'Not what I thought it was' - Ryan details collapse of Manuela Fundacion deal

Mitchelton-Scott owner Gerry Ryan has revealed he blocked his team's proposed takeover because "it wasn't the deal that I thought it was."

Spanish not-for-profit entity Manuela Fundacion had been announced as Mitchelton-Scott's new title sponsor in June, however the deal collapsed less than a week later.

The Australian team parted ways with manager Shayne Bannan and financial director Alvaro Crespi as a result, with Brent Copeland and Darach McQuaid since taking their place.

Ryan's managerial shakeup has come in an attempt to attain team-wide unity after the deal with Francisco Huertas' foundation left him at risk of ceding ownership of the team he first acquired in 2012.

"Put it this way... it was different," Ryan told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"I wasn’t totally across the deal and when I started to look at the deal ... it wasn’t the deal that I thought it was.

"I decided, no, they could have sponsorship but not ownership."

Despite the organisation's best efforts to secure a major commercial sponsor, Ryan admitted he had no contact with those in charge at the Manuela Fundacion.

"Bannan did. I had no correspondence apart from a couple of emails with the gentleman," Ryan said.

"The problem was everything was done over Zoom. What was happening is he had a team of advisers and I think, in translation, a lot of things got misconstrued about what they were looking for and what we were actually looking for.

"I came into it late in the conversation. The deal had basically been agreed to but hadn’t got my blessing.

"I came into it in the home straight and I scratched the horse."

Bannan's swift departure from Mitchelton-Scott ended an eight-year association with Ryan; one he will now look to develop with Copeland.

"He decided to leave because it had fallen over," Ryan added.

"Shayne was very upfront and said, 'I’ve brought the team to this stage and I think it probably needs fresh eyes and fresh direction'."


Share
Follow SBS Sport
Watch the FIFA World Cup 2026™, Tour de France, Tour de France Femmes, Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a España, Dakar Rally, World Athletics / ISU Championships (and more) via SBS On Demand – your free live streaming and catch-up service. Read more about Sport
Have a story or comment? Contact Us

Watch the FIFA World Cup 2026™, Tour de France, Tour de France Femmes, Giro d’Italia, Vuelta a España, Dakar Rally, World Athletics / ISU Championships (and more) via SBS On Demand – your free live streaming and catch-up service.
Watch nowOn Demand
Follow SBS Sport
2 min read

Published

By Cycling Central
Source: Cycling Central

Share this with family and friends


SBS Sport Newsletter

Sign up now for the latest sport news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS On Demand
SBS Audio

Listen to our podcasts
The SBS Cycling Podcast is a punchy podcast covering the world of professional cycling, coming to you during the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.
Get the latest with our sport podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS Sport
Sport News

Sport News

News from around the sporting world