, their worst performance since 2006.

Sir Dave Brailsford has overseen an unprecedented period of success for British cyclists at recent Olympic and Paralympic Games ©Getty Images



"I want to thank Sir Dave Brailsford for his enormous contribution to British Cycling - the organisation he leaves behind is transformed from the one we both joined in 1998," said British Cycling chief executive Ian Drake.

"In that time the Great Britain cycling team has not only set the standard by which British sporting success is judged but also inspired millions of people to get active through cycling.

"I also want to thank Steve Peters for his contribution to our medal success over the years - his support for athletes and the team has been groundbreaking and the foundations he has put in place will continue to shape the programme and its culture in the future.

"Both Sir Dave and Steve took leading roles in the review and recognised the systems that they have helped put in place mean they can both step away from the team, certain it will be in good hands."

Head coach Shane Sutton will now become technical director responsible for rider performance ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games, while Andy Harrison will continue as programmes director with responsibility for the running of the development programmes.

British Cycling have revealed that a new role of head of performance support will be created, indicating that recruiting a direct replacement for Sir Dave could prove difficult as the build-up to the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games is well underway.

Sir Dave will now concentrate fully on ensuring Team Sky are prepared for the Tour de France ©Getty Images



"This is a big step but it is the right decision for the team and for me," said Sir Dave.

"Since London 2012, we have worked hard on succession planning and that has meant we've got to a point where I can move on, knowing the team will go from strength to strength.

"I'll still be available to Ian [Drake, British Cycling chief executive], Shane and Andy for support if they need it and my role at Team Sky will mean we'll still work closely and support the aims of British Cycling.

"I'd like to thank all the great staff who I've worked with and of course the amazing athletes who ultimately deserve all the credit for their success.

"I have some extraordinary memories - not just from Olympic Games and World Championships but also just day-to-day seeing cycling go from a fringe activity to a mainstream sport.

"I've always said that, more than any of the medals, the transformation of cycling in Britain is the single thing I'm most proud of having helped achieve."

Sir Dave, knighted following London 2012, will now be concentrating his efforts on Team Sky's preparations for this year's Giro d'Italia, which starts in Belfast next month, and the Tour de France, which is due to begin in Yorkshire on July 5.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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