Riis describes Brailsford as selfish and puts trust in the UCI

Bjarne Riis was at the Tour Down Under with NTT Pro Cycling
Bjarne Riis at the Tour Down Under with NTT Pro Cycling (Image credit: Stephen Farrand)

NTT Pro Cycling manager Bjarne Riis has said professional cycling must stay united as it tries to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, criticising fellow team manager Dave Brailsford for saying he would pull Team Ineos out of the Tour de France if he felt it was not safe to race. Riis made it clear he is ready to trust the UCI and race organisers to ensure rider safety so that racing can resume and save teams from disaster.

Riis and fellow manager Doug Ryder spoke to a number of international media, including Cyclingnews, via Zoom on Thursday, confirming they have agreed with riders and staff to reduce salaries during the COVID-19 pandemic so that the team is able to compete in the autumn, when it is hoped the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España and other WorldTour races can be held.

Stephen Farrand
Head of News

Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.