Brailsford (re)takes control at Netcompany INEOS as CEO departs

John Allert has left his role as CEO of Netcompany INEOS. The departure, first reported by Domestique, was not announced by the team — but it marks another significant shift in the ongoing transformation of British cycling's only WorldTour outfit.

Allert joined INEOS in 2021 in a consultancy role and was promoted to CEO at the end of 2023. He leaves having secured what may prove to be the most important deal of his tenure: a five-year co-title partnership with Danish technology company Netcompany, which came into effect at the start of the 2026 Giro d'Italia.

According to cycling journalist Daniel Friebe, Allert had originally intended to leave at the end of 2025 but stayed on to finalise the Netcompany takeover. He formally resigned approximately a month ago.

INEOS do not intend to replace Allert's CEO role like for like.

Instead, day-to-day control passes back to Sir Dave Brailsford. the former Team Sly architect returned to the cycling operation ahead of last year's Tour de France, after stepping back from his role on the board of Manchester United. His official title is team principal, but his name and picture is not on the INEOS website yet. He also retains responsibility for Ineos' wider sports portfolio.

Brailsford's return had been in the making for some time. The team had been losing ground to rivals UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma Lease a Bike throughout the early part of the decade. A winless Classics campaign and just 14 victories across the entire 2024 season made the scale of the decline hard to ignore. The team needed direction. Brailsford provided it.

Allert himself once described Brailsford as "the godfather" of the team — a phrase that, in hindsight, captured exactly the dynamic. Even as CEO, Allert reported to Brailsford. Now the structure simply reflects what was already true in practice.

Geraint Thomas, who retired at the end of last season after spending his entire professional career at the team, has taken on the role of director of racing. Thomas works directly alongside Brailsford and serves as the bridge between the riders and the front office. Scott Drawer remains in place as performance director, overseeing the team's scientific and data operations, now with the help of Netcompany's AI platform, Pulse.

The management reshuffle also brought in Elia Viviani and Daryl Impey as sports directors, two riders with deep ties to the team.

Internally, Brailsford has labelled the team's Tour de France ambitions "Mission 8". This is a reference to the eight yellow jerseys the squad has targeted since its days as Team Sky. The team won seven Tours in eight years between 2012 and 2019. Since then, it has not come close.

Netcompany's arrival was described by Brailsford as "one of the most significant partnerships in cycling." The deal is reported to be worth around €20 million a year. But the team has also made clear that Netcompany is not the end of the financial rebuild — it is the beginning. The team is actively seeking a second main sponsor and has signalled it would be willing to remove the INEOS name from its title entirely if the right partner arrives.

While the new look INEOS of Brailsford and Thomas started 2026 with some strong wins, they failed to score a big win at the Spring Classics. Filippo Ganna's victory at Dwars Door Vlaanderen can hardly be considered a successful spring for a team that has won so much.

Just one stage win to go with Thymen Arensman's 4th place at the 2026 Giro d'Italia can be considered an underwhelming result. Especially as the Dutchman was sitting on the provisional podium in the final week. After Arensman emptied himself at the Giro, with Bernal providing a super domestique role, and Oscar Onley only just coming back to fitness, questions circulate around who will lead Netcompany INEOS at the 2026 Tour de France.

Allert's exit appears to have been entirely amicable. His legacy is the Netcompany deal. Without it, the rebuilding project Brailsford is now leading in full would look considerably more precarious.

And despite a disappointing Giro d'Italia, the team appears to be in a good position. A new identity, new money, and new leadership clarity. With rumours already flying about INEOS courting the 'new Seixas' and other young stars, it is clear that the Grand Tour rebuild project is already well underway.

The 2026 Tour de France remains the next target, but you get the feeling that Brailsford and co are thiking far more long term than this July. Now he is back in complete control, 'Sir Dave' has the opportunity to again take the team to where he wants it to go.