London-Paris 09 rider, Scott Sunderland, has been named as the sports manager of the new British Cycling Pro Tour cycling team, Team Sky.
Team Sky will be targeting the Tour de France in 2010 and will have a core of British riders, coaches and support staff.
Sunderland, who helped mastermind Carlos Sastre’s victory in the Tour in 2008 has strong links with HotChillee, the company which stages the London-Paris 09 Cycle Tour. He recently rode with the HotChillee Challenge Team in the Cape Argus Cycle Tour.
Team Sky will be headed and led by Dave Brailsford CBE, British Cycling’s performance director, while Sunderland will be team manager.
Australian Sunderland is regarded as one of the world’s leading road racing managers after spending four seasons as sporting director with Riis Cycling. The former Saxo-Bank team director is thrilled about the challenges ahead, Sunderland said: "Late last season, I was approached by Dave Brailsford and Shane Sutton to become sports manager for the new Sky Team. Shane and Dave invited me to the British Cycling High Performance headquarters in Manchester and told me about their dream of building a British Pro Tour Team and how Sky's sponsorship would make this possible.”
Sunderland, a former cyclist who fought his way back to fitness after suffering a horrific head injury, added:
"I was very keen to become part of this project which will place another Pro Tour Cycling team on the roads in 2010. Dave Brailsford did a great job securing such a solid sponsor; the sport of cycling really needs people and sponsors to believe in it. It is Brailsford's forte and winning method to plan everything meticulously and that’s exactly what we have been doing over the last few months and will continue to do in the course of 2009.
"It has been a pleasure to introduce Dave Brailsford and Team Sky to the authorities on the road racing scene. We've met organisers and other big personalities in road cycling. Our project is receiving a warm welcome everywhere."
Sunderland hopes that Team Sky can repeat the success that British Cycling has had on the track: "British Cycling has achieved amazing things in track racing, especially at the Olympics last year and I perfectly understand their desire to strive for perfection in road racing as well. It’s a big load British Cycling puts on the shoulders of any young British rider to expect to win the Tour de France in five years time. But not to aim for the highest possible result within one’s reach is an insult to the God given talent that person possesses.”
"Shane Sutton, the performance manager, works closely with Olympic medallists Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins, and he shares my vision on how to work with athletes and how bring out the best in each of our riders. Our first and main objective is to gain an invitation to the biggest races in 2010 and to do this with a credible and skilful team. My task is to make this happen and I am very excited about this,” said Sunderland.