"These have been ten incredible seasons" - Long-time coach of Egan Bernal announces INEOS Grenadiers exit

The INEOS Grenadiers have been undergoing a real overhaul of late, both in terms of riders and staff. That continues with the announcement that Xabier Artetxe, long-time coach of Egan Bernal and Carlos Rodriguez among others, is set to leave the British-based team. 

"Everything comes to an end, and after years of hard work, discipline, successes, and failures, I am leaving the team that has helped me grow both personally and professionally," Artetxe writes in a post on his official LinkedIn account. "I want to express my deepest gratitude to Sir Dave Brailsford, Rod Ellingworth, Tim Kerrison, and Fran Millar for giving me the opportunity in 2014 to be part of the powerful Team Sky. Without the trust they placed in me, I would never have fulfilled many of my dreams."

Alongside the aforementioned Bernal and Rodriguez, Artetxe has worked closely with INEOS stars of years gone by such as Richard Carapaz, helping to bring much success to the team over the course of his time working with them. "These have been ten incredible seasons in which the team has won five Tour de France titles, three Giro d'Italia titles, one Vuelta a Espana, several 'Monuments', as well as World Championships and Olympic medals in different disciplines,” he continued his reflections. "I also don't want to forget Nicolas Portal, who was always willing to help me from the very first day we met. We quickly connected and became more than just colleagues. His friendship and energy will always be with me."

Now though, Artetxe is looking elsewhere with ambition and excitement for what's to come. "It is time to change goals and start new challenges and projects that I am very excited about. Challenges that will push me out of my comfort zone and help me improve, something that coaches should never forget," he concludes. "Don’t think I am leaving cycling behind; I will always remain connected to this sport because it has always been and always will be my passion."