Smith however was not only upset with how INEOS has dealt with it's problems, but also how modern
cycling is changing and is extremely performance-driven all year long. "There is no fun in cycling teams anymore. Science has killed this. Robotic riders and robotic sports directors. Gone are the GRINTA days. Riders now know what they can achieve, what they are up against and turn up at races in a poor mental health state".
"That’s what numbers do to riders. The mental state of a rider is now being left at the side of the road because of the numbers game," he argues. "Altitude, haemoglobin muscle testing, scientists seem to be the way forward. If a rider is not happy then you are flogging a dead horse. This is where a team needs people like Steve Cummings and not more personnel with letters after their name".