Spin Cycle

From its incarnation as Team Sky in 2010, the team swiftly rose in the sport's ranks, winning seven Tours de France in eight years. But after billionaire Jim Ratcliffe purchased the team and rebranded it as the Ineos Grenadiers, its position atop the sport has eroded – slowly at first but with increasing speed. In just a few years, cycling's once-dominant stage racing team has transformed from an innovative powerhouse into a rudderless corporation, haemorrhaging talent and results despite its massive budget.

To dissect this empire’s collapse, Escape Collective spoke with more than a dozen sources in and around Ineos – former riders and staff, agents, and other well-connected people in pro cycling – to learn what took the team from winning seven Tours de France in eight years to struggling to hold onto talent both on and off the bike.

This is an audio version of the written story on Escapecollective.com now. Because this story is behind our paywall, you will only hear about half of it on this podcast. To listen to the whole thing (or read it), plus get access to everything else Escape makes, sign up here. 

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What is Spin Cycle?

The best podcast in cycling, formerly known as the Placeholder Podcast. Spin Cycle is Escape Collective's weekly chat show that brings you the biggest and weirdest stories from the world of cycling. Hosted by Caley Fretz, Jonny Long, and Kit Nicholson, this podcast offers an accurate and informative breakdown of major news events without forgetting that cycling is just silly sometimes.

Please check out our other podcasts on your preferred podcast platform:
- Geek Warning - how bikes work and how to make them better
- Wheel Talk - all things women's cycling
- How the Race was Won - racing and tactical analysis
- The Rest Day with Jack Haig - insights from within the pro peloton
- Overnight Success - The founders and innovators in the cycling industry

Escape Collective is entirely member-funded. If you like this podcast please consider supporting us by becoming a member: https://escapecollective.com/member/