More ramblings, or a hint of truth?

"It's not the right model when you have the general manager looking for money 80% of the time and spending only 20% running the team," Tinkoff-Saxo owner Tinkov told Cycling Weekly. "I believe the model of the owner of the team that pays the bills is much more proper."

Tinkov might have a point, and with his recent purchase of Tinkoff-Saxo from Bjarne Riis, he has got every opportunity to prove himself right, and his critics wrong.

The eccentric Russian pointed to BMC and Katusha as “proper models” for teams within cycling. Tinkov also compared the situation to football, where it has almost become the norm that the big teams have a sugar daddy, who basically uses his team and players as a mix between toys and outlets for his wallet.

"When the owner pays the bill it's much better so the DS can spend time with the team - training, rider selection, so on. It's like Chelsea's José Mourinho, he's the best coach but he's not looking for money, he's looking for good players. He's thinking about the strategy of the team and the game, the competitors. That's the proper model of cycling. I'm glad that cycling's started to change," Tinkov added.

"That's the perfect model for cycling. That's the future."

Perhaps. But the problem is that right now there is not even enough sponsors to go around. If the current situation continues, the WorldTour might just become pressed to count eighteen professional teams within its rank in the future.

Of course it would be nice if more extremely rich individuals – like Tinkov - took an interest in cycling. The problem is just that these people prefer to put their money elsewhere. Who knows though. Tinkov might just be on the verge of creating a new trend for rich people around the world.

Tinkov’s statements aside, it will be very interesting to see what Riis is capable of when he can focus on nothing but the team and his riders.