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New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
What is Sir Dave Brailsford doing at the Tour de France?
INEOS Grenadiers are unique amongst teams at this year's Tour de France for their uniformity. Riders aside, every staff member wears the same Adidas performance T-shirt: mechanics, coaches, soigneurs. Most are in mirrored sunglasses. There has always been a certain impregnability to INEOS, formerly known as Team Sky between 2010 and 2019, and their homogenous appearance only adds to that impression. But uniforms also offer anonymity. Advertisement The routine outside the INEOS bus is the same each morning. The bikes are laid out, a retaining barrier is put up, and the team's directeur sportifs stand outside as their riders head to sign on. Typically, this is a time for paddock chatter — the media are allowed to ask questions, staff members cross between buses, everybody shelters from the midday sun. But it is not until this period is almost over that Sir Dave Brailsford slips out from the door of the INEOS vehicle, and stands with arms folded, chatting to the other senior members of his team. He has not spoken publicly since arriving at the race. This all begs the question — what exactly is Brailsford's role at the Tour de France? It has only been just over a month since Brailsford stepped back from his day-to-day role at Manchester United. There, he was responsible for the 'Mission 21' plan to deliver a 21st league title, across the training ground refurbishment, and was involved in key personnel appointments. In part, this was due to Jason Wilcox's promotion to director of football, which was part of a major structural reshuffle which has also fallen under Brailsford's remit. He still retains his place on the board, and is still expected to input on performance matters. Manchester United has been a difficult job, and in many ways, cycling has always been Brailsford's safe space. He had massive success with the Great Britain Olympic cycling programme, while Team Sky/INEOS won seven of the eight Tour de France titles between 2012 and 2019 with Bradley Wiggins (x1), Chris Froome (x4), Geraint Thomas (x1), and Egan Bernal (x1). However, Brailsford officially stepped down as INEOS' team principal in January 2024 — though he had not been running the operation daily for some time — instead taking on a more senior cross-sport role with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS. It was Brailsford who had convinced Ratcliffe to fund the team in 2019, after Sky's sponsorship ended following an era that included the UK's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee producing a report that said Wiggins and the Sky team had crossed an ethical line. They say never go back, but Brailsford has been in France since the Grand Depart in Lille. His task at INEOS is not unlike his mission at Manchester United: to restore success to the dominant force of a previous generation. INEOS were the last team to announce their squad before the race, and having come back into the fold less than a month before the race, it is understood that Brailsford played a key role in the make-up of the eight-man squad. Advertisement Whilst in many ways, Brailsford's responsibilities here have been described by some around the team as an 'audit' of what processes are working and which are not, there is an extra element to his role: he is at the Tour de France to make decisions. The exact reason for his presence, however, is remaining under wraps. Brailsford has not spoken to the media since returning to the team, feeling that now is not the time to speak, having been away from the sport for an extended period of time, and knowing the attention which any public pronouncements usually provide. Ratcliffe has a close relationship with the retiring Geraint Thomas, with the 39-year-old Welshman often directly contacted on strategic issues by the INEOS boss. Expected to be offered a role at the team next season, part of Brailsford's role appears to be to prepare the former Tour winner for management. The last four seasons have been a struggle for INEOS, who have failed to win a Grand Tour since winning the 2020 Giro d'Italia with Tao Geoghegan Hart. Their only other significant victories have come in the spring classics with double Olympic gold medallist Tom Pidcock, who nonetheless sought an exit from the team last winter to join ProTour squad Q36.5. Though INEOS received plaudits for their tactical bravery at the start of the 2025 season, victories have failed to follow. This Tour de France has been a continuation of that trend. They have not won a stage, with their best result so far a second-place by Thymen Arensman on stage 10, won by Visma Lease-a-Bike's Simon Yates. Their highest rider in the general classification standings is Spanish climber Carlos Rodriguez, who sits 12th, 20 minutes and 44 seconds behind leader Tadej Pogacar. Initially, Thursday's stage 12 had appeared a tactical masterstroke from INEOS and Brailsford, as the peloton split almost in half with five INEOS riders, including Rodriguez, in the leading group. It looked like a real opportunity to gain back time on GC. Instead, Rodriguez faded badly. 'What started as an ideal and promising situation ended up as one of my worst days on the bike,' Rodriguez posted on social media afterwards. The 24-year-old appears to have regressed, at least compared to his competitors, since his fifth-place finish in the 2023 Tour. One key element in INEOS' underperformance over recent seasons — despite possessing a budget in the peloton's top five — is their lack of a true GC contender. The team had targeted Soudal Quick-Step's Remco Evenepoel, but the Belgian now appears destined to join Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe from next season on a long-term deal. Advertisement On his excursions from the team bus, one notable activity Brailsford has been up to is engaging in conversations with several high-profile rider agents in the paddock. There is major groundwork to be done before INEOS begin to regain their competitiveness in Grand Tours. But what may prove the most damaging episode of this Tour is the reports in the Irish and German press this month. These stories concern a longtime Team Sky staff member, who, during the 2012 Tour, allegedly swapped messages with Mark Schmidt, a doctor imprisoned for his participation in the Aderlass doping ring. According to German broadcaster ARD, one text read: 'Do you still have any of the stuff that Milram used during the races? If so, can you bring it for the boys?' Another allegedly invites Schmidt to visit the Team Sky hotel for a beer the night before a key mountain stage up Planche des Belles Filles. Asked by a group of journalists about the reports on Monday, Brailsford refused to comment. Cycling website Escape Collective later reported that following the exchange, he stormed back into the INEOS bus, shouting back at the group of journalists: 'F***ing hell guys, come on.' On Thursday, INEOS released a statement. 'INEOS Grenadiers Cycling Team is aware of recent media allegations relating to the 2012 season and a member of its staff,' it read. 'These allegations have not to date been presented to the team by any appropriate authority, however the team has made a formal request to the International Testing Agency (ITA) to request any information it considers relevant. 'The team reiterates its policy of zero tolerance to any breach of the applicable WADA codes, historic or current.'
News18
01-07-2025
- General
- News18
July 1, 1999: Indian Soldiers Climbed Tiger Hill At -10°C, But It Was Pakistan That Trembled
Positioned at nearly 16,700 feet, Tiger Hill was a natural fortress that the intruding Pakistani army and irregulars were determined to defend at any cost Twenty six years ago, on July 1, 1999, the temperature had plunged to -10 degrees Celsius in the Kargil sector. The Himalayan winds were unforgiving, piercing the skin like shards of ice. Oxygen was thin, the terrain treacherous, and yet, the Indian Army was preparing for a battle that would etch itself in the blood and grit of military history; the assault on Tiger Hill. Following the capture of Tololing on June 13 and Point 5203 on June 21, one key objective still loomed large over the Indian forces – Tiger Hill. Along with Points 4700 and 5100, it remained under Pakistani control, and from these heights, enemy troops had a direct line of fire onto National Highway 1D, the arterial lifeline connecting Srinagar to Leh. Unless these peaks were recaptured, the flow of logistics and reinforcements to Indian troops remained perilously blocked. Holding Tiger Hill gave Pakistan a massive tactical advantage. Positioned at nearly 16,700 feet, it was a natural fortress that the intruding Pakistani army and irregulars were determined to defend at any cost. Any attempt to scale it was almost suicidal; the icy slopes offered little cover, and enemy bunkers fortified at the summit meant the soldiers would be easy targets during ascent. Yet, retreat was never an option. The Indian Army devised a bold, multi-pronged assault. The responsibility of retaking Tiger Hill was assigned to the 18 Grenadiers, 8 Sikh, and 2 Naga Regiments. While the 8 Sikh engaged the enemy from the front to divert attention, the 18 Grenadiers began an arduous climb from behind, scaling nearly vertical ridges under cover of darkness. Meanwhile, 2 Naga Regiment flanked the enemy from the right. Adding unprecedented air power to the operation, the Indian Air Force was mobilised for precision strikes in the early hours of July 1. But the crux of the battle would still be fought by infantrymen, crawling over frozen slopes with death lurking behind every snowdrift. As the 18 Grenadiers approached the summit after 12 hours of continuous ascent, Pakistani forces finally spotted movement and unleashed heavy gunfire. The Indian response was swift and unrelenting. To provide cover, 22 artillery batteries opened up, raining fire from Bofors guns and multi-barrel rocket launchers for over 13 hours, one of the most intense artillery bombardments in the Kargil War. This relentless shelling allowed Indian troops to inch closer. It was close combat now; hand-to-hand, bunker-to-bunker. The terrain offered no shelter. Every step forward was contested. Then, on July 3 at 5:15 pm, the Indian Army launched its final, decisive assault. What followed was five days of brutal, high-altitude warfare. Amid bullets and blizzards, bodies fell and heroes rose. Against staggering odds, Indian forces cleared the final Pakistani positions. On July 8, 1999, the tricolor was hoisted once again on Tiger Hill, battered but flying defiantly in the mountain wind. The psychological tide of the Kargil War had turned. Among the many acts of bravery, none perhaps symbolised the raw courage of the Indian soldier more than Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav of 18 Grenadiers. Hit by 17 bullets and gravely injured by a grenade blast that left part of his body paralysed, Yadav refused to fall back. With sheer willpower, he dragged himself towards the enemy, lobbed grenades into bunkers, and eliminated over half a dozen Pakistani troops, singlehandedly paving the way for his platoon's advance. For his unmatched bravery and critical role in the victory at Tiger Hill, Yadav was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the country's highest military honour. Tiger Hill was more than a peak; it became a symbol of India's refusal to back down, of soldiers who climbed towards death and returned with victory. More than two decades later, the echoes of that battle still resonate through the snow-clad silence of Kargil. First Published: July 01, 2025, 13:02 IST
The Guardian
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Dave Brailsford to step back from Manchester United and return to Ineos
Sir Dave Brailsford is to reduce his role at Manchester United under a reshuffle being planned by minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Brailsford has played a major part since Ratcliffe secured his stake in United in February 2024, stepping down as team principal of the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team to take charge of footballing operations at Old Trafford and investing considerable time and energy in driving change at the club. But after a season in which United ended in 15th place, their worst Premier League finish, and lost the Europa League final against Tottenham, Ratcliffe is planning a shake-up in which Brailsford will return to his role as director of sport for the wider Ineos group, as first reported by the Times. Under the plans, the former Tour de France winner and Olympic champion Geraint Thomas is poised to take on a leadership role with the Grenadiers when he retires as a rider at the end of the year. Brailsford, 61, has overseen a major overhaul of United's operations, including a £50m redevelopment of the Carrington training ground. Ratcliffe has scaled back some of Ineos's sporting commitments, terminating its sponsorship of the New Zealand rugby team and ending his bid to win the America's Cup. However, Ratcliffe remains committed to the cycling team, who no longer hold the dominant position they did when winning the Tour de France in seven out of eight editions between 2012 and 2019. Thomas, 39, has said he will retire after the Tour of Britain in September.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
How to Win the Confrontation Scenario in Genshin Impact
Image via: HoYoverse Genshin Impact's Operation Downpour Simulation event in Version 5.6 adds a welcome touch of strategy to the typical combat-focused gameplay. The highlight is the Confrontation Scenario, a competitive mode where brains, not brawn, are the order of the day. From now until June 3, 2025, the event challenges players against each other in a tabletop-style battle that mingles base defense with strategic offense. Here's how you can take over this mode with clever planning and strategically placed units. The Game Mode and Strategies The Confrontation Scenario turns Genshin's verdant world into a virtual war board. You have two missions: Construct a solid defense to keep out enemy incursions. Create a relentless attack to break through your opponent's configuration. Most importantly, once you've set your offensive roster prior to a fight, you can't modify it mid-match—so strategy counts. Confrontation Scenario Set Up for PVP in Genshin Impact (Operation Downpour Event) Scoring & Rewards Don't panic if you don't win all matches. Genshin Impact provides rewards for stick-to-itiveness and effort. You only need to accumulate 5,000 points in order to reach all the rewards of the event. You earn points even when you lose, so every match helps. After you reach all rewards, you can still replay for entertainment or to maximize your score and strategy. Offensive Tactics Triumph usually depends on taking advantage of the correct unit synergies: Employ the high-HP Lava Avatar as a shield. As it absorbs damage, your Grenadiers can nibble away at critical defenses in relative safety from behind. Graders are ideal tanks. Place your delicate yet high-range Samachurls in their rear to cancel out danger such as the Suppression Specialist Mek, which otherwise annihilates airborne units. Wonderful for managing space and disrupting enemy pushes. While Spectres immobilize or slow, Mimics break and distract. Having varied units with multiple copies of good ones—that is, instead of being too spread out can overwhelm even the best defended compositions. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20 Signs That A Heart Attack Is Imminent Learn It Wise Undo Defence Layout When building your base defence, note that surprise is on your side. Position Mek units strategically to cut off common attack paths. Target locations where enemy players tend to send ranged units such as Samachurls or Grenadiers. Also, don't group units with the same vulnerabilities. For example, if your defense is overdependent on airborne enemies, a well-positioned Suppression Specialist will destroy your whole formation. [Genshin Impact Event] Operation Downpour Simulation - Confrontation Scenario - Perfect 100% Winning Beginner Stage Strategy: Tips and Tricks At early levels, employ tried formations like: Two Hilichurls on the top flank to push enemy buildings. Adjust placements and unit compositions as you level up, depending on your opponent's composition and insights gained through trial-and-error. The Confrontation Scenario is not about sheer brute force, it's about timing, synergy, and flexibility. Whether you're a strategic player or a general gamer who just wants something different, this event demonstrates Genshin Impact can provide engaging strategy play in addition to its action-based core. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Cambrian News
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Cambrian News
Josh Tarling's Giro d'Italia debut with Ineos Grenadiers
The demanding parcours is packed with high-altitude challenges, summit finishes and two individual time trials, so the Grenadiers have built a team designed to be competitive across all terrains over the three weeks.
