Eurosport and GCN’s Orla Chennaoui speaking exclusively with Rod Ellingworth, team principal at Team Bahrain–McLaren 

It’s the first time you’ve been with a team pursuing the GC with a team that’s not Sky or INEOS. What’s that been for you?

“Quite different. I’m enjoying the challenge to be honest. Personally, it was a good opportunity for me to move on. I’m really enjoying the challenge. We’ve had a few ups and downs during the off-season but we got through it OK and I couldn’t be prouder of the group we’ve brought into the race.”

Do INEOS Grenadiers have the same status in the peloton they have with the team at this Tour de France?

“I think obviously it’s changed and they perhaps don’t have the same experience they would have with Froome or Geraint but they’ve got a lot of depth right at the centre of the team. They can swap people in and out and have a little bit more variation of riders of rider to be able to do that. People now aren’t saying look at how INEOS are riding they’re saying look at how Visma are riding. They are teams that can get up to that level now and provide they can be successful.  

Who is the team to be beaten at this Tour de France?

“I think INEOS, definitely. You’d be crazy to underestimate the strength that they do have but I really do feel we’ve got a race on our hands and we’re in the mix. We’ve come here with Mikel [Landa] clearly to try and win this race. Mikel is one of the best climbers in the world and he always comes good at the end of a Tour. This race will be played out in the final week.

Do you have a time limit at Bahrain–McLaren to win a Tour?

“I don’t see why we can’t win within the next three years. It’s all about getting the right team in the line in the right condition and it’s all to play for really.”

Sir Bradley Wiggins on Rod Ellingworth

“Rod was always in the background at Sky and INEOS. He liked that role putting the pieces together behind the scenes. Rod is very good at planning and he’ll put the right people in place for the right jobs. He’s had the right schooling under David Brailsford. He’s got a wealth of experience and you can guarantee he’s taken that experience into his new role but not just copying that. Things he’s learnt over the years, he’s now got the opportunity to make things better.”

Sir Bradley Wiggins on:

Wout van Aert:

“He is [incredible]. I almost get the impression he’s sacrificed his own chances of individual success in this Tour for that of his team. That shows how they are, that team (Jumbo–Visma) and the type of rider he is. That shows how much confidence they have in Roglič. I’ve said since the start, they’re a team with intent, they’ve ridden at the front.  

On Sepp Kuss:

“Sepp Kuss looks phenomenal. He’s going to be Primož’s [Roglič] biggest asset going into the last week. He's really impressed me. That team are on a role. The way they ride, the confidence they ride with, they’ve really taken the role as the biggest team. 

Eurosport and GCN viewers in the UK can watch the episode in full here.