Shane Sutton will not join Cycling Australia, says CEO Nick Green
By Sophie Smith
Last Updated: 01/06/16 11:55am
Former British Cycling boss Shane Sutton will not be joining his home federation in the wake of the sexism and bullying claims that saw him resign as technical director in April.
Cycling Australia chief executive officer Nick Green has dismissed reports that Sutton could join his brother and women's track endurance coach, Gary Sutton, at the governing body in future.
Green said: "Australia only has room for one Sutton! The 2016 Australian Olympic Team will boast a number of siblings. An unusual statistic. While cycling has the potential of naming siblings, I don't think the Suttons will be one of them."
Sutton has not spoken publicly since his abrupt exit from British Cycling, which has strongly divided opinion for and against the hard-line 58-year-old, regarded for his ability to motivate riders.
His exit was precipitated by claims of sexism and bullying, initially from track cyclist Jess Varnish about a month after she was dropped from the British Cycling Olympic programme.
Varnish told the Daily Mail in April that the long-serving Sutton advised her to "move on and get on with having a baby" after she questioned the decision. The issue deepened and led to a public discussion on the culture at the federation.
Andy Harrison was appointed interim head of British Cycling with 100 days remaining to the Rio Olympic Games.
An independent review, in conjunction with UK Sport, of performance programmes is due to be concluded after the Olympics and Paralympics.
Meanwhile, Laura Trott has insisted that Sutton's exit will not affect Britain's chances of winning cycling medals in Rio.
She told The Times: "If Rio was happening tomorrow, then I'd be freaking out a little bit. [But] all this has happened so close to Rio that everything was already in place.
"Although we've lost Shane as our leader, Andy Harrison has stepped in and taken over what was already in place. I don't think there was much left to do."
