Rod Ellingworth, in his first official interview since rejoining Team Ineos Grenadiers, said that his time at Bahrain McLaren was all but over when the automaker confirmed that he would be leaving the team after just one season on the World Tour He told Cycling News.

McLaren was the main reason Ellingworth chose to leave Team Ineos in 2019 to become team principal of Bahrain McLaren, but the car company only lasted one season due to financial pressures caused by the COVID-19 epidemic.

The team continued to operate as Barlain Victorious this year, but Ellingworth no longer felt tied to the project.

"It was really hard to leave the team. It's been a really challenging year, but I've enjoyed every step of it," Ellingworth told Cycling News from his home in England.

"I felt I was going in the right direction and I didn't have any problems with certain people on the team. I just felt that a big part of the reason why we went there was missing.

The 2020 season was a tough one for cycling, with some teams suffering more than others; in April, Cyclingnews reported that Bahrain McLaren's senior management and riders were deferred up to 75% of their pay during the spring, and recruiting and roster confirmed that additions have been put on hold. Meanwhile, McLaren was forced to close its factory and make major job cuts in the UK.

Despite the team's success on the road, including Mikel Landa's fourth place in the Tour de France, the departure of McLaren and a key ally in John Allert, who had come from McLaren and was the team's director, changed the team's outlook and structure. Ellingworth admits that he had no working problems with anyone in the team, but the loss of McLaren was fundamental to his decision to move on.

"I had a job to do and I had no problem continuing to work in Bahrain. I think it was more about where we were traveling as a team," he said.

"For me, the reason I went to Bahrain in the first place was for McLaren. McLaren was the reason I was able to go there. Without it, it would have been harder to see that trip. John Alert was the one who brought me into the team, and I really enjoyed working with John and the McLaren side. I really enjoyed working with the McLaren side. Without that, other things came up and that's the fundamental reason I changed

"I made the decision quite late. It was only a short time after Cycling News reported about it. It certainly wasn't something that had been going on for months and months."

Ellingworth also had to say goodbye to several key people he had personally brought into the team, including Roger Hammond, Jack Hague, Neal Stephens, and several younger players. He admits that this was one of the most difficult aspects of leaving the team, but that he had to make the best decision for himself and his family

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"It was hard. There were people I brought onto the team in Bahrain and I talked to them about the vision we were trying to create. [There are] really good people out there who love the sport and work hard, like me. But ultimately, I had to figure out what was best for me and my family."

"Of course I told them all my reasons. I don't know what people are like, but I explained to them why I was leaving. People change, and that's what I decided to do."

Ellingworth's decision to leave his top position in Bahrain and return to his old team to report to Dave Brailsford may seem to some like a sideways or backward step. After all, he left Ineos in 2019 to take on the challenge of running a team, and just one season later, he returned to the starting lineup, albeit with more responsibility and a much more successful team.

Ellingworth is not the type to get caught up in titles and professional politics.

"It depends," he replied when asked if his move to Ineos could be seen as a backward step.

"I know what people think - he may have failed - but you have to weigh where you are in life. I feel I have a huge responsibility on this team. But I'm okay with that, otherwise I wouldn't have come here. [If McLaren had stayed, there would have been no reason to move. It was thanks to McLaren that I was able to move from Ineos in the first place. And I said, 'I didn't come here for this, but I have another chance.'

"And McLaren was more than a bit of cash. We chose McLaren because of the look and feel that we could make the trip. When I took the job in Bahrain, there wasn't much unity there. It wasn't top-down unity, but I felt we started to come together and get some real structure and belief

"There was a process and we made real progress. Some people left, and I was fine with that. I spoke openly about my ideas and what I wanted to do.

Ellingworth is currently in the midst of planning Ineos' 2021 campaign, and although he will not be able to go to Gran Canaria due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, he and performance director Dan Hunt have begun working on a plan to keep the British team competitive in the Grand Tour He has begun to take on the challenge.

"With me and Dan Hunt on board, it's quite a bit of the same but with a higher structure," Ellingworth said, comparing his first and second stint with the team. [My role as racing director is to oversee all aspects of the race and make sure everything is on track with a vision of where the team should be going in terms of vision. It's a big organization and you need several layers to make the performance plan happen

"I work with the coaches and I want to be on the racing scene. I like to roll up my sleeves and get down to business, just like I did in Bahrain. Of course, the big difference is that Dave Brailsford is the team principal and I have to answer to him. I don't mind that. I've done that before."