By Matt Lawton for the Daily Mail
Published: 22:30 GMT, 19 March 2019 | Updated: 22:40 GMT, 19 March 2019
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Environmental campaigners have criticised Team Sky’s star riders and the petrochemicals company that has bought the cycling team.
Team Sky formally announced on Tuesday they will be morphing into Team INEOS in May rather than at the end of the season and immediately faced a backlash.
Friends of the Earth were scathing at what some might regard as the marriage of two toxic brands, with the international environmental focus group asking Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas why they would join forces with ‘a planet-wrecking company’ when only last season they were backing Sky’s Ocean Rescue campaign to clear plastic pollution from the oceans.
Sir Dave Brailsford's Team Sky are to become Team INEOS in May this year
New owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made his vast fortune in the petrochemicals industry
In June last year Sir Dave Brailsford had said how important it was for a cycling team like Sky to ‘take the lead’ in reducing the reliance on single-use plastic.
‘The nature of our sport means we have a special responsibility to the environment,’ he declared, while Froome said it was ‘an important issue’ that was ‘having a huge impact in the world we live in today’.
The petrochemicals company owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britain’s richest person and the proud new owner of the all-conquering cycling team, does not exactly share the philosophy.
Tony Bosworth is the fossil free campaigner at Friends of the Earth and on Tuesday he accused INEOS of using the cycling as little more than a PR exercise.
‘Taking over Team Sky is the latest blatant attempt at greenwashing by Ineos,’ he said. ‘It’s a harsh change of tone that may see Sky’s Ocean Rescue campaign to clear plastic pollution from our oceans ditched from the team jersey in favour
