After only one season at the helm, Rod Ellingworth is leaving Bahrain McLaren with immediate effect. The team and manager announced the news in a press release issued Thursday evening.

"The time has come to move on," Ellingworth said. [I have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to lead this team. There was great momentum and I believe I leave the team in a strong position. In the midst of this global pandemic, we have worked together to keep the race going and have had some great results.

"The team has stuck together and worked hard to keep everyone safe. The team stayed together even in the toughest of situations. One of the highlights for me was finishing fourth overall in the Tour de France."

"I want to thank the entire team for their hard work and dedication. I wish the team all the best for the future and I look forward to watching them grow. I would like to thank the team's founder, His Highness Shaikh Nasser, for his dedication and continued support of cycling."[7

Ellingworth joined the team in June 2019 as team representative after working for Team Sky. He was part of the management team that helped Sky win its first Tour de France in 2012, but when McLaren came on board in Bahrain, it gave Ellingworth the chance to run its first WorldTour team.

He signed several high-profile riders in his first season as manager, including Mark Cavendish, and he helped the team finish fourth in the 2020 Tour de France with Mikkel Landa. Despite several other successes during the season, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the team. Players and staff were forced to take significant pay cuts of up to 70% of their salaries over several months this spring, and in the summer it was confirmed that McLaren would be leaving the team due to the financial pressures on his business.

Ellingworth was still able to sign several riders for the 2021 season, but most of them were rehires rather than new hires.

The news of his sudden departure came as a shock to both riders and team staff.

In a press release issued by Bahrain McLaren, the team stated that "Rod's passion is rider development, so he has decided to move on and focus on new projects that are close to his heart."

A team spokesperson said, "I would like to take this opportunity to thank Rod for the expertise and wisdom he has given to the team. The performance-first mentality and winning mindset he instilled in all of our team members will never change. We wish Rod all the best in his future endeavors. The team is now fully committed to transitioning to the Barlain Victorious next year and we look forward to sharing more about our vision over the next month. And needless to say, we can't wait to get back to the races"

.

In addition to signing Landa, Ellingworth has also acquired several young and talented riders, including Stephen Williams, Scott Davis, and Fred Wright. He was also instrumental in bringing in Wout Poels and Jack Hague. Ellingworth's departure leaves a big void in the team for next season. There are several teams in need of an experienced coach for Ellingworth's next move, including his former team, the Ineos Grenadiers.