Rod Ellingworth has returned to British Cycling as Race Director for its Tour of Britain events. As noted by the national governing body, this is seen as the next chapter of a relationship which began with the creation of the Great Britain Cycling Team Academy program two decades ago.
In February, British Cycling stated an ambition to deliver Tour of Britain events for women and men in 2024. Billed as ‘the UK’s biggest annual sporting event’, the Tour of Britain has faced some uncertainty over its future, after British Cycling terminated its agreement with the event’s former organiser SweetSpot.
Newly appointed Tour of Britain Race Director Rod Ellingworth offers 15 years of experience working at the sport’s biggest races. British Cycling adds that he will be… ‘a pivotal member of an experienced team that is being brought together to support the delivery of the two [men’s and women’s pro cycing] events in 2024.’
Ellingworth first joined British Cycling in 2002 and was integral to the creation of its Olympic academy programme, which provided the likes of Mark Cavendish, Geraint Thomas, Ed Clancy and many more with the foundations for successful careers in the professional peloton.
After supporting the Great Britain Cycling Team at the Olympic Games in Beijing, London and Rio, he left British Cycling in 2017 to fully commit to his role with Team Sky, supporting his academy graduate Thomas to the yellow jersey at the Tour de France in 2018. He then took up the role of General Manager for Bahrain-McLaren, before returning to Ineos Grenadiers as Deputy Team Principal.
Rod Ellingworth Rod said “One of my early cycling memories is being at the UCI Road World Championships at Goodwood Circuit in 1982, and that experience lit a fire in me which has continued to burn every day since.
“I know how valuable and lifechanging the experience and memories of major cycling events can be, and feel incredibly privileged to now have the opportunity to play such a vital role in the future of the Tours of Britain.
“British Cycling has been a huge part of my life and is in many ways like a second family for me. The sport has changed so much since we launched the academy in 2004, but I’m excited by the level of ambition and energy around the events, and want to play my part in protecting and growing them for the next generation.
“This is a new role and a new set of skills for me, but I’ve been encouraged and supported by other race directors in the sport. I’ve spent a good portion of my life on the road at the sport’s biggest races, and will be drawing on all of that experience to make the Tours of Britain the very best they can be.”
He added, “As the son of an event organiser and the dad of a young boy starting his own journey as a rider, I feel a real responsibility to get this right, but also huge excitement about the start of a new chapter and challenge in the sport.”
Ellingworth joins a growing team working towards the delivery of the events in 2024, starting with the Tour of Britain Women from June 6-9. Working alongside him will be Andy Hawes (Route Director), Mark Leyland (Start Director), Paul Knight (Finish Director) and Lucy Jones (Major Events Consultant), who collectively possess more than four decades of experience working on the Tour of Britain and major international events across sport.
Work is continuing to finalise the route details for the Tour of Britain Women, with a further update to be shared in the coming weeks.
British Cycling CEO, Jon Dutton OBE, said “We’re delighted to welcome Rod, Andy, Mark, Paul and Lucy to the team, as we continue to work around the clock to ensure the delivery of our Tour of Britain events this year.
“Rod returns to British Cycling with an enormous amount of knowledge and experience, and I know that he is fiercely passionate about helping the races to grow and succeed in the future. We’re looking forward to supporting his development in the role, as part of our commitment to providing opportunities for British talent through our flagship events.
“I’m incredibly proud of the work our team has done in a short space of time to progress plans for the events, and we look forward to sharing further details of the Tour of Britain Women route over the coming weeks. It continues to be a real race against time, but we remain excited by the opportunity and overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and support being shown towards the events.”
