Things will be "better" for INEOS without Steve Cummings at 2024 Tour de France believes Tom Pidcock
CyclingSaturday, 29 June 2024 at 10:00
In an unexpected change to the management team, the INEOS Grenadiers revealed earlier this week that Steve Cummings would be replaced as leading sports director for the 2024 Tour de France, by Zak Dempster.
Cummings was one of the leading characters in season 2 of Netflix's Tour de France: Unchained documentary, with the INEOS Grenadiers infighting between the former Tour de France stage winner and INEOS star, Tom Pidcock being one of the themes of the series. Cummings and Pidcock were seen to repeatedly be at loggerheads over a number of issues, including the level of the Brit in comparison to teammate Carlos Rodriguez and the subsequent desire from Cummings for Pidcock to sacrifice himself in the service of the Spaniard's podium hopes, with cameras even being asked to be shut off by a visibly annoyed Pidcock at one point.
Following the news of Cummings being stepped down, Pidcock was asked for his opinion on the subject. "I don’t think it’ll have an impact," Pidcock told Cycling Weekly at the team presentation, ahead of the 2024 Tour de France in Florence on Thursday. "Things change, it’s not really for me to comment." However, when pressed further, the British multi-discipline sensation did admit that he thought things would be "better" for the INEOS Grenadiers without Cummings present.
According to INEOS, Cummings, whilst not at the Tour de France, will be helping remotely from home. "Steve’s still working on the Tour, he’s just not at the Tour," explains the new, leading sports director, Zak Dempster. "He’s feeding stuff in, he’s part of a team, we’ve got a team of coaches and DSs and he’s obviously an important part of that."
However, the Australian admits it's unlikely Cummings will be able to have much of an impact. "I think that’s impossible," Dempster said. "For the moment I am the lead DS here and it’ll be me managing the race on behalf of the performance team. But for sure, he will have an input and he’s done a really good job building this journey so far and we go on with it."
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter today!
May 12, 11:09
0
Popular news
Latest comments
- As Contador did, lets see who wins on the road at least Del Torro doesn't have to deal with Armstrong and Bruyneel doing everything to stop him winningslappers6623-05-2025
- Visma have screwed up immeasurably, tactically on this, Vuelta 24 remember that debacle! Tel Toro is the strongest. During a notable Giro Mikel Landa was the strongest but who kept getting backed, Fabio Aru, he never won that Giro - a team SHOULD always ride for the strongest rider!
leedorney23-05-2025 - Very true, the strongest should and will win, in the moment - I know what I would do...leedorney23-05-2025
- Lets not forget it's a 3 week race and Del Toro doesn't have a track record of doing these long GTs. All it takes it one bad moment on a climb to blow up.frieders323-05-2025
- I like this young man, if he is feeling good he should go for it on the next mountain stage.awp23-05-2025
- Team politics are terrible, I suspect that the team management knows who the strongest is on UAE in this Giro, Juan Ayuso is a great young athlete but he wobbles all the time. I figure UAE will go with who feels better. If del Toro feels good the team will probably back him. To hear Isaac say he stopped riding to wait for Ayuso because it was the right thing to do, made me upset. I know we are only fans but we want to see the strongest win.awp23-05-2025
- Froome was, in my book, the greatest Grand Tour rider ever. Better than Armstrong, better than Induarain. It all ends in a second for these guys. I remember that whenever people complain about Pogacar, and I am grateful.
Barney23-05-2025 - Tom retired instead of signing another contract. Visma offered him a contract renewal, he decided to retire which shocked everyone because he is such a strong cyclist.awp23-05-2025
- "North American"adammyerson22-05-2025
- The more statements that came out from his mouth, the more I'm impressed with how he carries himself.
KerisVroom22-05-2025
Despite being a great talent, I think this humming and hawing and dictating things in the team is a sign that despite his bluster he is not confident that he can follow through and do a complete tour GC successfully. He needs to focus and target GC (any GC!) to show us that he actually has the balls for the job.
Yes and no . The kid is talented and bit like Remco with my way or highway attitude. Vuelta good shout though. Let the road and press decide 🤣🤣🥰🤣
When a star of the team gets the manager fired or consigned to the sidelines. I think Piddy is getting too big for his boots. Piddy should do GC in Giro or Vuelta first instead of TDF where UAE and Jumbo and going hammer and tongs. Its not a place to improve, its a place to perform.