Oleg Tinkov exclusive Q&A

Oleg Tinkov, the owner of Tinkoff-Saxo, agreed to an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News HQ reporter Orla Chennaoui to discuss his triple Grand Tour challenge.

The Russian has offered €1million to Alberto Contador, Chris Froome, Vincenzo Nibali and Nairo Quintana if they ride all three Grand Tours in a single season, with the money being split between them or going entirely to the rider with the best overall result.

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Here is the full transcript of the interview…

What is your plan?

I don’t have any plans – it was just an idea. This idea was born inside of our team, Tinkoff-Saxo. Me and our general manager, Stefano Feltrin, started to think why cycling is one of the few sports where the best are not competing against each other.

Instead, they are trying to avoid each other in the main races, such as the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta – the so-called Grand Tours. We feel it's very inappropriate for such a big sport.

It's an idea - not a plan – to offer all of them, and the managers of the teams, the chance to compete all together.

Alberto Contador has already decided to do the Giro and Tour, so it seems like a good idea for everyone else to join in.

There were a lot of discussions this year about who was the strongest. Was it Nibali, who won the Tour? Was it Contador, who won the Vuelta with one leg? Was it Quintana, who won the Giro quite easily?

These discussions will always happen unless they compete face to face in the same Grand Tours. But it’s important that they compete in all the three Grand Tours because otherwise we don’t really find out who is the strongest.

Alberto is doing the Giro, but if Froome and Nibali don’t do the Giro, that means they will have an advantage over Alberto at the Tour. It’s not similar conditions or an equal situation.

Our idea is to talk to the sports directors and the riders and bring them all together at the same big races. The sport will benefit, the fans will benefit, and eventually there could be marketing and financial benefits – the sport will get more money, the teams will get more money, the race organisers will get more money. For example, Sky will pay us more money for the TV rights. That’s the idea, but it’s not a plan.

It’s not about the money or the marketing or the sponsorship – it’s for the good of the sport.

Who have you spoken to about the idea?

Honestly, I have only spoken to a few people. One was Guiseppe Martinelli, who is a manager of Astana, and it seems like he was keen because he said it was a very good idea.

I personally also talked to Mr Froome at the podium ceremony in Santiago de Compostela at the Vuelta, just one month ago, and he didn’t rule it out.

Stefano has also been talking to Alexandre Vinokourov at Astana, Dave Brailsford at Team Sky and Eusebio Unzue at Movistar. They are all keen to discuss the idea and I believe they will discuss it during the Tour de France presentation next week. Let’s hope and pray.

Brailsford thinks it is a good idea, Astana is keen, and Unzue too, so everyone seems keen.

Have you spoken to the UCI about it?

I’m surprised and concerned that the UCI has not voiced an opinion. Ultimately, it’s not the Grand Tour organisers’ business, or the team owners’ business – it's up to the UCI, or a project such as the Project Avigno