After being criticised by Bjarne Riis in a recent interview, Oleg Tinkov has hit back at the former Tinkoff team manager, defending his right to make his own decisions after buying the team from the Dane, whom he goes on to suggest should be banned from cycling for life.
Riis' interview with Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet saw him respond to criticism from Tinkov regarding the demise of the team, which will close its doors at the end of the year as the Russian withdraws his sponsorship. Riis described the team, set up as CSC-Tiscali in 2001, as his life's work, and outlined his disappointment with how it has finished up since he sold it to Tinkov in 2013 and left altogether early last year.
"I guess it is hard to understand the nature of capitalism, growing up in socialistic Denmark," Tinkov told Cyclingnews in response.
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"Riis must know that once ownership has changed, the new owner can do whatever with his property. I bought the toy, played with it, and did it in my way, so it is weird to hear these complaints. He used my money that I paid him to buy a chalet in the Swiss Alps, and most likely has refurbished it in his way, and it would be strange if the previous owner were complaining about its new style."
At first, the relationship between Riis and Tinkov appeared congenial with the duo happy to pose for the photographers during a training camp in Gran Canaria. The relationship, though, began to sour, with the Dane suspended from his role as team manager before leaving the team in March of last year.
In the interview with Ekstra Bladet, Riis suggested that the relationship breakdown was due to 'envy'.
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